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Question about Czech locative

  Tags: Czech
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nuriayasmin70
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 Message 1 of 7
17 July 2012 at 3:04pm | IP Logged 
I checked three grammars (respectively grammar sections in my course) and am a bit confused. For some types of words two different locative endings seem to be possible, but the grammars give me different information and don't explain anything, so perhaps someone here can help me. Okay, these are the examples, all words are locative singular:

pánu - pánovi
muži - mužovi
městě - městu

From what I recall from reading Czech so far, pánovi, můžovi and městě seem to be more commonly used. Is that true and are their any differences in the way the endings are used?

Thanks for your help.

Edited by nuriayasmin70 on 17 July 2012 at 10:44pm

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Majka
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 Message 2 of 7
17 July 2012 at 4:40pm | IP Logged 
deleted double post

Edited by Majka on 17 July 2012 at 4:52pm

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Majka
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 Message 3 of 7
17 July 2012 at 4:50pm | IP Logged 
All these forms are equally valid.

pánu - pánovi: for me as native speaker, no difference in usage. The longer form -ovi is used more often when the noun is standing alone but it all comes down to personal preference. The only exception is usage when declining personal names - see bellow - and the words "člověk" and "bůh" - "o člověku" and "o bohu" are preferred, resp. seen as "more educated".

muži - mužovi: I use "muži" more often, but again, it seems to be personal preference.

městé - městu: For me, although both are equally valid, I would use "o městě", not "o městu". Again, it seems to be personal or perhaps local preference (South Bohemia). Both forms are correct.

I would simply choose one form for usage when speaking and writing and simply learn to recognize both as possible variants.


To go in more detail:
I don't know if you understand enough Czech to understand this

In short:

Usage of -ovi in pán and muž in lokativ - names of persons:
one name standing alone - always use -ovi: o Milanovi, o Novákovi
in combination with another nouns - usually only the last one has -ovi: o Milanu Novákovi, o Miloši Macourkovi, o panu řediteli Janu Dvořákovi

The above mentioned is certainly correct but something even native speakers have problems with (unless they are working with the language professionaly or really are on top of the language).

Edited by Majka on 17 July 2012 at 5:06pm

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nuriayasmin70
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 Message 4 of 7
17 July 2012 at 4:59pm | IP Logged 
Thank you very much, Majka, that helps a lot.
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LaughingChimp
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 Message 5 of 7
17 July 2012 at 8:00pm | IP Logged 
pánu - pánovi - both correct, pánovi sounds more natural to me
můži - můžovi - both wrong. It should be muži or mužovi.
městě - městu - both correct

I believe it differs from word to word which ending is more likely to be used.

Quote:
The above mentioned is certainly correct but something even native speakers have problems with (unless they are working with the language professionaly or really are on top of the language).


What do you mean?

Edited by LaughingChimp on 17 July 2012 at 8:01pm

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prz_
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 Message 6 of 7
17 July 2012 at 8:17pm | IP Logged 
Well, these problems seem to be typical for the languages with more complex declension.
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nuriayasmin70
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 Message 7 of 7
17 July 2012 at 10:42pm | IP Logged 
LaughingChimp wrote:

můži - můžovi - both wrong. It should be muži or mužovi.

I believe it differs from word to word which ending is more likely to be used.


Oops, that was a spelling mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. I have to take more care with the use of accents. I edited my initial post and corrected the mistakes.

So it seems at my beginner's level it's okay to use either ending and perhaps one day I'll know which ending is more commonly used for the important words.

Edited by nuriayasmin70 on 17 July 2012 at 10:44pm



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