1.7 – Demonstrative Pronouns (ten, ta, to)
Czech has the following demonstrative pronoun forms:
|
m |
f |
n |
|
ten |
ta |
to |
The forms ten, ta, to are used primarily in the meaning “that” or “the”[1]. They are placed before the noun or adjective noun that they modify, e.g. ten počítač ‘that computer’, ta lampa ‘that lamp’, or to pivo ‘that beer’.
|
Ten stůl je velmi starý. That table is very old. |
Ta profesorka je inteligentní. That professor is smart. |
To pivo je dobré. That beer is good. |
-hle ‘this one (right here)’
If you want to make it really specific that you are referring to something right here, i.e. ‘this (right here)’, add -hle to the forms ten, ta, to (i.e. tenhle, tahle, tohle).
|
Tenhle klíč je starý. This key (right here) is old. |
Tahle židle je žlutá. This chair is yellow. |
Tohle auto je pěkné. This car is pretty. |
Images used in this document come from these sources.
[1] The forms ten, ta, to sometimes translate as English the. However, use of English the and Czech ten, ta, to do not correspond completely and it is best to avoid using it whenever you might say the in English. It is best to try to get a feeling for its use through practice.