Nominative Personal Pronouns
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Nominative pronouns are the subjects of your sentences; use them to identify who is performing the action.
- Use 'já' for 'I' and 'ty' for 'you' (singular, informal).
- Use 'on/ona/ono' for 'he/she/it' respectively.
- Use 'my/vy/oni' for 'we/you(plural)/they'.
Nominative Personal Pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
|
já (I)
|
my (we)
|
|
2nd
|
ty (you)
|
vy (you)
|
|
3rd
|
on/ona/ono (he/she/it)
|
oni/ony/ona (they)
|
Meanings
Nominative personal pronouns function as the subject of a sentence, indicating who or what is performing the verb's action.
Subject identification
Identifying the person or thing performing the action.
“Já jsem Petr.”
“Ty jsi student.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Já jsem doma.
|
|
Negative
|
Pronoun + Ne-Verb
|
Já nejsem doma.
|
|
Question
|
Pronoun + Verb?
|
Jsi ty doma?
|
|
Omitted
|
Verb only
|
Jsem doma.
|
|
Formal
|
Vy + Verb
|
Vy jste učitel.
|
|
Plural
|
My/Vy/Oni + Verb
|
My jsme šťastní.
|
Spectre de formalité
Přijdete? (Invitation)
Přijdeš? (Invitation)
Dojdeš? (Invitation)
Dorazíš? (Invitation)
Pronoun Categories
Singular
- já I
- ty you
Plural
- my we
- vy you
Exemples par niveau
Já jsem student.
I am a student.
Ty jsi v Praze.
You are in Prague.
Ona je učitelka.
She is a teacher.
My jsme přátelé.
We are friends.
Vy jste velmi milý.
You are very kind.
Oni studují češtinu.
They are studying Czech.
Ono to není pravda.
It is not true.
Já nechci jít.
I don't want to go.
Zatímco já pracuji, oni odpočívají.
While I work, they are resting.
Ony jsou v knihovně.
They (women) are in the library.
Vy byste měli přijít včas.
You should arrive on time.
My jsme to věděli.
We knew it.
Je to on, kdo to udělal?
Is it he who did it?
Vy, kteří jste zde, poslouchejte.
You who are here, listen.
Ona sama to nechtěla.
She herself didn't want it.
Oni se rozhodli odejít.
They decided to leave.
Von to neřekl, von to jen naznačil.
He didn't say it, he only hinted at it.
My, Češi, máme rádi pivo.
We, Czechs, like beer.
Ona, ač unavená, pokračovala.
She, although tired, continued.
Oni jsou ti, na které čekáme.
They are the ones we are waiting for.
Ony, ty staré časy, jsou pryč.
They, those old times, are gone.
Já, jenž jsem vše viděl, mohu svědčit.
I, who have seen everything, can testify.
Vy, pane, jste se mýlil.
You, sir, were mistaken.
Ono se to tak nějak stalo.
It just sort of happened.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up 'já' (I) and 'mě' (me).
Learners use 'ty' with strangers.
Learners use 'oni' for everything.
Erreurs courantes
Já jíst.
Jím.
On je hezká.
On je hezký.
Ty jsi Petr?
Jsi Petr?
Ona pije káva.
Ona pije kávu.
Vy jsi učitel.
Vy jste učitel.
Oni jsou v knihovny.
Oni jsou v knihovně.
My jdou domů.
My jdeme domů.
Ony jsou muži.
Oni jsou muži.
Já, on a ona jdeme.
My jdeme.
Ono je hezký.
Ono je hezké.
Já jsem to udělal, ne on.
Udělal jsem to já, ne on.
Oni, co tam byli, věděli.
Ti, co tam byli, věděli.
Ona, která přišla, byla šťastná.
Ta, která přišla, byla šťastná.
Structures de phrases
___ jsem student.
___ jsi v Praze?
___ jsou moji přátelé.
___ jsme to věděli.
Real World Usage
Já jsem dnes v Praze!
Jsi tam?
Vy jste ideální kandidát.
Já si dám kávu.
My hledáme hotel.
Vy byste měli vědět...
Drop it!
Formal 'Vy'
Emphasis
Gendered Plural
Smart Tips
Drop the pronoun unless you need emphasis.
Always use 'Vy'.
Check if the group is all women.
Use the pronoun to highlight the difference.
Prononciation
Vowel length
The 'á' in 'já' is long; hold it for twice the duration of a short 'a'.
Question
Jsi ty student? ↑
Rising intonation at the end indicates a question.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'J-T-O-O-O' for singular: Já, Ty, On/Ona/Ono.
Association visuelle
Imagine a mirror: 'Já' (I) looking at 'Ty' (you), and 'On' (he) standing behind.
Rhyme
Já and Ty, we are a pair, My and Vy, we're everywhere.
Story
Já (I) went to the store. Ty (you) were there too. On (he) was buying bread, and Ona (she) was buying milk.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about your family using different pronouns.
Notes culturelles
Using 'Vy' is mandatory for strangers and elders. It shows respect and social distance.
In some Moravian dialects, pronouns might be dropped even more frequently.
In Prague, you might hear 'von' instead of 'on' in casual speech.
Czech pronouns derive from Proto-Slavic roots.
Amorces de conversation
Kdo jsi?
Kdo je tvůj nejlepší přítel?
Co si myslíte o tomto?
Kdo jsou lidé, které obdivuješ?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ jsem student.
___ jsi v Praze?
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni (ženy) jsou tady.
Ty jsi student.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
___ jsou moji přátelé.
___ je hezké.
___ (I) studuji češtinu.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ jsem student.
___ jsi v Praze?
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni (ženy) jsou tady.
Ty jsi student.
Match 'my'.
___ jsou moji přátelé.
___ je hezké.
___ (I) studuji češtinu.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes, but keep it if you want to emphasize who is doing the action.
Use 'ony'.
It is formal singular, but also the standard plural 'you'.
It is the neuter pronoun for things like 'dítě' (child) or 'auto' (car).
It is very rude; always use 'vy'.
Yes, but these are the Nominative ones.
No, 'oni' is for men and mixed groups.
Yes, for emphasis: 'Udělal jsem to já'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Yo, tú, él/ella
Spanish doesn't have a neuter pronoun like 'ono'.
Ich, du, er/sie/es
Czech is pro-drop; German is not.
Je, tu, il/elle
Czech verb endings are more informative.
Watashi, anata, kare/kanojo
Japanese pronouns don't change based on case.
Ana, anta/anti, huwa/hiya
Arabic has dual forms.
Wǒ, nǐ, tā
Chinese pronouns are invariant.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Connected Grammar
Verb 'být'
PrerequisiteYou need it to form basic sentences.
Accusative Case
Builds OnIt's the next step for objects.
Gender Agreement
SimilarPronouns must agree with nouns.
Reflexive Pronouns
Advanced FormThey are essential for many verbs.
