◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ @ᴸᴬᵀᴵᴺᵁᴹ.ᴵᴺˢᵀᴵᵀᵁᵀᴱ — Czech Language Learning Series
Welcome to Lesson 21 of the Latinum Institute Czech Language Course. This lesson focuses on my /mɪ/, the first person plural pronoun meaning “we” in English. This is the 21st most frequently used word in English and an essential building block for expressing collective identity, group actions, and shared experiences in Czech.
The Czech pronoun “my” functions as the subject form (nominative case) of the first person plural. Unlike English, Czech is a pro-drop language, meaning subject pronouns are often omitted because verb conjugations already indicate the person and number. When “my” is explicitly used, it typically adds emphasis or contrast.
FAQ: What does “my” mean in Czech? The Czech word “my” (pronounced /mɪ/) means “we” in English. It is the first person plural subject pronoun used when the speaker includes themselves in a group performing an action or being described. Czech verbs conjugate to show person and number, so “my” is often optional and used primarily for emphasis.
In this lesson, you will encounter “my” in various sentence structures, learning how it interacts with Czech verb conjugation and how it changes form across the seven Czech grammatical cases. The 30 examples progress from simple present-tense statements to complex constructions involving different tenses, moods, and cases.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Key Takeaways:
→ “My” /mɪ/ is the nominative (subject) form meaning “we”
→ Czech often omits subject pronouns; “my” adds emphasis when used
→ The pronoun declines across seven cases: my, nás, nám, nás, (o) nás, námi
→ First person plural verbs end in -me or -eme (jsme, máme, jdeme)
→ Colloquial speech uses “náma” instead of standard “námi” for instrumental
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My /mɪ/ — Short vowel, similar to English “mi” in “mirror” but shorter
Jsme /jsme/ — The initial “js-” cluster is pronounced together; sounds like “ysme”
Nás /naːs/ — Long vowel indicated by háček; rhymes with English “boss” with longer “a”
Nám /naːm/ — Long “á” sound; like “nahm”
Námi /naːmɪ/ — Standard instrumental form; “nah-mi”
Náma /naːma/ — Colloquial instrumental form; very common in spoken Czech
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21.1a My jsme studenti. 21.1b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are studenti (studentɪ) students
21.2a My máme nový dům. 21.2b My (mɪ) we máme (maːme) have nový (noviː) new dům (duːm) house
21.3a Co děláme my? 21.3b Co (tso) what děláme (ɟelaːme) do-we my (mɪ) we
21.4a My jsme z Prahy. 21.4b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are z (s) from Prahy (prahɪ) Prague-GEN
21.5a My jdeme do školy. 21.5b My (mɪ) we jdeme (jdeme) go do (do) to školy (ʃkolɪ) school-GEN
21.6a My všichni rozumíme česky. 21.6b My (mɪ) we všichni (fʃɪxɲɪ) all rozumíme (rozumiːme) understand česky (tʃeskɪ) Czech
21.7a My to víme. 21.7b My (mɪ) we to (to) it víme (viːme) know
21.8a Kam jdeme my? 21.8b Kam (kam) where jdeme (jdeme) go my (mɪ) we
21.9a My budeme pracovat. 21.9b My (mɪ) we budeme (budeme) will-be pracovat (pratsovat) to-work
21.10a My jsme přátelé. 21.10b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are přátelé (pr̝aːteleː) friends
21.11a My dva jsme bratři. 21.11b My (mɪ) we dva (dva) two jsme (jsme) are bratři (bratr̝ɪ) brothers
21.12a My žijeme v Brně. 21.12b My (mɪ) we žijeme (ʒɪjeme) live v (v) in Brně (br̩ɲe) Brno-LOC
21.13a My jsme byli unavení. 21.13b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are byli (bɪlɪ) were unavení (unaveniː) tired
21.14a My nemáme čas. 21.14b My (mɪ) we nemáme (nemaːme) not-have čas (tʃas) time
21.15a My bychom chtěli pomoct. 21.15b My (mɪ) we bychom (bɪxom) would chtěli (xtjelɪ) want pomoct (pomots) to-help
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21.1 My jsme studenti. → “We are students.”
21.2 My máme nový dům. → “We have a new house.”
21.3 Co děláme my? → “What are we doing?”
21.4 My jsme z Prahy. → “We are from Prague.”
21.5 My jdeme do školy. → “We are going to school.”
21.6 My všichni rozumíme česky. → “We all understand Czech.”
21.7 My to víme. → “We know it.”
21.8 Kam jdeme my? → “Where are we going?”
21.9 My budeme pracovat. → “We will work.”
21.10 My jsme přátelé. → “We are friends.”
21.11 My dva jsme bratři. → “We two are brothers.”
21.12 My žijeme v Brně. → “We live in Brno.”
21.13 My jsme byli unavení. → “We were tired.”
21.14 My nemáme čas. → “We don’t have time.”
21.15 My bychom chtěli pomoct. → “We would like to help.”
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21.1 My jsme studenti.
21.2 My máme nový dům.
21.3 Co děláme my?
21.4 My jsme z Prahy.
21.5 My jdeme do školy.
21.6 My všichni rozumíme česky.
21.7 My to víme.
21.8 Kam jdeme my?
21.9 My budeme pracovat.
21.10 My jsme přátelé.
21.11 My dva jsme bratři.
21.12 My žijeme v Brně.
21.13 My jsme byli unavení.
21.14 My nemáme čas.
21.15 My bychom chtěli pomoct.
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These are the grammar rules for “my” (we) in Czech:
The Complete Declension of “My”
Czech has seven grammatical cases, and the first person plural pronoun changes form for each:
Nominative (subject): my — My jsme tady. (We are here.)
Genitive (of us/without us): nás — Bez nás to nejde. (It won’t work without us.)
Dative (to us/for us): nám — Řekl nám pravdu. (He told us the truth.)
Accusative (us, direct object): nás — Viděli nás. (They saw us.)
Vocative (calling): my — (rarely used with pronouns)
Locative (about us/in us): nás — Mluví o nás. (They’re talking about us.)
Instrumental (with us/by us): námi (standard) / náma (colloquial) — Pojď s námi! (Come with us!)
Pro-Drop: Why “My” Is Often Omitted
Czech verb conjugations already indicate person and number, so subject pronouns are frequently omitted:
Jsme studenti. = We are students. (No “my” needed) Máme čas. = We have time. (No “my” needed)
When “my” IS included, it adds emphasis or contrast:
MY jsme studenti (ne oni). = WE are students (not them).
Verb Agreement with “My”
First person plural verbs typically end in -me or -eme:
jsme (we are) — from být (to be) máme (we have) — from mít (to have) jdeme (we go) — from jít (to go) děláme (we do) — from dělat (to do) mluvíme (we speak) — from mluvit (to speak) budeme (we will be) — future of být
Past Tense with “My”
In past tense, use jsme + past participle (l-form):
My jsme byli... (We were...) — masculine animate My jsme byly... (We were...) — feminine or masculine inanimate My jsme dělali... (We did/were doing...)
Conditional with “My”
Use bychom + past participle:
My bychom chtěli... (We would like to...) My bychom mohli... (We could...)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers often overuse “my” because English requires the subject pronoun. In Czech, trust the verb ending and omit “my” unless you want emphasis.
Incorrect thinking: “I must say ‘my’ every time like English ‘we’” Correct approach: Use “my” only for emphasis; the verb shows “we” already
Another error is using the wrong case form. Remember: -
nás = genitive, accusative, locative (after preposition) -
nám = dative -
námi/náma = instrumental
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The Czech “We” — Collectivity and Identity
The pronoun “my” carries significant cultural weight in Czech. Historically, Czechs have used collective “we” statements to express national identity, particularly during periods of political oppression. Phrases like “My Češi” (We Czechs) or “My jsme národ” (We are a nation) resonate deeply in Czech cultural memory.
Formal vs. Informal Speech
While “my” itself doesn’t change for formality (unlike ty/vy for “you”), the contexts in which collective “we” appears differ. In formal writing, “my” may be replaced by passive constructions or impersonal forms. In casual speech, “my” is frequently dropped entirely.
Regional Variation: Námi vs. Náma
The instrumental case has two forms: -
námi — Standard/literary Czech -
náma — Common Czech (colloquial)
In Prague and most of Bohemia, you’ll hear “náma” constantly in everyday speech: “Pojď s náma!” (Come with us!) — very common “Pojď s námi!” (Come with us!) — sounds more formal
Both are understood everywhere, but using “náma” makes you sound more natural in casual conversation.
“My” in Questions and Emphasis
Placing “my” at the end of a question adds emphasis or uncertainty: “Co budeme dělat my?” = “What will WE do?” (implying others might do something different)
Placing “my” at the beginning asserts group identity: “My to zvládneme.” = “WE can handle it.” (confident collective statement)
Idiomatic Expressions with “My”
My dva = We two, the two of us My všichni = All of us, we all My sami = We ourselves, we alone My Češi = We Czechs (identity statement)
Reminder: This lesson is for English speakers learning Czech.
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The following passage comes from Czech literature, demonstrating authentic use of “my” and related forms in context.
Source: Jaroslav Hašek, Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka (The Good Soldier Švejk), 1921-1923
F.1a My jsme Češi a my zůstaneme Čechy. F.1b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are Češi (tʃeʃɪ) Czechs a (a) and my (mɪ) we zůstaneme (zuːstaneme) will-remain Čechy (tʃexɪ) Czechs-INST
F.2a Náš národ nikdy nezhynul a nezhyne. F.2b Náš (naːʃ) our národ (naːrot) nation nikdy (ɲɪkdɪ) never nezhynul (nezɦɪnul) perished a (a) and nezhyne (nezɦɪne) will-not-perish
F.3a My víme, co jsme a co budeme. F.3b My (mɪ) we víme (viːme) know co (tso) what jsme (jsme) are a (a) and co (tso) what budeme (budeme) will-be
F.1 My jsme Češi a my zůstaneme Čechy. → “We are Czechs and we will remain Czechs.”
F.2 Náš národ nikdy nezhynul a nezhyne. → “Our nation has never perished and will not perish.”
F.3 My víme, co jsme a co budeme. → “We know what we are and what we will be.”
F.1 My jsme Češi a my zůstaneme Čechy.
F.2 Náš národ nikdy nezhynul a nezhyne.
F.3 My víme, co jsme a co budeme.
This passage exemplifies the emphatic use of “my” in expressing Czech national identity. Note how “my” appears twice in F.1 for strong emphasis — this repetition would be unusual in ordinary speech but serves the rhetorical purpose of asserting collective identity.
The phrase “zůstaneme Čechy” uses the instrumental case “Čechy” (Czechs) after the verb “zůstat” (to remain), as Czech uses the instrumental for predicate nouns after verbs of being and becoming.
“Náš národ” (our nation) shows the possessive adjective derived from “my” — note the pattern: my → náš/naše (our).
The construction “co jsme a co budeme” demonstrates how Czech handles philosophical statements about identity, using the same verb “být” (to be) in present and future to connect present state with future destiny.
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This dialogue demonstrates “my” and related forms in natural conversational Czech, as a group of friends plans a weekend trip.
21.16a My bychom mohli jet na výlet. 21.16b My (mɪ) we bychom (bɪxom) would mohli (mohlɪ) be-able jet (jet) to-go na (na) on výlet (viːlet) trip
21.17a Kam bychom jeli my? 21.17b Kam (kam) where bychom (bɪxom) would jeli (jelɪ) go my (mɪ) we
21.18a My všichni máme volno v sobotu. 21.18b My (mɪ) we všichni (fʃɪxɲɪ) all máme (maːme) have volno (volno) free-time v (v) on sobotu (sobotu) Saturday-ACC
21.19a My bychom chtěli vidět hory. 21.19b My (mɪ) we bychom (bɪxom) would chtěli (xtjelɪ) want vidět (vɪɟet) to-see hory (horɪ) mountains
21.20a Vezme nás někdo autem? 21.20b Vezme (vezme) will-take nás (naːs) us někdo (ɲegdo) someone autem (autem) car-INST
21.21a Jana pojede s námi. 21.21b Jana (jana) Jana pojede (pojede) will-go s (s) with námi (naːmɪ) us-INST
21.22a Skvěle! My jsme tým! 21.22b Skvěle (skvjele) great my (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are tým (tiːm) team
21.23a Musíme vzít jídlo pro nás všechny. 21.23b Musíme (musiːme) we-must vzít (vziːt) to-take jídlo (jiːdlo) food pro (pro) for nás (naːs) us všechny (fʃexnɪ) all
21.24a To není problém pro nás. 21.24b To (to) that není (neɲiː) is-not problém (probleːm) problem pro (pro) for nás (naːs) us
21.25a My jsme na to zvyklí. 21.25b My (mɪ) we jsme (jsme) are na (na) on to (to) it zvyklí (zvɪkliː) accustomed
21.26a Půjdeme pěšky nebo pojedeme autobusem? 21.26b Půjdeme (puːjdeme) we-will-go pěšky (pjeʃkɪ) on-foot nebo (nebo) or pojedeme (pojedeme) we-will-go autobusem (autobusem) bus-INST
21.27a My dva pojedeme na kolech. 21.27b My (mɪ) we dva (dva) two pojedeme (pojedeme) will-go na (na) on kolech (kolex) bikes-LOC
21.28a Těšíme se na to! 21.28b Těšíme (tjeʃiːme) we-look-forward se (se) REFL na (na) on to (to) it
21.29a My se vrátíme v neděli večer. 21.29b My (mɪ) we se (se) REFL vrátíme (vraːtiːme) will-return v (v) on neděli (neɟelɪ) Sunday večer (vetʃer) evening
21.30a To bude náš nejlepší výlet! 21.30b To (to) that bude (bude) will-be náš (naːʃ) our nejlepší (nejlepʃiː) best výlet (viːlet) trip
21.16 My bychom mohli jet na výlet. → “We could go on a trip.”
21.17 Kam bychom jeli my? → “Where would we go?”
21.18 My všichni máme volno v sobotu. → “We all have free time on Saturday.”
21.19 My bychom chtěli vidět hory. → “We would like to see the mountains.”
21.20 Vezme nás někdo autem? → “Will someone take us by car?”
21.21 Jana pojede s námi. → “Jana will go with us.”
21.22 Skvěle! My jsme tým! → “Great! We are a team!”
21.23 Musíme vzít jídlo pro nás všechny. → “We have to bring food for all of us.”
21.24 To není problém pro nás. → “That’s not a problem for us.”
21.25 My jsme na to zvyklí. → “We are used to it.”
21.26 Půjdeme pěšky nebo pojedeme autobusem? → “Will we walk or go by bus?”
21.27 My dva pojedeme na kolech. → “The two of us will go by bike.”
21.28 Těšíme se na to! → “We’re looking forward to it!”
21.29 My se vrátíme v neděli večer. → “We will return on Sunday evening.”
21.30 To bude náš nejlepší výlet! → “That will be our best trip!”
21.16 My bychom mohli jet na výlet.
21.17 Kam bychom jeli my?
21.18 My všichni máme volno v sobotu.
21.19 My bychom chtěli vidět hory.
21.20 Vezme nás někdo autem?
21.21 Jana pojede s námi.
21.22 Skvěle! My jsme tým!
21.23 Musíme vzít jídlo pro nás všechny.
21.24 To není problém pro nás.
21.25 My jsme na to zvyklí.
21.26 Půjdeme pěšky nebo pojedeme autobusem?
21.27 My dva pojedeme na kolech.
21.28 Těšíme se na to!
21.29 My se vrátíme v neděli večer.
21.30 To bude náš nejlepší výlet!
Conditional Forms with “My”
The dialogue features several conditional constructions: -
My bychom mohli... (We could...) -
My bychom chtěli... (We would like to...) -
Kam bychom jeli my? (Where would we go?)
The conditional particle “bychom” is specific to first person plural. Note that it comes AFTER the subject but BEFORE the past participle.
Case Usage in Action
This dialogue demonstrates multiple cases of the “my” pronoun:
Nominative: “My jsme tým” — subject position Accusative: “Vezme nás” — direct object (us) Dative: (implied in context) Instrumental: “s námi” — with preposition (with us) Genitive: “pro nás” — after “pro” (for us)
The Reflexive “Se” with Plural Verbs
Notice “Těšíme se” (We look forward) and “vrátíme se” (we will return). The reflexive particle “se” is a clitic that follows specific word order rules — it typically occupies second position in the clause.
Possessive “Náš” — From “My” to “Our”
The possessive adjective “náš/naše” (our) derives from “my”: -
náš nejlepší výlet = our best trip -
naše auto = our car
The possessive agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies.
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The Letter “Y” in Czech
The Czech letter “y” (called “tvrdé y” or “hard y”) represents the same sound as “i” (called “měkké i” or “soft i”): both are pronounced /ɪ/. The difference is historical and affects spelling of grammatical endings. In “my,” the “y” is the standard spelling for this pronoun.
Long Vowels with Háček
The forms “nás,” “nám,” and “námi” all feature the long vowel “á” /aː/. In Czech, the acute accent (čárka) indicates vowel length, not stress. Czech stress always falls on the first syllable.
The Consonant Cluster “js-”
In “jsme” /jsme/, the initial cluster may seem difficult for English speakers. Practice by saying “yes-meh” quickly, then dropping the “e” sound.
Colloquial vs. Standard Forms
Be aware of these spoken variants:
Standard: námi → Colloquial: náma Standard: s námi → Colloquial: s náma
Both are correct; “náma” simply sounds more natural in casual speech.
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Czech Language Course, a systematic vocabulary-building program based on the 1000 most frequently used words in English, translated and taught in the target language. Each lesson focuses on one word, providing 30 example sentences that demonstrate the word in authentic contexts.
The Latinum Institute has been creating innovative language learning materials since 2006. Our methodology combines traditional grammar instruction with extensive reading practice through the interlinear construed text method, which allows learners to see word-by-word structure alongside natural translations.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
By focusing on high-frequency vocabulary, this course ensures that learners quickly acquire the words they will encounter most often in authentic Czech texts and conversations. The first 100 words of any language typically account for approximately 50% of all spoken and written communication, making systematic frequency-based learning highly efficient.
The Czech language, with approximately 10.7 million native speakers, is a West Slavic language closely related to Slovak and more distantly to Polish. Its rich case system, aspect distinctions, and flexible word order present fascinating challenges for English speakers. Through consistent practice with these lessons, you will develop both comprehension and production skills in Czech.
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◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ @ᴸᴱˢˢᴼᴺ.ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ — Lesson 21: My (We)
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