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Welcome to Lesson 38 of this Latinum Institute Czech course, where we explore tam, the Czech adverb meaning “there.” This high-frequency word is essential for indicating locations away from the speaker and appears constantly in everyday Czech conversation.
Course Navigation: For the complete lesson index, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does “there” mean in Czech? The English adverb “there” indicating a location away from the speaker translates to tam in Czech. Unlike English, which uses “there” for both location (”the book is there”) and existential constructions (”there is a book”), Czech handles these differently. For location, Czech uses tam; for existential statements like “there is/are,” Czech simply uses the verb je/jsou (is/are) without a separate word for “there.”
Key Takeaways
• Tam [tam] is the primary Czech adverb for “there” (location away from speaker)
• Czech distinguishes between static location (tam — there) and directional motion (sem — to here, tam — to there)
• The word tady or tu means “here” (informal), while zde is the formal equivalent
• Czech existential constructions (”there is/are”) use je/jsou without translating “there”
• Stress in Czech always falls on the first syllable: TAM, not tam
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tam [tam] — The vowel a is pronounced as in English “father,” short and clear. The consonant cluster is straightforward for English speakers.
tady [ˈtadɪ] — “here” (informal), stress on first syllable
zde [zdɛ] — “here” (formal), the zd cluster may require practice
sem [sɛm] — “to here” (directional motion toward speaker)
tam can also imply direction (”go there”) depending on context, though the meaning is usually clear from the verb used.
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38.1a Kniha je tam na stole. 38.1b Kniha (ˈkɲɪɦa) book-NOM je (jɛ) is tam (tam) there na (na) on stole (ˈstolɛ) table-LOC
38.2a Viděl jsem ho tam včera. 38.2b Viděl (ˈvɪɟɛl) saw jsem (jsɛm) I-AUX ho (ɦo) him-ACC tam (tam) there včera (ˈvtʃɛra) yesterday
38.3a Půjdeme tam zítra. 38.3b Půjdeme (ˈpuːjdɛmɛ) we-will-go tam (tam) there zítra (ˈziːtra) tomorrow
38.4a Tam bydlí moje sestra. 38.4b Tam (tam) there bydlí (ˈbɪdliː) lives moje (ˈmojɛ) my sestra (ˈsɛstra) sister-NOM
38.5a Nechci tam jít. 38.5b Nechci (ˈnɛxtsi) not-want-I tam (tam) there jít (jiːt) to-go
38.6a Co je tam vzadu? 38.6b Co (tso) what je (jɛ) is tam (tam) there vzadu (ˈvzadu) in-back
38.7a Tam nahoře svítí hvězdy. 38.7b Tam (tam) there nahoře (ˈnaɦorʒɛ) above svítí (ˈsviːciː) shine hvězdy (ˈɦvjɛzdɪ) stars-NOM-PL
38.8a Musíme tam dojet před večeří. 38.8b Musíme (ˈmusiːmɛ) must-we tam (tam) there dojet (ˈdojɛt) to-arrive před (prʒɛt) before večeří (ˈvɛtʃɛrʒiː) dinner-INST
38.9a Nikdo tam nebyl. 38.9b Nikdo (ˈɲɪgdo) nobody tam (tam) there nebyl (ˈnɛbɪl) was-not
38.10a Položte to tam na zem. 38.10b Položte (ˈpoloʃtɛ) put-IMP-PL to (to) it-ACC tam (tam) there na (na) on zem (zɛm) ground-ACC
38.11a Tam venku prší. 38.11b Tam (tam) there venku (ˈvɛnku) outside prší (ˈprʃiː) rains
38.12a Kdo tam stojí u dveří? 38.12b Kdo (gdo) who tam (tam) there stojí (ˈstojiː) stands u (u) by dveří (ˈdvɛrʒiː) door-GEN
38.13a Odešel tam sám bez nás. 38.13b Odešel (ˈodɛʃɛl) went-away tam (tam) there sám (saːm) alone bez (bɛs) without nás (naːs) us-GEN
38.14a Tam dole teče řeka. 38.14b Tam (tam) there dole (ˈdolɛ) below teče (ˈtɛtʃɛ) flows řeka (ˈrʒɛka) river-NOM
38.15a Chceš tam jet se mnou? 38.15b Chceš (xtsɛʃ) want-you tam (tam) there jet (jɛt) to-go se (sɛ) with mnou (mnou) me-INST
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38.1 Kniha je tam na stole. → “The book is there on the table.”
38.2 Viděl jsem ho tam včera. → “I saw him there yesterday.”
38.3 Půjdeme tam zítra. → “We’ll go there tomorrow.”
38.4 Tam bydlí moje sestra. → “My sister lives there.”
38.5 Nechci tam jít. → “I don’t want to go there.”
38.6 Co je tam vzadu? → “What is there in the back?”
38.7 Tam nahoře svítí hvězdy. → “The stars shine up there.”
38.8 Musíme tam dojet před večeří. → “We have to get there before dinner.”
38.9 Nikdo tam nebyl. → “Nobody was there.”
38.10 Položte to tam na zem. → “Put it there on the ground.”
38.11 Tam venku prší. → “It’s raining out there.”
38.12 Kdo tam stojí u dveří? → “Who is standing there by the door?”
38.13 Odešel tam sám bez nás. → “He went there alone without us.”
38.14 Tam dole teče řeka. → “A river flows down there.”
38.15 Chceš tam jet se mnou? → “Do you want to go there with me?”
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38.1 Kniha je tam na stole.
38.2 Viděl jsem ho tam včera.
38.3 Půjdeme tam zítra.
38.4 Tam bydlí moje sestra.
38.5 Nechci tam jít.
38.6 Co je tam vzadu?
38.7 Tam nahoře svítí hvězdy.
38.8 Musíme tam dojet před večeří.
38.9 Nikdo tam nebyl.
38.10 Položte to tam na zem.
38.11 Tam venku prší.
38.12 Kdo tam stojí u dveří?
38.13 Odešel tam sám bez nás.
38.14 Tam dole teče řeka.
38.15 Chceš tam jet se mnou?
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These are the grammar rules for TAM in Czech:
Basic Function of Tam
The adverb tam indicates location away from the speaker, equivalent to English “there.” It can function both as a static locative (”be there”) and as a directional adverb (”go there”), depending on the verb it accompanies.
Czech Adverbs of Place: A System
Czech organizes spatial adverbs into complementary pairs. The word tam (there) contrasts with tady/tu/zde (here). For directional motion, sem (to here, toward the speaker) contrasts with tam (to there, away from speaker). This means tam can indicate both “at that place” and “to that place” depending on context.
Static vs. Directional Use
With static verbs like být (to be), stát (to stand), sedět (to sit), ležet (to lie), the word tam indicates location: Sedí tam (He sits there). With motion verbs like jít (to go by foot), jet (to go by vehicle), běžet (to run), tam indicates direction: Jde tam (He is going there).
Word Order Flexibility
Czech has relatively free word order due to its case system. The adverb tam can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Initial position (Tam bydlí moje sestra) often emphasizes the location. Sentence-final position (Půjdeme tam zítra) is neutral. Mid-sentence position follows natural speech rhythm.
Existential Constructions: A Key Difference
English uses “there” in existential constructions: “There is a book on the table.” Czech does NOT translate this “there.” Instead, Czech simply uses the verb je (is) or jsou (are): Na stole je kniha (literally: “On table is book”). The word tam is only used when referring to an actual location.
Combining Tam with Other Adverbs
The word tam frequently combines with other location adverbs for specificity: tam nahoře (up there), tam dole (down there), tam venku (out there), tam vzadu (back there), tam vpředu (up there/in front there).
The Expression “Sem tam”
The idiomatic phrase sem tam means “here and there” or “now and then” (occasionally). This is a fixed expression: Chodím tam sem tam would be redundant; instead say Chodím tam občas (I go there sometimes).
Common Errors for English Speakers
Do not use tam to translate the existential “there is/are” — this is the most common mistake. Simply use the verb je/jsou. Also remember that tam carries no case — it is an indeclinable adverb that remains unchanged in all contexts.
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Frequency and Register
The word tam is extremely high-frequency in Czech and appears in all registers from casual conversation to formal writing. It has no formal or informal connotations — unlike tady (informal “here”) versus zde (formal “here”), the word tam is universally neutral.
Regional Considerations
Czech is remarkably uniform compared to some other languages. The word tam is used identically throughout Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Slovak, a closely related language, also uses tam with the same meaning.
Idiomatic Expressions with Tam
Several common Czech expressions use tam:
Sem tam — here and there, occasionally
Tam a zpátky — there and back (round trip)
Ani tam, ani zpátky — neither here nor there (stuck)
Co je ti po tom, kdo tam chodí? — What’s it to you who goes there?
Historical Note
The word tam derives from the Proto-Slavic demonstrative system, related to the demonstrative pronoun ten/ta/to (that). This connection is visible in words like tamten (that one over there), tamhle (right there), and tamtudy (that way, through there).
Gestures and Communication
When Czech speakers say tam, they often point or gesture with their chin, head, or eyes toward the location. A slight head tilt while saying tam is culturally natural and expected in casual conversation.
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The following excerpt comes from Karel Čapek (1890–1938), one of the most celebrated Czech writers of the twentieth century. Čapek is internationally famous for coining the word “robot” in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots, 1920). His prose is known for its clarity, humanity, and philosophical depth.
From Karel Čapek’s “Zahradníkův rok” (The Gardener’s Year, 1929):
“Tam, kde včera nebylo nic, dnes vyrůstá něco zeleného.”
Part F-A: Interlinear Analysis
Tam (tam) there kde (gdɛ) where včera (ˈvtʃɛra) yesterday nebylo (ˈnɛbɪlo) was-not-NEUT nic (ɲɪts) nothing dnes (dnɛs) today vyrůstá (ˈvɪruːstaː) grows-up něco (ˈɲɛtso) something zeleného (ˈzɛlɛnɛːɦo) green-GEN-NEUT
Part F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Tam, kde včera nebylo nic, dnes vyrůstá něco zeleného. → “There, where yesterday there was nothing, today something green is growing.”
Part F-C: Czech Text Only
Tam, kde včera nebylo nic, dnes vyrůstá něco zeleného.
Part F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
This sentence beautifully illustrates tam in a relative construction. The phrase tam, kde (there, where) introduces a relative clause describing the location. Notice that nebylo nic (there was nothing) uses the negative existential without any word for “there” — Czech simply negates the verb být (to be). The adjective zeleného appears in the genitive case because it modifies the indefinite pronoun něco (something), which requires genitive agreement. Čapek’s prose demonstrates the lyrical possibilities of everyday Czech words.
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The following dialogue demonstrates tam in a practical context: asking for and giving directions in a Czech city.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
38.16a Promiňte, jak se dostanu tam k nádraží? 38.16b Promiňte (ˈpromɪɲtɛ) excuse-IMP-PL jak (jak) how se (sɛ) REFL dostanu (ˈdostanu) get-I tam (tam) there k (k) to nádraží (ˈnaːdraʒiː) station-DAT
38.17a Jděte tam rovně po této ulici. 38.17b Jděte (ˈjɟɛtɛ) go-IMP-PL tam (tam) there rovně (ˈrovɲɛ) straight po (po) along této (ˈtɛːto) this-LOC ulici (ˈulɪtsɪ) street-LOC
38.18a A pak? Je to tam daleko? 38.18b A (a) and pak (pak) then Je (jɛ) is to (to) it tam (tam) there daleko (ˈdalɛko) far
38.19a Ne, je to tam blízko, asi pět minut. 38.19b Ne (nɛ) no je (jɛ) is to (to) it tam (tam) there blízko (ˈbliːsko) near asi (ˈasɪ) about pět (pjɛt) five minut (ˈmɪnut) minutes-GEN-PL
38.20a Tam na rohu uvidíte kostel. 38.20b Tam (tam) there na (na) on rohu (ˈroɦu) corner-LOC uvidíte (ˈuvɪɟiːtɛ) will-see-you-PL kostel (ˈkostɛl) church-ACC
38.21a Zahněte tam doprava za kostelem. 38.21b Zahněte (ˈzaɦɲɛtɛ) turn-IMP-PL tam (tam) there doprava (ˈdoprava) to-right za (za) behind kostelem (ˈkostɛlɛm) church-INST
38.22a Nádraží bude tam přímo před vámi. 38.22b Nádraží (ˈnaːdraʒiː) station-NOM bude (ˈbudɛ) will-be tam (tam) there přímo (ˈprʒiːmo) directly před (prʒɛt) before vámi (ˈvaːmɪ) you-INST-PL
38.23a Děkuji! A autobusy jezdí tam často? 38.23b Děkuji (ˈɟɛkujɪ) thank-I A (a) and autobusy (ˈautobusɪ) buses-NOM-PL jezdí (ˈjɛzɟiː) travel tam (tam) there často (ˈtʃasto) often
38.24a Ano, jezdí tam každých deset minut. 38.24b Ano (ˈano) yes jezdí (ˈjɛzɟiː) travel tam (tam) there každých (ˈkaʒdiːx) every-GEN-PL deset (ˈdɛsɛt) ten minut (ˈmɪnut) minutes-GEN-PL
38.25a Můžete tam koupit lístek v automatu. 38.25b Můžete (ˈmuːʒɛtɛ) can-you-PL tam (tam) there koupit (ˈkoupɪt) buy lístek (ˈliːstɛk) ticket-ACC v (v) in automatu (ˈautomatu) machine-LOC
38.26a Je tam také informační centrum? 38.26b Je (jɛ) is tam (tam) there také (ˈtakɛː) also informační (ɪnforˈmatʃɲiː) information-ADJ centrum (ˈtsɛntrum) center-NOM
38.27a Ano, je to tam hned vedle pokladen. 38.27b Ano (ˈano) yes je (jɛ) is to (to) it tam (tam) there hned (ɦnɛt) right vedle (ˈvɛdlɛ) next-to pokladen (ˈpokladɛn) ticket-offices-GEN-PL
38.28a Výborně! A je tam někde kavárna? 38.28b Výborně (ˈviːborɲɛ) excellent A (a) and je (jɛ) is tam (tam) there někde (ˈɲɛgdɛ) somewhere kavárna (kaˈvaːrna) café-NOM
38.29a Samozřejmě, najdete tam několik kaváren. 38.29b Samozřejmě (ˈsamozrʒɛjmɲɛ) of-course najdete (ˈnajdɛtɛ) find-you-PL tam (tam) there několik (ˈɲɛkolɪk) several kaváren (kaˈvaːrɛn) cafés-GEN-PL
38.30a Děkuji mnohokrát, už tam půjdu. 38.30b Děkuji (ˈɟɛkujɪ) thank-I mnohokrát (ˈmnoɦokraːt) many-times už (uʃ) already tam (tam) there půjdu (ˈpuːjdu) will-go-I
Part B: Natural Sentences
38.16 Promiňte, jak se dostanu tam k nádraží? → “Excuse me, how do I get there to the station?”
38.17 Jděte tam rovně po této ulici. → “Go straight there along this street.”
38.18 A pak? Je to tam daleko? → “And then? Is it far there?”
38.19 Ne, je to tam blízko, asi pět minut. → “No, it’s close there, about five minutes.”
38.20 Tam na rohu uvidíte kostel. → “There on the corner you’ll see a church.”
38.21 Zahněte tam doprava za kostelem. → “Turn right there behind the church.”
38.22 Nádraží bude tam přímo před vámi. → “The station will be there directly in front of you.”
38.23 Děkuji! A autobusy jezdí tam často? → “Thank you! And do buses go there often?”
38.24 Ano, jezdí tam každých deset minut. → “Yes, they go there every ten minutes.”
38.25 Můžete tam koupit lístek v automatu. → “You can buy a ticket there in the machine.”
38.26 Je tam také informační centrum? → “Is there also an information center there?”
38.27 Ano, je to tam hned vedle pokladen. → “Yes, it’s there right next to the ticket offices.”
38.28 Výborně! A je tam někde kavárna? → “Excellent! And is there a café there somewhere?”
38.29 Samozřejmě, najdete tam několik kaváren. → “Of course, you’ll find several cafés there.”
38.30 Děkuji mnohokrát, už tam půjdu. → “Thank you very much, I’ll go there now.”
Part C: Czech Text Only
38.16 Promiňte, jak se dostanu tam k nádraží?
38.17 Jděte tam rovně po této ulici.
38.18 A pak? Je to tam daleko?
38.19 Ne, je to tam blízko, asi pět minut.
38.20 Tam na rohu uvidíte kostel.
38.21 Zahněte tam doprava za kostelem.
38.22 Nádraží bude tam přímo před vámi.
38.23 Děkuji! A autobusy jezdí tam často?
38.24 Ano, jezdí tam každých deset minut.
38.25 Můžete tam koupit lístek v automatu.
38.26 Je tam také informační centrum?
38.27 Ano, je to tam hned vedle pokladen.
38.28 Výborně! A je tam někde kavárna?
38.29 Samozřejmě, najdete tam několik kaváren.
38.30 Děkuji mnohokrát, už tam půjdu.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue showcases the practical use of tam in giving and receiving directions. Notice how tam combines naturally with prepositions: tam k nádraží (there to the station), tam na rohu (there on the corner), tam doprava (there to the right). The repetition of tam in direction-giving is natural and expected — it reinforces the spatial reference throughout the exchange.
The question Je tam také informační centrum? shows the locational use of tam (asking if something exists at that specific location), distinct from the existential construction Je tam... which focuses on the location rather than mere existence.
Note the polite imperative forms jděte (go), zahněte (turn) — these are the formal/plural forms appropriate when speaking to strangers.
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The Sound [t]
Czech t is a dental consonant, pronounced with the tongue touching the back of the upper teeth, slightly different from the English alveolar t. In tam, this gives a crisper, more forward sound.
Stress Pattern
All Czech words carry stress on the first syllable. The word tam is monosyllabic, so this rule simply means it receives full stress. In phrases like tam nahoře, primary stress falls on tam, with secondary stress on na-.
The Vowel [a]
Czech a is a clear, open vowel similar to the a in English “father” but shorter. It never reduces to a schwa sound as it might in unstressed English syllables.
Related Words to Practice
tamhle [ˈtamɦlɛ] — right there (pointing)
tamten [ˈtamtɛn] — that one (over there), masculine
tamta [ˈtamta] — that one (over there), feminine
tamto [ˈtamto] — that one (over there), neuter
tamtudy [ˈtamtudɪ] — that way, through there
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s systematic Czech course, designed for English-speaking autodidacts. The course follows a frequency-based vocabulary acquisition approach, teaching the most common words in Czech through the construed reading method.
Each lesson introduces one high-frequency word with thirty contextual examples, comprehensive grammar explanations, cultural notes, and authentic literary citations. The interlinear format allows learners to see exact word-by-word correspondences while natural translations demonstrate idiomatic usage.
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Lesson 38 Complete: tam (there)
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