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◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ SEO: Czech lesson jít go walking motion verbs conjugation
Welcome to Lesson 30 of the Latinum Institute Czech Language Course. This lesson focuses on jít [jiːt], the Czech verb meaning “to go” or “to walk.” This is one of the most essential verbs in Czech, but also one of the most complex, as Czech distinguishes between different types of motion in ways that English does not.
Course Index:
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FAQ: What does “jít” mean in Czech?
The Czech verb jít means “to go” specifically when traveling on foot toward a destination. Unlike English, Czech has separate verbs for going on foot versus going by vehicle, and further distinguishes between one-time directional movement and repeated or habitual movement. The verb jít is used for a single, purposeful journey on foot to a specific place—such as going to the store, going to work, or going home. Its counterpart chodit is used for habitual or repeated foot travel.
In this lesson, you will encounter jít in various tenses, persons, and contexts across 30 example sentences. You will learn its present tense conjugation (jdu, jdeš, jde, jdeme, jdete, jdou), its irregular past tense forms (šel, šla, šlo, šli), and its future tense formed with the prefix pů- (půjdu, půjdeš, etc.).
Educational Content: This is a Czech language learning resource for English speakers, teaching vocabulary through the construed reading method with interlinear glossing.
Key Takeaways: -
Jít is the determinate verb for going on foot (single direction, specific destination) -
Czech motion verbs come in pairs: jít/chodit (foot) and jet/jezdit (vehicle) -
Present: jdu, jdeš, jde, jdeme, jdete, jdou -
Past: šel (m.), šla (f.), šlo (n.), šli/šly (pl.) + auxiliary jsem/jsi/jsme/jste -
Future: půjdu, půjdeš, půjde, půjdeme, půjdete, půjdou -
Common prepositions: do + genitive (to), na + accusative (onto/to), k + dative (toward)
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Czech pronunciation is largely phonetic, but some sounds require attention:
jít [jiːt] - The í is a long “ee” sound; the final t is pronounced clearly
jdu [jdu] - The j is like English “y”; the cluster jd- may feel unusual
jdeš [jdɛʃ] - The š is like English “sh”
jde [jdɛ] - Short e sound
jdeme [jdɛmɛ] - Stress falls on first syllable in Czech
jdete [jdɛtɛ] - The final -te is clearly pronounced
jdou [jdou] - The ou is a diphthong, like “oh-oo” said quickly
šel [ʃɛl] - Irregular past; š = “sh”, short e
šla [ʃla] - Feminine past form
šlo [ʃlo] - Neuter past form
šli [ʃlɪ] - Masculine plural past
půjdu [puːjdu] - Future tense; ů is a long “oo” sound
kam [kam] - “Where (to)”; short a
domů [domuː] - “Home (direction)”; long final ů
Special Czech sounds: -
ř [r̝] - A raised alveolar trill, unique to Czech; like r and ž combined -
ě [jɛ] - Softens the preceding consonant and sounds like “ye” -
háček (ˇ) - Creates š [ʃ], č [tʃ], ž [ʒ], ř [r̝], ď [ɟ], ť [c], ň [ɲ] -
čárka (´) - Lengthens vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú, ý -
kroužek (°) - The ů is always long [uː], historically from ó
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30.1 Jdu I-go do to školy school-GEN každý every den day
30.2 Kam where-to jdeš you-go tak so rychle quickly
30.3 Petr Petr jde goes na to poštu post-office-ACC
30.4 Jdeme we-go spolu together do to kina cinema-GEN
30.5 Proč why nejdete not-you-go-PL domů home
30.6 Děti children jdou go do to parku park-GEN
30.7 Včera yesterday jsem AUX-1SG šel went-M na to nákup shopping-ACC
30.8 Marie Marie šla went-F k to lékaři doctor-DAT
30.9 Šli went-M.PL jsme AUX-1PL na to procházku walk-ACC
30.10 Zítra tomorrow půjdu I-will-go na to koncert concert-ACC
30.11 Půjdeš you-will-go se with mnou me-INST na to večeři dinner-ACC
30.12 Musím I-must jít to-go teď now pryč away
30.13 Nechci not-I-want tam there jít to-go sám alone
30.14 Pojď come-IMP se with mnou me-INST
30.15 Jdi go-IMP rovně straight a and pak then doleva to-left
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30.1 Jdu do školy každý den. → “I go to school every day.”
30.2 Kam jdeš tak rychle? → “Where are you going so quickly?”
30.3 Petr jde na poštu. → “Petr is going to the post office.”
30.4 Jdeme spolu do kina. → “We’re going to the cinema together.”
30.5 Proč nejdete domů? → “Why aren’t you going home?”
30.6 Děti jdou do parku. → “The children are going to the park.”
30.7 Včera jsem šel na nákup. → “Yesterday I went shopping.”
30.8 Marie šla k lékaři. → “Marie went to the doctor.”
30.9 Šli jsme na procházku. → “We went for a walk.”
30.10 Zítra půjdu na koncert. → “Tomorrow I will go to a concert.”
30.11 Půjdeš se mnou na večeři? → “Will you go to dinner with me?”
30.12 Musím jít teď pryč. → “I have to go away now.”
30.13 Nechci tam jít sám. → “I don’t want to go there alone.”
30.14 Pojď se mnou! → “Come with me!”
30.15 Jdi rovně a pak doleva. → “Go straight and then left.”
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30.1 Jdu do školy každý den.
30.2 Kam jdeš tak rychle?
30.3 Petr jde na poštu.
30.4 Jdeme spolu do kina.
30.5 Proč nejdete domů?
30.6 Děti jdou do parku.
30.7 Včera jsem šel na nákup.
30.8 Marie šla k lékaři.
30.9 Šli jsme na procházku.
30.10 Zítra půjdu na koncert.
30.11 Půjdeš se mnou na večeři?
30.12 Musím jít teď pryč.
30.13 Nechci tam jít sám.
30.14 Pojď se mnou!
30.15 Jdi rovně a pak doleva.
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These are the grammar rules for the verb jít in Czech:
1. Motion Verb Pairs
Czech distinguishes motion verbs by two criteria: the means of transport and whether the motion is determinate or indeterminate.
For motion on foot, the pair is jít (determinate) and chodit (indeterminate).
Jít is used when you are going somewhere specific, one time, in one direction. Example: Jdu do školy (I am going to school right now).
Chodit is used for habitual, repeated, or multidirectional motion. Example: Chodím do školy každý den (I go to school every day - habitual).
For motion by vehicle, the pair is jet (determinate) and jezdit (indeterminate).
2. Present Tense Conjugation of Jít
The present tense of jít is irregular and must be memorized.
First person singular (já): jdu - I go, I am going
Second person singular (ty): jdeš - you go, you are going
Third person singular (on/ona/ono): jde - he/she/it goes, is going
First person plural (my): jdeme - we go, we are going
Second person plural/formal (vy): jdete - you go, you are going
Third person plural (oni/ony/ona): jdou - they go, they are going
Note: In colloquial Czech, the j- may be silent in positive forms (jdu sounds like [du]), but it is always pronounced in negation (nejdu).
3. Past Tense Formation
The past tense of jít uses the irregular l-participle šel/šla/šlo/šli plus the auxiliary verb být (to be).
The auxiliary is omitted in the third person.
Masculine singular: (já) jsem šel, (ty) jsi šel, (on) šel
Feminine singular: (já) jsem šla, (ty) jsi šla, (ona) šla
Neuter singular: (ono) šlo
Masculine plural (animate): (my) jsme šli, (vy) jste šli, (oni) šli
Feminine plural: (my) jsme šly, (vy) jste šly, (ony) šly
Neuter plural: (ona) šla
The auxiliary forms are: jsem (1sg), jsi (2sg informal), je (3sg - omitted), jsme (1pl), jste (2pl/formal), jsou (3pl - omitted).
4. Future Tense Formation
Unlike most Czech verbs (which use budu + infinitive for future), jít forms its future with the prefix pů- added to the present tense stem.
First person singular: půjdu - I will go
Second person singular: půjdeš - you will go
Third person singular: půjde - he/she/it will go
First person plural: půjdeme - we will go
Second person plural: půjdete - you will go
Third person plural: půjdou - they will go
5. Imperative Mood
Second person singular (familiar): jdi! - go!
Second person plural/formal: jděte! - go!
First person plural: pojďme! - let’s go!
The form pojď! (come!) is derived from jít with the prefix po- and is used to invite someone to come along.
6. Prepositions with Jít
Common prepositions used with jít require specific cases.
Do + genitive: to, into (enclosed spaces). Jdu do školy (I go to school).
Na + accusative: to, onto (surfaces, events, open spaces). Jdu na poštu (I go to the post office).
K + dative: toward, to (a person’s place). Jdu k lékaři (I go to the doctor).
Z/ze + genitive: from. Jdu ze školy (I’m coming from school).
Od + genitive: away from. Jdu od doktora (I’m coming from the doctor’s).
7. Negation
Negation is formed by adding ne- directly to the verb.
Present: nejdu, nejdeš, nejde, nejdeme, nejdete, nejdou
Past: nešel jsem, nešla jsem, etc.
Future: nepůjdu, nepůjdeš, etc.
8. Common Mistakes by English Speakers
Using jít for vehicle travel (should use jet).
Using jít for habitual motion (often should use chodit).
Forgetting gender agreement in past tense.
Using wrong preposition case combinations.
Forgetting the prefix pů- in future tense and saying *budu jít instead of půjdu.
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Motion Verbs in Czech Culture
The Czech distinction between determinate and indeterminate motion verbs reflects a cultural and linguistic precision about movement that English lacks. This is a feature shared with other Slavic languages like Russian and Polish.
Everyday Usage
Czechs use jít constantly in daily life. The phrase Kam jdeš? (Where are you going?) is a common casual greeting or conversation starter. The response typically includes the destination with the appropriate preposition: Jdu do práce (I’m going to work), Jdu na oběd (I’m going to lunch), Jdu domů (I’m going home).
Formal vs. Informal
The imperative jdi! is informal (singular). For formal situations or when addressing groups, use jděte! The more polite invitation pojďte (please come) is preferred in formal contexts.
Idiomatic Expressions with Jít
Jde to - It works, it’s possible, it’s going well
Nejde to - It doesn’t work, it’s not possible
Jít na nervy - To get on someone’s nerves
Jít k věci - To get to the point
Jít s dobou - To keep up with the times
O co jde? - What’s it about? What’s going on?
Jde o život - It’s a matter of life and death
Regional Variations
In Moravian dialects, some speakers may use slightly different forms or stress patterns, but standard Czech jít conjugation is understood nationwide.
The Prefix System
Czech motion verbs can take numerous prefixes to modify meaning, each creating a new perfective verb.
Přijít - to come, arrive (motion toward the speaker)
Odejít - to leave, go away
Vejít - to enter, go in
Vyjít - to go out, exit
Projít - to pass through
Dojít - to reach, arrive at; to run out of
Obejít - to go around
Sejít - to descend; to meet up
This prefix system is highly productive and essential for intermediate Czech.
Reminder: This lesson is designed for English speakers learning Czech.
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Source: Karel Čapek, Trapné povídky (Painful Tales), 1921
This excerpt demonstrates the verb jít in a natural literary context.
Part F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
„Marie,” Marie řekl said-M měkce, softly „nechtěla not-wanted-F bys would-you jít to-go se with mnou me-INST na on procházku?” walk-ACC
Part F-B: The Text with Translation
„Marie,” řekl měkce, „nechtěla bys jít se mnou na procházku?” → “Marie,” he said softly, “wouldn’t you like to go for a walk with me?”
Part F-C: Original Czech Text Only
„Marie,” řekl měkce, „nechtěla bys jít se mnou na procházku?”
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This sentence from Karel Čapek’s collection of short stories demonstrates several important Czech grammatical features.
The phrase nechtěla bys is the conditional mood of chtít (to want) in the feminine form, with bys being the conditional auxiliary for the second person singular. The negative ne- creates a polite question equivalent to English “wouldn’t you like to...?”
The infinitive jít follows chtít, just as in English “want to go.”
The phrase se mnou uses the instrumental case of the first-person pronoun (já → mnou) with the preposition se/s (with), which governs the instrumental case.
Na procházku uses the accusative case after the preposition na to indicate the purpose or type of outing—literally “onto a walk.”
Karel Čapek (1890-1938) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 20th century, known for coining the word “robot” in his play R.U.R. His prose style represents excellent standard Czech.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
30.16 Anna: Ahoj, hello Petře! Petr-VOC Kam where-to jdeš? you-go
30.17 Petr: Jdu I-go na to Staroměstské Old-Town náměstí square-ACC
30.18 Anna: Počkej, wait-IMP půjdu I-will-go s with tebou you-INST
30.19 Petr: Dobře, good ale but musíme we-must jít to-go rychle quickly
30.20 Anna: Proč? why Kam where-to tak so spěcháš? you-hurry
30.21 Petr: Jdu I-go se with setkat to-meet s with Martinem Martin-INST
30.22 Anna: Martin Martin tam there už already šel? went-M
30.23 Petr: Ano, yes šel went-M tam there před before hodinou hour-INST
30.24 Anna: Tak so pojď, come-IMP půjdeme we-will-go přes through park park-ACC
30.25 Petr: To that je is dobrý good nápad idea
30.26 Anna: Včera yesterday jsem AUX-1SG šla went-F tou that-INST cestou way-INST
30.27 Petr: A and jak how dlouho long ti you-DAT to that trvalo? lasted
30.28 Anna: Došla arrived-F jsem AUX-1SG tam there za in deset ten minut minutes-GEN
30.29 Petr: Výborně! excellent Tak so jdeme we-go
30.30 Anna: Jdeme! we-go Už already se REFL těším I-look-forward
Part B: Natural Sentences
30.16 Anna: Ahoj, Petře! Kam jdeš? → “Hi, Petr! Where are you going?”
30.17 Petr: Jdu na Staroměstské náměstí. → “I’m going to Old Town Square.”
30.18 Anna: Počkej, půjdu s tebou. → “Wait, I’ll go with you.”
30.19 Petr: Dobře, ale musíme jít rychle. → “Okay, but we have to go quickly.”
30.20 Anna: Proč? Kam tak spěcháš? → “Why? Where are you hurrying to?”
30.21 Petr: Jdu se setkat s Martinem. → “I’m going to meet Martin.”
30.22 Anna: Martin tam už šel? → “Did Martin already go there?”
30.23 Petr: Ano, šel tam před hodinou. → “Yes, he went there an hour ago.”
30.24 Anna: Tak pojď, půjdeme přes park. → “So come on, we’ll go through the park.”
30.25 Petr: To je dobrý nápad. → “That’s a good idea.”
30.26 Anna: Včera jsem šla tou cestou. → “Yesterday I went that way.”
30.27 Petr: A jak dlouho ti to trvalo? → “And how long did it take you?”
30.28 Anna: Došla jsem tam za deset minut. → “I got there in ten minutes.”
30.29 Petr: Výborně! Tak jdeme. → “Excellent! Let’s go then.”
30.30 Anna: Jdeme! Už se těším. → “Let’s go! I’m already looking forward to it.”
Part C: Czech Text Only
30.16 Anna: Ahoj, Petře! Kam jdeš?
30.17 Petr: Jdu na Staroměstské náměstí.
30.18 Anna: Počkej, půjdu s tebou.
30.19 Petr: Dobře, ale musíme jít rychle.
30.20 Anna: Proč? Kam tak spěcháš?
30.21 Petr: Jdu se setkat s Martinem.
30.22 Anna: Martin tam už šel?
30.23 Petr: Ano, šel tam před hodinou.
30.24 Anna: Tak pojď, půjdeme přes park.
30.25 Petr: To je dobrý nápad.
30.26 Anna: Včera jsem šla tou cestou.
30.27 Petr: A jak dlouho ti to trvalo?
30.28 Anna: Došla jsem tam za deset minut.
30.29 Petr: Výborně! Tak jdeme.
30.30 Anna: Jdeme! Už se těším.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Vocative Case: In 30.16, Petře is the vocative form of Petr, used when addressing someone directly. Masculine names ending in a consonant typically add -e in the vocative.
Future with Prefix: In 30.28, došla is the past tense of dojít (to arrive, to reach), a perfective verb formed from jít with the prefix do-. This prefix indicates completion of the journey—actually arriving at the destination.
Reflexive Construction: In 30.21, jdu se setkat uses the reflexive verb setkat se (to meet). The se is a reflexive particle that cannot be omitted.
Instrumental with Prepositions: The preposition s/se (with) takes the instrumental case: s tebou (with you), s Martinem (with Martin). The preposition před (before, in front of) also takes instrumental when referring to time: před hodinou (an hour ago).
Time Expression: In 30.28, za deset minut uses za + accusative to express duration (”in ten minutes”). The genitive plural minut follows the numeral.
Conversational Particles: Note tak (so, well then), už (already), and dobře (okay, good) as common discourse markers in Czech conversation.
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The Czech Alphabet and Special Characters
Czech uses the Latin alphabet with additional letters marked by diacritics.
Háček (ˇ) - The “little hook” creates these consonants:
č [tʃ] - like “ch” in “church”
š [ʃ] - like “sh” in “ship”
ž [ʒ] - like “s” in “measure”
ř [r̝] - unique Czech sound, a raised alveolar trill
ď [ɟ] - palatalized d, like “d” + “y” said quickly
ť [c] - palatalized t, like “t” + “y” said quickly
ň [ɲ] - like “ny” in “canyon”
Čárka (´) - The “little line” lengthens vowels:
á [aː], é [ɛː], í/ý [iː], ó [oː], ú [uː]
Kroužek (°) - The “little ring” on ů indicates a long [uː] sound, historically from older ó.
Key Pronunciation Points for This Lesson:
The consonant cluster jd- in jdu, jdeš, jde, jdeme, jdete, jdou may feel unusual to English speakers. The j is like English “y,” and the cluster sounds approximately like “yduh, ydesh, yde...”
In colloquial speech, the initial j- often becomes silent in positive forms of jít, so jdu sounds like [du]. However, in negation (nejdu), the j is always pronounced.
The past tense forms šel, šla, šlo, šli begin with š [ʃ], completely replacing the j- from the infinitive. This is a historical irregularity.
Stress in Czech always falls on the first syllable of a word. In phrases with prepositions, the preposition often carries the stress: do školy [ˈdoʃkolɪ].
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The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006. Our methodology emphasizes the construed reading method, which presents text with word-by-word glosses to help learners internalize grammar and vocabulary naturally.
This Czech course follows a frequency-based vocabulary progression, teaching the most common 1,000 words that account for approximately 80% of everyday communication. Each lesson focuses on one core vocabulary item while introducing supporting words in context.
The course is designed for autodidact (self-taught) learners who prefer systematic, thorough instruction. All materials are structured for Substack publication and independent study.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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Methodology Notes:
The interlinear construed text format allows learners to see the structure of Czech sentences while building vocabulary. By encountering words in multiple contexts across 30 examples per lesson, learners develop natural intuition for Czech grammar.
Czech presents particular challenges for English speakers due to its seven grammatical cases, verb aspects, and motion verb distinctions. This course addresses these systematically, building from high-frequency words toward more complex structures.
Lesson 30 Summary: The verb jít (to go on foot) is fundamental to Czech. Mastering its irregular conjugation, understanding its relationship to chodit (habitual foot motion) and the vehicle verbs jet/jezdit, and learning the prefix system that derives dozens of related verbs will significantly expand your Czech communication abilities.
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✓ Lesson 30 Complete
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