When you're just starting out in Czech, understanding basic adjectives like "malý" (small) is super important. This word is a fundamental part of describing the world around you, and it falls under the A1 CEFR level because it's a high-frequency word essential for simple communication.
At the A1 level, you'll focus on using words like "malý" to talk about everyday objects and people in very straightforward sentences. You're not expected to use it in complex grammatical structures yet.
Mastering words like this early on helps you build a solid foundation. It allows you to start forming simple descriptive sentences, which is key for basic interactions in Czech. Think of it as a building block for more advanced language use later on!
When you're describing things in Czech, especially their size, you'll often encounter the adjective malý. It directly translates to 'small' or 'little' in English. This word is super common and versatile, meaning you can use it for anything from a small dog to a small problem.
Remember that like other Czech adjectives, malý changes its ending depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. So, you'll see forms like malá for feminine nouns and malé for neuter nouns or plural forms. Mastering these agreements will make your Czech sound much more natural!
malý in 30 Sekunden
- Common adjective for 'small'.
- Changes endings based on gender and number.
- Essential for basic descriptions.
§ What does it mean and when do people use it?
The Czech word malý (pronounced MAH-lee) is a fundamental adjective. It means 'small' or 'little'. You'll use it constantly, much like you use 'small' in English, to describe the size of nearly anything.
- DEFINITION
- Of a size that is less than normal. It's the opposite of velký (big).
Let's get straight to how it works. Like most Czech adjectives, malý changes its ending based on the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes. Don't let that scare you; we'll break it down simply. For now, focus on the base meaning.
You use malý for physical size, like a small car or a small house. But it's also used for age, like a small child, or even for abstract concepts like a small problem. It's very versatile.
To je malý dům.
This means 'That is a small house.' Here, 'dům' (house) is masculine, so malý is used.
Mám malé auto.
This translates to 'I have a small car.' 'Auto' (car) is neuter, so malé is used.
Potřebuji malou kávu.
This means 'I need a small coffee.' 'Káva' (coffee) is feminine, so malou is used (this is also in the accusative case, but we'll focus on that later).
When describing people, you'll often hear malý used for children or for people who are short in stature. It's not rude; it's simply descriptive.
Viděl jsem malého chlapce.
'I saw a small boy.' Here 'chlapec' (boy) is masculine, and the form is for the accusative case.
It can also refer to a small quantity or amount, especially when discussing portions of food or drink.
Chci malé pivo.
'I want a small beer.' (A common phrase in Czech pubs!)
Understanding malý is crucial for basic communication. You'll use it to describe your belongings, order food, and talk about people. Don't get hung up on all the grammatical endings just yet. The key is to recognize its core meaning of 'small' or 'little' in various contexts.
Here are some common situations where you'd use malý:
- Describing an object's size: Malý stůl (small table), malá kniha (small book).
- Talking about children: Malé dítě (small child).
- Ordering something: Malá porce (small portion).
- Referring to a minor issue: Malý problém (small problem).
Pay attention to how native speakers use it. You'll quickly get a feel for its different forms and applications. For now, practice saying 'malý' and trying to substitute it into simple sentences where you'd use 'small' in English.
Wusstest du?
The word 'malý' shares roots with words in other Slavic languages like Polish 'mały' and Russian 'малый' (malyy), all meaning 'small'.
Beispiele nach Niveau
Vidím malého psa v parku.
I see a small dog in the park.
Here 'malý' is in the masculine accusative singular form, agreeing with 'pes' (dog).
Máme malý byt v centru města.
We have a small apartment in the city center.
Here 'malý' is in the masculine accusative singular form, agreeing with 'byt' (apartment).
Dítě spí v malé postýlce.
The child is sleeping in a small crib.
Here 'malé' is in the feminine locative singular form, agreeing with 'postýlka' (crib).
Potřebuji malý šálek kávy.
I need a small cup of coffee.
Here 'malý' is in the masculine accusative singular form, agreeing with 'šálek' (cup).
Na stole leží malá kniha.
A small book is lying on the table.
Here 'malá' is in the feminine nominative singular form, agreeing with 'kniha' (book).
Mají malou zahradu za domem.
They have a small garden behind the house.
Here 'malou' is in the feminine accusative singular form, agreeing with 'zahrada' (garden).
Koupil jsem malé auto.
I bought a small car.
Here 'malé' is in the neuter accusative singular form, agreeing with 'auto' (car).
V lese jsme viděli malého medvěda.
In the forest, we saw a small bear.
Here 'malého' is in the masculine animate accusative singular form, agreeing with 'medvěd' (bear).
Grammatikmuster
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"Malý, ale šikovný"
Small, but handy/clever
Náš nový byt je malý, ale šikovný. (Our new apartment is small, but handy/clever.)
neutral"Malá domů"
A small favor/something for oneself (often illicitly gained or a small bribe)
Dostal malou domů za tu zakázku. (He got a little something for himself for that order.)
informal"Malé pivo"
Small beer (can refer to something insignificant, literally a small beer)
To je malé pivo, nic se neděje. (That's small beer, nothing's happening.)
neutral"Malá ryba"
Small fish (an unimportant person)
Ve velké firmě jsem jen malá ryba. (In a big company, I'm just a small fish.)
neutral"Malý velký muž"
A small great man (someone of small stature but great importance or influence)
Byl to malý velký muž s velkým vlivem. (He was a small great man with great influence.)
neutral"Malé dítě"
Small child (literal, or can be used metaphorically for someone immature)
Chová se jako malé dítě. (He behaves like a small child.)
neutral"Malá rada"
A little advice
Mám pro tebe malou radu. (I have a little advice for you.)
neutral"Malé kroky"
Small steps
Dosáhneme toho malými kroky. (We will achieve it in small steps.)
neutral"Malá šance"
Small chance
Máme jen malou šanci uspět. (We only have a small chance to succeed.)
neutral"Malá věc"
Small thing (can refer to something insignificant)
Je to jen malá věc, nemusíš se starat. (It's just a small thing, you don't have to worry.)
neutralSatzmuster
To je [malý / malá / malé] [noun].
To je malý dům. (That is a small house.)
[Noun] je [malý / malá / malé].
Dům je malý. (The house is small.)
Mám [malý / malou / malé] [noun].
Mám malou kočku. (I have a small cat.)
Nemám [velký / velkou / velké], ale [malý / malou / malé] [noun].
Nemám velký pes, ale malý. (I don't have a big dog, but a small one.)
Chci [malý / malou / malé] [noun].
Chci malý stůl. (I want a small table.)
Vidím [malý / malou / malé] [noun].
Vidím malého ptáka. (I see a small bird.)
Potřebuji [malý / malou / malé] [noun].
Potřebuji malou tašku. (I need a small bag.)
Kde je [malý / malá / malé] [noun]?
Kde je malá kniha? (Where is the small book?)
Wortherkunft
Proto-Slavic *malъ
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: small, little
Indo-EuropeanKultureller Kontext
<p>In Czech culture, describing something as 'malý' can be endearing. For example, calling a child 'malý' is common and affectionate. It can also be used practically, like when asking for a 'malý' coffee (small coffee).</p>
Im Alltag üben
Kontexte aus dem Alltag
Describing objects
- malý dům (small house)
- malé auto (small car)
- malá kniha (small book)
Describing animals
- malý pes (small dog)
- malá kočka (small cat)
- malé ptáče (small bird)
Describing children or young people
- malý chlapec (small boy)
- malá holka (small girl)
- malé dítě (small child)
Referring to quantity or amount
- malá porce (small portion)
- malé množství (small amount)
- malý kousek (small piece)
Describing abstract concepts (less common for A1)
- malý problém (small problem)
- malá změna (small change)
- malý rozdíl (small difference)
Gesprächseinstiege
"Máš rád malé psy, nebo velké psy? (Do you like small dogs, or big dogs?)"
"Co je to malé, co máš rád? (What is something small that you like?)"
"Je tvůj dům malý, nebo velký? (Is your house small, or big?)"
"Vidíš tam malé auto? (Do you see a small car there?)"
"Potřebuješ malou kávu, nebo velkou kávu? (Do you need a small coffee, or a big coffee?)"
Tagebuch-Impulse
Popiš tři malé věci, které vidíš kolem sebe. (Describe three small things you see around you.)
Napiš o tom, co děláš, když máš jenom malý problém. (Write about what you do when you have only a small problem.)
Co je tvé oblíbené malé zvíře a proč? (What is your favorite small animal and why?)
Přemýšlej o tom, co bys dělal s malou porcí jídla. (Think about what you would do with a small portion of food.)
Popiš malý dárek, který jsi dostal/a. (Describe a small gift you received.)
Teste dich selbst 36 Fragen
Mám ___ dům. (I have a ___ house.)
The word 'malý' means 'small' and fits the context of having a small house.
Kočka je velmi ___. (The cat is very ___.)
'Malá' is the feminine form of 'malý' and is used to describe the cat as small.
To je ___ pes. (That is a ___ dog.)
Here, 'malý' describes the dog as small.
Děti mají ___ hračky. (The children have ___ toys.)
'Malé' is the plural form of 'malý' and describes the toys as small.
Mám jen ___ šálek kávy. (I only have a ___ cup of coffee.)
'Malý' describes the cup as small.
Vidíš tam ten ___ strom? (Do you see that ___ tree over there?)
'Malý' describes the tree as small.
Listen for 'malý'. The sentence means 'That is a small house.'
Listen for 'malého'. The sentence means 'I have a small dog.'
Listen for 'malou'. The sentence means 'She has a small cat.'
Read this aloud:
Malý stůl.
Focus: mah-LEE
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Malá kniha.
Focus: mah-LAH
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Malé auto.
Focus: mah-LEH
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Mám ___ dům v Praze. (I have a ___ house in Prague.)
The sentence describes having a 'small' house, so 'malý' (small) is the correct adjective.
Jeho sestra má ___ psa. (His sister has a ___ dog.)
The word 'psa' (dog) is masculine animate accusative, so the adjective needs to be 'malého' (small).
Koupila jsem si ___ auto. (I bought a ___ car.)
The word 'auto' (car) is neuter, so the adjective needs to be 'malé' (small).
Máme ___ zahradu za domem. (We have a ___ garden behind the house.)
The word 'zahradu' (garden) is feminine accusative, so the adjective needs to be 'malou' (small).
Na stole leží ___ kniha. (A ___ book is on the table.)
The word 'kniha' (book) is feminine, so the adjective needs to be 'malá' (small).
Viděl jsi to ___ dítě? (Did you see that ___ child?)
The word 'dítě' (child) is neuter, so the adjective needs to be 'malé' (small).
Listen to the sentence and understand the description of the house.
Listen and identify what kind of cat the speaker has.
Pay attention to the size of the car being seen.
Read this aloud:
To je malý pes.
Focus: malý
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Mám malou zahradu.
Focus: malou
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Jím malé jablko.
Focus: malé
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Popište, jak vypadá váš malý dům nebo byt. (Describe what your small house or apartment looks like.)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Můj byt je malý, ale útulný. Mám malý obývací pokoj s jedním oknem. V kuchyni je malý stůl. (My apartment is small but cozy. I have a small living room with one window. There is a small table in the kitchen.)
Napište krátký odstavec o tom, co děláte, když máte "malou" chuť na něco sladkého. (Write a short paragraph about what you do when you have a 'small' craving for something sweet.)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Když mám malou chuť na sladké, často si dám kousek čokolády nebo nějaké ovoce. Někdy si uvařím malý čaj s medem. (When I have a small craving for something sweet, I often have a piece of chocolate or some fruit. Sometimes I make myself a small tea with honey.)
Popište malý dárek, který jste dostali nebo dali. Jaký byl a proč byl pro vás speciální? (Describe a small gift you received or gave. What was it like and why was it special to you?)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Dostal jsem malou knihu od kamarádky k narozeninám. Byla to malá knížka o cestování, která se mi moc líbila. Bylo to speciální, protože věděla, že rád cestuji. (I received a small book from a friend for my birthday. It was a small travel book that I really liked. It was special because she knew I like to travel.)
Co dělá Rex každé ráno? (What does Rex do every morning?)
Read this passage:
Mám malého psa jménem Rex. Rex je velmi hravý a rád běhá v parku. Každé ráno mu dávám malou misku jídla. (I have a small dog named Rex. Rex is very playful and likes to run in the park. Every morning I give him a small bowl of food.)
Co dělá Rex každé ráno? (What does Rex do every morning?)
V textu je uvedeno: 'Každé ráno mu dávám malou misku jídla.' (The text states: 'Every morning I give him a small bowl of food.')
V textu je uvedeno: 'Každé ráno mu dávám malou misku jídla.' (The text states: 'Every morning I give him a small bowl of food.')
Co pěstuje sestra v zahradě? (What does the sister grow in the garden?)
Read this passage:
Moje sestra má malou zahradu za domem. Pěstuje tam malé zelené rostlinky a občas i nějaké malé květiny. Je to její oblíbené místo. (My sister has a small garden behind the house. She grows small green plants there and sometimes some small flowers. It's her favorite place.)
Co pěstuje sestra v zahradě? (What does the sister grow in the garden?)
V textu je uvedeno: 'Pěstuje tam malé zelené rostlinky a občas i nějaké malé květiny.' (The text states: 'She grows small green plants there and sometimes some small flowers.')
V textu je uvedeno: 'Pěstuje tam malé zelené rostlinky a občas i nějaké malé květiny.' (The text states: 'She grows small green plants there and sometimes some small flowers.')
Kdy rodina chodí na chatu? (When does the family go to the cottage?)
Read this passage:
Naše rodina má malou chatu v horách. Chodíme tam často v létě. Je to stará, ale velmi útulná chata s malou kuchyní a obývacím pokojem. (Our family has a small cottage in the mountains. We go there often in the summer. It's an old but very cozy cottage with a small kitchen and living room.)
Kdy rodina chodí na chatu? (When does the family go to the cottage?)
V textu je uvedeno: 'Chodíme tam často v létě.' (The text states: 'We go there often in the summer.')
V textu je uvedeno: 'Chodíme tam často v létě.' (The text states: 'We go there often in the summer.')
Popište svůj pokoj. Je malý, nebo velký? Co v něm máte?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Můj pokoj je docela malý. Mám v něm postel a stůl.
Napište krátký odstavec o malém městě nebo vesnici, kterou znáte. Jaké jsou tam výhody a nevýhody života?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Znám jednu malou vesnici, kde žije moje babička. Je tam klid, ale není tam moc obchodů. Lidé se tam znají.
Představte si, že hledáte malý dárek pro kamaráda. Co byste mu koupili a proč?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Koupil bych mu malou knihu, protože rád čte. Nebo malou čokoládu, protože má rád sladké.
Jaký je Fík, pes sestry?
Read this passage:
Moje sestra má malého psa. Je to čivava a jmenuje se Fík. Fík je velmi hravý a má rád, když se s ním chodí na procházky. I když je malý, má hodně energie.
Jaký je Fík, pes sestry?
V textu je uvedeno, že Fík je 'malý' a 'velmi hravý'.
V textu je uvedeno, že Fík je 'malý' a 'velmi hravý'.
Jaká byla krabice?
Read this passage:
Na stole ležela malá krabice. Nikdo nevěděl, co v ní je. Byla červená a měla na sobě mašli. Děti byly zvědavé, co se skrývá uvnitř.
Jaká byla krabice?
V textu se píše, že 'ležela malá krabice' a 'Byla červená'.
V textu se píše, že 'ležela malá krabice' a 'Byla červená'.
Kolik místností měl dům?
Read this passage:
Dům na konci ulice byl velmi malý. Měl jen dvě místnosti a malou zahradu. Žila tam stará paní, která se o dům pečlivě starala, ačkoli byl malý.
Kolik místností měl dům?
Text říká, že dům 'Měl jen dvě místnosti'.
Text říká, že dům 'Měl jen dvě místnosti'.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
'Malý' is the fundamental Czech word for 'small' and is crucial for describing sizes.
- Common adjective for 'small'.
- Changes endings based on gender and number.
- Essential for basic descriptions.
Verwandte Inhalte
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Verwandte Redewendungen
Mehr general Wörter
a
A1Used to connect words or clauses
aby
A1So that / in order to
ale
A1Used to introduce something contrasting
ani
A1Neither / not even
bez
A1Not accompanied by
bílý
A1Of the color of milk or fresh snow
být
A1To exist or live
co
A1Asking for information specifying something
dlouhý
A1Measuring a great distance from end to end
dobrý
A1To be desired or approved of
