An Explaination about Cases |
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Cases are used in Czech and Slovak to distinguish how a noun is to be understood in a sentence. There are 7 cases (only 6 are used in Slovak) and each noun and adjective has a different ending for each case through a process called Declension.
As English speakers, we usually have a hard time with this concept because we don't have much exposure to it unless we speak a foreign language that uses them. But they are not completely foreign. Believe it or not English does use cases. 3 to be exact: Subjective (or Nominative), Possessive, and Objective. Have you ever wondered, "Is it he or him?" "Is it I or me?" "Who or whom?" Well, these are cases.
In Czech and Slovak, you will find Nominative, Genative, Dative, Accusative, Vocative, Locative (or Prepositional), and Instrumental. Following is an explaination of each case and examples of how they are used.
NOTE: All examples (except for Vocative case)given are in Slovak
| Nominative Case |
| Nominative Case is used as the subject of a sentence. This is where you would use the undeclined form of the word - just as you would find it in the dictionary. It is also used in connection with the verb "to be" |
Example:
Steve is a man.
(Nom) (Nom)
Števo je muž
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| Genative Case |
| From here on out, things get more complicated. Genative Case could be considered a Possessive Case. When used by itself (meaning with no prepositions) Genative Case denotes possession. |
Example:
That is the book of the man (or the man's book).
(Nom) (Nom) (Gen)
To je kniha muža
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| Genative Case can also be used in connection with Prepositions. In Czech and Slovak, prepositions are used the same way they are in English. The only difference is that in Czech and Slovak, the propositions denote that a certain case should follow. For example, the prepositions z (from), od (from), bez (without), and do (to) all take on the Genative Case. |
Example:
A gift from God.
(Nom) (Gen)
Dar od Boha
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| Dative Case |
Dative Case is easier understood after a lesson on Accusative Case so you might want to read that first if you're not familiar with it.
Without prepositions, Dative Case is used as the indirect object of a sentence. It answers the question "to whom" or "to what." |
Example:
He sent me a letter.
(Nom) (Dat) (Acc)
On mi posilal list.
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In the above example, "me" answers the qustion "to whom." He sent a letterto whom? To me.
Several prepositions are also used to designate Dative Case. For example, k (to, toward), proti (against), and kvôli (because of). |
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| Accusative Case |
| Words in Accusative Case function as the direct object of the verb. In simple terms it is whatever receives the action. In the example in Dative Case, "He sent me a letter," letter is the direct object because it receives the action of being sent. Accusative Case answers the question "who?" or "what?"
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Example:
I see the dog.
(Nom) (Acc)
Ja vidím psa.
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| In this example, dog is in the Accusative because it answers the question of "what" I saw.
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| Prepositions for Accusative Case include pre (for), na (on), za (for), and some others which are at the moment slipping my mind.
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| Vocative Case |
Vocative Case is only used in Czech (so obviously, the example will be in Czech as well). Slovaks sometimes use it, but usually only in Biblical settings and prayer. But even then, it's iffy.
You use Vocative Case when you are addressing someone or something. Someone is the more common occurance and so that is where we will focus. If I were to just say the name Jane in Czech I would say Jana, but if I were addressing her directly, I would say Jano. |
Example:
Thomas (Tomáš), how are you?
(Voc)
Tomáši, jak se máš?
Because we are addressing Thomas, we put his name in the Vocative.
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| Locative Case |
| Locative Case (or Prepositional case) is fairly easy to understand. You only use it in connection with the prepositions v (in), na (on), o (about), po (after), and pri (při in Czech) (before, in front of). Pretty simple, hej? Jo?
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Example:
We speak about the woman.
(Nom) (prep) (Loc)
Hovoríme o žene
Because we used the preposition o, woman (žena) is used in Locative Case. |
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| Instrumental Case |
| Instrumental Case is also easy to use, but difficult to understand sometimes for English speakers. You use it to say "by the means of" or "with." Sometimes you need the preposition s if you only mean "with," but other times you can use it without a preposition at all if you mean "by the means of. |
Example:
I wrote the letter with (by the means of) a pen.
(Nom) (Acc) (Inst)
Napsal som list perom.
Because we wrote the letter by the means of the pen, we put pen (pero) in Instrumental Case. |
Example II:
I went with a friend.
(Nom) (Inst)
Šiel som s priatielom.
Because we used the preposition s, we put friend (priateľ) in Instrumental Case. |
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