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Group -E

Basic overview

Model verb nést (to carry)

Person Singular Plural
1. nesu neseme
2. neseš nesete
3. nese nesou
past tense nesl
nesl
nesla
neslo		 nesli
nesly
nesly
nesla
Imperative nes neste

Morphology:

graph LR
A[present tense stem<br /><b>nes</b>]-- + ---B["suffix<br /><b>e</b>"]
B-- + --- C["personal ending<br /><b>š</b>"]

The long infinitive vowel sometimes alternates with its short variant: nést → nesu.

To this group belong:

  • verbs whose infinitive ends in a long vowel before the last consonant(s)
    such as -át, -ít, -ýt, -íst, -ést, -ást, -ůst, e.g.:

    hrát → on hraje (to play → he plays)
    žít → on žije (to live → he lives)
    mýt → on myje (to wash → he washes)
    číst → on čte (to read → he reads)
    nést → on nese (to carry → he carries)
    krást → on krade (to steal → he steals)
    růst → on roste (to grow → he grows)

  • verbs whose infinitive ends in an -ovat, e.g.:

    pracovat → on pracuje (to work → he works)
    studovat → on studuje (to study → he studies)

  • some verbs ending in an -at, e.g.:

    lízat → on líže (to lick → he licks)
    mazat → on maže (to grease, to spread, to lubricate, to oil)

  • irregular verbs:

    jít → on jde (to go on foot, to walk)
    jet → on jede (to go by a mean of transport)
    moct → on může (to can)
    pomoct → on pomůže (to help)

Sub-groups

The -E group verbs are significant for having a certain amount of alternations and modifications when conjugated.

Type Infinitive 3rd SG ENG Note
Shortening
-e nést
lézt		 nese
leze		 to carry
to crawl, to climb		 é → e
Shortening + j
-ajE hrát
zrát		 hraje
zraje		 to play
to age, to mature		 á → a
-ijE žít
pít		 žije
pije		 to live
to drink		 í → i
-yjE mýt
výt		 myje
vyje		 to wash
to howl		 ý → y
Softening
-čE péct
téct		 peče
teče		 to bake
to flow		 c → č
-čE skákat
plakat		 skáče
pláče		 to jump
to cry		 k → č
k → č & a → á
-řE orat oře to plough r → ř
-žE lízat
mazat
lhát		 líže
maže
lže		 to lick
to grease
to lie		 z → ž

h → ž
Floating -e- between consonant+R
-erE brát
prát		 bere
pere		 to take
to wash		 cons.+r → cons.+e+r
-ovat verbs
-ujE pracovat
studovat		 pracuje
studuje		 to work
to study		 all -ovat verbs
Other alternations
růst roste to grow ů → o
krást krade to steal á → a & s → d
číst čte to read ís → ∅
příst přede to purr ís → ed
začít začne to begin í → ∅ + n
vzít vezme to take vzí → vez + m
poslat pošle to send sl → šl

Sub-group -ovat

This is a very active group to which belong verbs of Czech as well as foreign origin. The -ova- part is missing in the present tense conjugation as well as in the imperative and is replaced by -uj. In the past tense, the -ova- part is there.

Person Singular Plural
1. (já) pracuji (my) pracujeme
2. (ty) pracuješ (vy) pracujete
3. (on, ona) pracuje (oni) pracují
past tense pracoval
pracoval
pracovala
pracovalo		 pracovali
pracovaly
pracovaly
pracovala
Imperative pracuj pracujte

Important verbs in this category

Infinitive 3rd SG ENG
cestovat cestuje to travel
děkovat děkuje to thank
existovat existuje to exist
jmenovat se jmenuje se to be sb's name
kritizovat kritizuje to criticise
kupovat kupuje to buy
lyžovat lyžuje to ski
malovat maluje to paint
milovat miluje to love
opakovat opakuje to repeat
opravovat opravuje to fix, to repair
pokračovat pokračuje to continue
potřebovat potřebuje to need
pracovat pracuje to work
sportovat sportuje to do sports
tancovat tancuje to dance
telefonovat telefonuje to call by phone
studovat studuje to study

There are personal ending variants for all -ovat verbs:

1st SG 3rd PL
Standard Czech (já) pracuji (oni) pracují
Spoken Czech (já) pracuju (oni) pracujou
Note

This is observed in some other verbs of the -E group:

žít: (já) žiji vs (já) žiju

pít: (já) piji vs (já) piju

hrát: (já) hraj i vs (já) hraju etc.