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Course Navigation: This lesson is part of the Czech frequency-based vocabulary course. Return to the course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does “this” mean in Czech? The English demonstrative pronoun “this” is expressed in Czech by tento (masculine), tato (feminine), and toto (neuter). These are the formal variants. In everyday spoken Czech, especially in Bohemia, you will more commonly hear the colloquial forms tenhle (m), tahle (f), and tohle (n). Both sets function identically in meaning but carry different registers—tento/tato/toto for formal writing and speech, tenhle/tahle/tohle for casual conversation.
Czech demonstrative pronouns must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Czech has seven grammatical cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, locative, and instrumental. This lesson will demonstrate how “this” functions across these cases and genders.
A special construction to note: To je (this is) and To jsou (these are) use the neuter singular form “to” regardless of the gender or number of what follows. This is a fixed expression in Czech.
Key Takeaways: -
Czech has three genders requiring different forms: tento (m), tato (f), toto (n) -
Colloquial forms tenhle/tahle/tohle are more common in speech -
All forms decline through seven cases following the pattern of ten/ta/to + suffix -
“To je...” is a fixed construction meaning “this is...” for all genders -
Gender agreement with the noun is mandatory
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tento [ˈtɛnto] — stress on first syllable; the ‘e’ is short as in English “ten”
tato [ˈtato] — stress on first syllable; both ‘a’ sounds are short, like “a” in “father” but shorter
toto [ˈtoto] — stress on first syllable; both ‘o’ sounds are short, between English “pot” and “boat”
tenhle [ˈtɛnɦlɛ] — the ‘h’ is voiced (like gentle throat clearing); stress on first syllable
tahle [ˈtaɦlɛ] — voiced ‘h’; stress on first syllable
tohle [ˈtoɦlɛ] — voiced ‘h’; stress on first syllable
Special Czech sounds: -
ř [r̝] — a unique Czech sound, a raised alveolar trill (r with friction) -
ě [jɛ] — sounds like “ye” in “yes” -
č [tʃ] — like English “ch” in “church” -
š [ʃ] — like English “sh” in “ship” -
ž [ʒ] — like “s” in “measure” -
ň [ɲ] — like Spanish “ñ” or “ny” in “canyon”
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19.1 Tento this-MASC dům house je is starý old → tento [ˈtɛnto] this-MASC, dům [duːm] house, je [jɛ] is, starý [ˈstariː] old
19.2 Tato this-FEM kniha book je is zajímavá interesting → tato [ˈtato] this-FEM, kniha [ˈkɲɪɦa] book, je [jɛ] is, zajímavá [ˈzajiːmavaː] interesting
19.3 Toto this-NEUT auto car je is nové new → toto [ˈtoto] this-NEUT, auto [ˈaʊ̯to] car, je [jɛ] is, nové [ˈnovɛː] new
19.4 To this/it je is můj my přítel friend → to [to] this/it, je [jɛ] is, můj [muːj] my, přítel [ˈpr̝iːtɛl] friend
19.5 Vidím I-see tohoto this-MASC-ACC muže man-ACC každý every den day → vidím [ˈvɪɟiːm] I-see, tohoto [ˈtoɦoto] this-MASC-ACC, muže [ˈmuʒɛ] man-ACC, každý [ˈkaʒdiː] every, den [dɛn] day
19.6 Dávám I-give tuto this-FEM-ACC knihu book-ACC své my-own sestře sister-DAT → dávám [ˈdaːvaːm] I-give, tuto [ˈtuto] this-FEM-ACC, knihu [ˈkɲɪɦu] book-ACC, své [svɛː] my-own, sestře [ˈsɛstr̝ɛ] sister-DAT
19.7 Mluvíme we-speak o about tomto this-MASC-LOC problému problem-LOC → mluvíme [ˈmluviːmɛ] we-speak, o [o] about, tomto [ˈtomto] this-MASC-LOC, problému [ˈproblɛːmu] problem-LOC
19.8 S with tímto this-MASC-INST člověkem person-INST pracuji I-work rád gladly → s [s] with, tímto [ˈtiːmto] this-MASC-INST, člověkem [ˈtʃlovʲɛkɛm] person-INST, pracuji [ˈpratsuji] I-work, rád [raːt] gladly
19.9 Tenhle this-MASC-COLL chlapec boy je is můj my syn son → tenhle [ˈtɛnɦlɛ] this-MASC-COLL, chlapec [ˈxlapɛts] boy, je [jɛ] is, můj [muːj] my, syn [sɪn] son
19.10 Tahle this-FEM-COLL žena woman mluví speaks česky Czech → tahle [ˈtaɦlɛ] this-FEM-COLL, žena [ˈʒɛna] woman, mluví [ˈmluviː] speaks, česky [ˈtʃɛski] Czech
19.11 Tohle this-NEUT-COLL jídlo food je is výborné excellent → tohle [ˈtoɦlɛ] this-NEUT-COLL, jídlo [ˈjiːdlo] food, je [jɛ] is, výborné [ˈviːbornɛː] excellent
19.12 Bez without tohoto this-MASC-GEN klíče key-GEN nemůžu I-cannot otevřít open dveře door → bez [bɛs] without, tohoto [ˈtoɦoto] this-MASC-GEN, klíče [ˈkliːtʃɛ] key-GEN, nemůžu [ˈnɛmuːʒu] I-cannot, otevřít [ˈotɛvr̝iːt] open, dveře [ˈdvɛr̝ɛ] door
19.13 Dej give-IMP to it tomuto this-MASC-DAT pánovi gentleman-DAT → dej [dɛj] give-IMP, to [to] it, tomuto [ˈtomuto] this-MASC-DAT, pánovi [ˈpaːnovɪ] gentleman-DAT
19.14 Tito these-MASC-ANIM lidé people jsou are moji my-PL přátelé friends → tito [ˈtɪto] these-MASC-ANIM, lidé [ˈlɪdɛː] people, jsou [jsoʊ̯] are, moji [ˈmojɪ] my-PL, přátelé [ˈpr̝aːtɛlɛː] friends
19.15 Tyto these-FEM domy houses jsou are krásné beautiful → tyto [ˈtɪto] these-FEM, domy [ˈdomɪ] houses, jsou [jsoʊ̯] are, krásné [ˈkraːsnɛː] beautiful
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19.1 Tento dům je starý. “This house is old.”
19.2 Tato kniha je zajímavá. “This book is interesting.”
19.3 Toto auto je nové. “This car is new.”
19.4 To je můj přítel. “This is my friend.”
19.5 Vidím tohoto muže každý den. “I see this man every day.”
19.6 Dávám tuto knihu své sestře. “I am giving this book to my sister.”
19.7 Mluvíme o tomto problému. “We are talking about this problem.”
19.8 S tímto člověkem pracuji rád. “I like working with this person.”
19.9 Tenhle chlapec je můj syn. “This boy is my son.”
19.10 Tahle žena mluví česky. “This woman speaks Czech.”
19.11 Tohle jídlo je výborné. “This food is excellent.”
19.12 Bez tohoto klíče nemůžu otevřít dveře. “Without this key, I cannot open the door.”
19.13 Dej to tomuto pánovi. “Give it to this gentleman.”
19.14 Tito lidé jsou moji přátelé. “These people are my friends.”
19.15 Tyto domy jsou krásné. “These houses are beautiful.”
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19.1 Tento dům je starý.
19.2 Tato kniha je zajímavá.
19.3 Toto auto je nové.
19.4 To je můj přítel.
19.5 Vidím tohoto muže každý den.
19.6 Dávám tuto knihu své sestře.
19.7 Mluvíme o tomto problému.
19.8 S tímto člověkem pracuji rád.
19.9 Tenhle chlapec je můj syn.
19.10 Tahle žena mluví česky.
19.11 Tohle jídlo je výborné.
19.12 Bez tohoto klíče nemůžu otevřít dveře.
19.13 Dej to tomuto pánovi.
19.14 Tito lidé jsou moji přátelé.
19.15 Tyto domy jsou krásné.
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Grammar Rules for tento/tato/toto in Czech:
1. Gender Agreement
Czech has three genders, and the demonstrative pronoun must match the gender of the noun it modifies:
Masculine: tento (formal), tenhle (colloquial) Feminine: tato (formal), tahle (colloquial) Neuter: toto (formal), tohle (colloquial)
Examples: tento dům (this house-MASC), tato kniha (this book-FEM), toto auto (this car-NEUT)
2. Case Declension
The demonstrative pronouns decline through all seven Czech cases. The formal forms (tento/tato/toto) follow the pattern of ten/ta/to with the suffix -to added. Here are the singular masculine forms as a model:
Nominative: tento (this - subject) Genitive: tohoto (of this, without this) Dative: tomuto (to this) Accusative: tohoto (animate) / tento (inanimate) (this - direct object) Vocative: (rarely used with demonstratives) Locative: tomto (about this, in this) Instrumental: tímto (with this, by this)
3. Plural Forms
The plural forms distinguish masculine animate from other genders:
Masculine animate plural: tito (these people/men) Masculine inanimate plural: tyto (these things) Feminine plural: tyto (these) Neuter plural: tato (these)
Example: tito muži (these men), tyto domy (these houses), tato auta (these cars)
4. The Special “To je” Construction
The phrase “To je...” (This is...) and “To jsou...” (These are...) uses the neuter singular “to” regardless of the gender or number of what follows. This is a fixed Czech construction:
To je můj bratr. (This is my brother. - even though bratr is masculine) To je moje sestra. (This is my sister. - even though sestra is feminine) To jsou moji přátelé. (These are my friends.)
5. Colloquial vs. Formal Forms
The colloquial forms (tenhle, tahle, tohle) are formed by adding -hle to the basic forms (ten, ta, to). These decline in the same pattern:
Nominative: tenhle, tahle, tohle Genitive: tohohle Dative: tomuhle Accusative: tohohle (anim.) / tenhle (inanim.), tuhle, tohle Locative: tomhle Instrumental: tímhle
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make:
Using wrong gender: Always check the gender of the noun before selecting tento, tato, or toto Forgetting case changes: The form changes based on grammatical function in the sentence Using “to je” with changed forms: “To je” remains fixed; don’t change “to” to match the noun Mixing formal and colloquial: In formal writing, use tento/tato/toto; in casual speech, tenhle/tahle/tohle is preferred
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Register and Usage
In modern Czech, the colloquial forms tenhle/tahle/tohle dominate everyday spoken language, particularly in Bohemia. The formal forms tento/tato/toto are reserved for official documents, academic writing, news broadcasts, and formal speeches. Using tento/tato/toto in casual conversation may sound overly stiff or bookish.
Regional Variation
Moravian dialects may have slightly different colloquial forms or preferences. The forms presented here represent standard (Prague-based) Czech, which is understood throughout the Czech Republic.
Czech and Articles
Czech has no articles (a, an, the). The demonstrative pronouns sometimes function where English might use “the” for emphasis. Ten muž means “the man” or “that man” depending on context. This makes the demonstrative pronoun more versatile in Czech than in English.
Pointing and Deixis
Czech has a three-level system of demonstrative pronouns:
ten/ta/to — the, that (neutral pointing or reference) tento/tato/toto (or tenhle/tahle/tohle) — this (near the speaker) tamten/tamta/tamto — that (distant from speaker)
The archaic forms onen/ona/ono (that) survive mainly in literary contexts and set phrases.
Idiomatic Expressions with tento/tato/toto:
“v tomto případě” — in this case “v této době” — at this time, nowadays “tímto způsobem” — in this way, thus “z tohoto důvodu” — for this reason “co to má znamenat?” — what is this supposed to mean?
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From Jaroslav Hašek’s novel Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války (The Good Soldier Švejk, 1921-1923):
Part F-A: Interlinear Text
To this je is nějaký some nesmysl nonsense → toto this nemůže cannot být be pravda truth
→ to [to] this, je [jɛ] is, nějaký [ˈɲɛjakiː] some, nesmysl [ˈnɛsmɪsl] nonsense; toto [ˈtoto] this, nemůže [ˈnɛmuːʒɛ] cannot, být [biːt] be, pravda [ˈpravda] truth
Part F-B: Natural Text with Translation
“To je nějaký nesmysl, toto nemůže být pravda.” “This is some kind of nonsense; this cannot be true.”
Part F-C: Czech Text Only
To je nějaký nesmysl, toto nemůže být pravda.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This sentence from Hašek’s masterpiece demonstrates the interplay between the neutral “to” and the emphatic “toto.” The first “to” functions in the fixed “To je...” construction, while “toto” (a more emphatic form) reinforces the speaker’s disbelief. Hašek’s satire of Austro-Hungarian bureaucracy often plays with such emphatic language to highlight the absurdity of official pronouncements.
Note how Czech uses two different forms in the same sentence: “to” in the introductory phrase and “toto” for emphasis. This stylistic variation is common in Czech prose.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
19.16 Tohle this-NEUT-COLL místo place je is hezké pretty → líbí pleases se REFL mi me-DAT tady here → tohle [ˈtoɦlɛ] this-NEUT-COLL, místo [ˈmiːsto] place, je [jɛ] is, hezké [ˈɦɛskɛː] pretty; líbí [ˈliːbiː] pleases, se [sɛ] REFL, mi [mɪ] me-DAT, tady [ˈtadɪ] here
19.17 Podívej look-IMP se REFL na at tenhle this-MASC-COLL dort cake → podívej [ˈpoɟiːvɛj] look-IMP, se [sɛ] REFL, na [na] at, tenhle [ˈtɛnɦlɛ] this-MASC-COLL, dort [dort] cake
19.18 Ano yes → tahle this-FEM-COLL káva coffee voní smells skvěle wonderfully → ano [ˈano] yes; tahle [ˈtaɦlɛ] this-FEM-COLL, káva [ˈkaːva] coffee, voní [ˈvoɲiː] smells, skvěle [ˈskvʲɛlɛ] wonderfully
19.19 Co what si REFL dáš you-will-have k to tomuhle this-NEUT-COLL-DAT koláči pastry-DAT → co [tso] what, si [sɪ] REFL, dáš [daːʃ] you-will-have, k [k] to, tomuhle [ˈtomuɦlɛ] this-NEUT-COLL-DAT, koláči [ˈkolaːtʃɪ] pastry-DAT
19.20 Chci I-want vyzkoušet to-try tuhle this-FEM-COLL-ACC specialitu specialty-ACC → chci [xtsi] I-want, vyzkoušet [ˈvɪskouʃɛt] to-try, tuhle [ˈtuɦlɛ] this-FEM-COLL-ACC, specialitu [ˈspɛtsɪalɪtu] specialty-ACC
19.21 Výborně excellent → a and co what tenhle this-MASC-COLL čaj tea → výborně [ˈviːbornʲɛ] excellent; a [a] and, co [tso] what, tenhle [ˈtɛnɦlɛ] this-MASC-COLL, čaj [tʃaj] tea
19.22 S with tímhle this-MASC-COLL-INST čajem tea-INST to it bude will-be perfektní perfect → s [s] with, tímhle [ˈtiːmɦlɛ] this-MASC-COLL-INST, čajem [ˈtʃajɛm] tea-INST, to [to] it, bude [ˈbudɛ] will-be, perfektní [ˈpɛrfɛktɲiː] perfect
19.23 Promiňte excuse-me → je is tohle this-NEUT-COLL volné free → promiňte [ˈpromɪɲtɛ] excuse-me; je [jɛ] is, tohle [ˈtoɦlɛ] this-NEUT-COLL, volné [ˈvolnɛː] free
19.24 Ano yes → tento this-MASC stůl table je is volný free → ano [ˈano] yes; tento [ˈtɛnto] this-MASC, stůl [stuːl] table, je [jɛ] is, volný [ˈvolniː] free
19.25 Děkuji I-thank → tohle this-NEUT-COLL je is moc very příjemné pleasant → děkuji [ˈɟɛkuji] I-thank; tohle [ˈtoɦlɛ] this-NEUT-COLL, je [jɛ] is, moc [mots] very, příjemné [ˈpr̝iːjɛmnɛː] pleasant
19.26 Znáš you-know tu this-FEM-ACC servírku waitress-ACC → ta this-FEM je is velmi very milá kind → znáš [znaːʃ] you-know, tu [tu] this-FEM-ACC, servírku [ˈsɛrviːrku] waitress-ACC; ta [ta] this-FEM, je [jɛ] is, velmi [ˈvɛlmɪ] very, milá [ˈmɪlaː] kind
19.27 V in tomhle this-MASC-COLL-LOC podniku establishment-LOC jsem I-am poprvé first-time → v [v] in, tomhle [ˈtomɦlɛ] this-MASC-COLL-LOC, podniku [ˈpodɲɪku] establishment-LOC, jsem [jsɛm] I-am, poprvé [ˈpoprvɛː] first-time
19.28 Tento this-MASC podnik establishment existuje exists už already sto hundred let years → tento [ˈtɛnto] this-MASC, podnik [ˈpodɲɪk] establishment, existuje [ˈɛɡzɪstujɛ] exists, už [uʃ] already, sto [sto] hundred, let [lɛt] years
19.29 To that je is úžasné amazing → tyhle these-FEM-COLL tradice traditions jsou are důležité important → to [to] that, je [jɛ] is, úžasné [ˈuːʒasnɛː] amazing; tyhle [ˈtɪɦlɛ] these-FEM-COLL, tradice [ˈtradɪtsɛ] traditions, jsou [jsoʊ̯] are, důležité [ˈduːlɛʒɪtɛː] important
19.30 Souhlasím I-agree → pojďme let’s-go sem here zase again příště next-time → souhlasím [ˈsoʊ̯ɦlasiːm] I-agree; pojďme [ˈpojɟmɛ] let’s-go, sem [sɛm] here, zase [ˈzasɛ] again, příště [ˈpr̝iːʃtʲɛ] next-time
Part B: Natural Sentences
19.16 Tohle místo je hezké. Líbí se mi tady. “This place is pretty. I like it here.”
19.17 Podívej se na tenhle dort. “Look at this cake.”
19.18 Ano, tahle káva voní skvěle. “Yes, this coffee smells wonderful.”
19.19 Co si dáš k tomuhle koláči? “What will you have with this pastry?”
19.20 Chci vyzkoušet tuhle specialitu. “I want to try this specialty.”
19.21 Výborně. A co tenhle čaj? “Excellent. And what about this tea?”
19.22 S tímhle čajem to bude perfektní. “With this tea, it will be perfect.”
19.23 Promiňte, je tohle volné? “Excuse me, is this free?”
19.24 Ano, tento stůl je volný. “Yes, this table is free.”
19.25 Děkuji. Tohle je moc příjemné. “Thank you. This is very pleasant.”
19.26 Znáš tu servírku? Ta je velmi milá. “Do you know this waitress? She is very kind.”
19.27 V tomhle podniku jsem poprvé. “This is my first time in this establishment.”
19.28 Tento podnik existuje už sto let. “This establishment has existed for a hundred years.”
19.29 To je úžasné. Tyhle tradice jsou důležité. “That’s amazing. These traditions are important.”
19.30 Souhlasím. Pojďme sem zase příště. “I agree. Let’s come here again next time.”
Part C: Czech Text Only
19.16 Tohle místo je hezké. Líbí se mi tady.
19.17 Podívej se na tenhle dort.
19.18 Ano, tahle káva voní skvěle.
19.19 Co si dáš k tomuhle koláči?
19.20 Chci vyzkoušet tuhle specialitu.
19.21 Výborně. A co tenhle čaj?
19.22 S tímhle čajem to bude perfektní.
19.23 Promiňte, je tohle volné?
19.24 Ano, tento stůl je volný.
19.25 Děkuji. Tohle je moc příjemné.
19.26 Znáš tu servírku? Ta je velmi milá.
19.27 V tomhle podniku jsem poprvé.
19.28 Tento podnik existuje už sto let.
19.29 To je úžasné. Tyhle tradice jsou důležité.
19.30 Souhlasím. Pojďme sem zase příště.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue demonstrates natural usage of both formal and colloquial demonstrative forms in a café setting. Notice how the colloquial forms (tohle, tenhle, tahle, tuhle, tímhle, tomhle, tyhle) dominate the casual conversation between friends, while the formal “tento” appears in more factual statements (19.24 and 19.28).
Key grammatical points illustrated:
Dative with preposition “k” (19.19): “k tomuhle koláči” shows the dative case used after the preposition “k” (to, toward)
Instrumental with preposition “s” (19.22): “s tímhle čajem” demonstrates the instrumental case required after “s” (with)
Locative with preposition “v” (19.27): “v tomhle podniku” shows the locative case after “v” (in)
Accusative forms (19.20, 19.26): “tuhle specialitu” and “tu servírku” show feminine accusative forms
Plural colloquial form (19.29): “tyhle tradice” shows the colloquial plural form for feminine nouns
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Czech Diacritics:
The háček (ˇ) appears over consonants to indicate palatalization or different sound quality: -
č = [tʃ] (like English “ch”) -
š = [ʃ] (like English “sh”) -
ž = [ʒ] (like “s” in “measure”) -
ř = [r̝] (unique Czech raised trill) -
ď = [ɟ] (palatalized d) -
ť = [c] (palatalized t) -
ň = [ɲ] (like Spanish “ñ”)
The čárka (acute accent) indicates long vowels: -
á [aː], é [ɛː], í [iː], ó [oː], ú [uː], ý [iː]
The kroužek (ring) appears only on ů to indicate a long u sound [uː], historically distinct from ú but now pronounced identically.
Stress:
Czech stress always falls on the first syllable of a word. This is invariable and does not change meaning, unlike in English.
Vowel Length:
Vowel length is phonemic in Czech—it can change meaning. Compare: -
pas (passport) vs. pás (belt) -
dráha (track) vs. draha (dear-FEM)
The demonstrative forms maintain consistent vowel lengths: ten [tɛn], tento [ˈtɛnto], tohoto [ˈtoɦoto].
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Czech Course, which teaches vocabulary based on frequency analysis. By learning the most common words first, students efficiently build comprehension of everyday Czech.
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, pioneering the use of construed reading methods for modern language acquisition. Our approach emphasizes understanding how languages work through systematic exposure to authentic structures.
Course Resources: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
Trustpilot Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
The Czech language, with its seven cases and rich inflectional system, presents unique challenges for English speakers. However, the systematic approach of learning demonstrative pronouns like tento/tato/toto early provides a foundation for understanding how Czech grammar operates, as these forms model the declension patterns that appear throughout the language.
This frequency-based curriculum ensures that students encounter the most useful vocabulary first. Lesson 19 covers “this”—one of the most essential pointing words in any language—setting the stage for complex expression in Czech.
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