Learning Czech? Then you’ll love this: Czech only has one basic past tense. Unlike English, where we juggle between “I spoke,” “I was speaking,” and “I had spoken,” Czech uses a single form to cover them all.
Let’s break down how it works, how to form it, and how to actually use it in real sentences.
Watch the Full Video Explanation
If you prefer a visual explanation with more examples, watch my video below:
Only One Past Tense
Czech has just one basic past tense. Unlike English which has:
past simple: I spoke
past continuous: I was speaking
past perfect: I had spoken
…
Czech just has one past tense form that covers all of that.
past tense: Já jsem mluvil.
How to Make the Past Participle
In Czech, to say something in the past, you need to know how to make the past participle.
Here’s how it works:
To form the past participle, take the infinitive form of the verb, drop the final -t, and add -l.
| Infinitive | Past Participle (masculine) |
|---|---|
| mluvit (to speak) | mluvil |
| čekat (to wait) | čekal |
| pracovat (to work) | pracoval |
| letět (to fly) | letěl |
Gender & Number Matter
Czech is specific when it comes to gender and number. You’ll need to change the verb ending accordingly:
Masculine singular: mluvil
Feminine singular: mluvila
Neuter singular: mluvilo
Masculine plural: mluvili
Feminine plural: mluvily
Neuter plural: formally mluvila, informally mluvily
Tip: In speech, plural endings -i and -y sound the same. So in informal speech you can use the same form for all three plural persons, but you’ll need to use the correct variants in writing.
First & Second Person: Add “To Be”
For I, you, we, and you (plural), you must include the present tense of the verb být (to be).
| Person | Auxiliary Verb | Example (masc. speaker) |
|---|---|---|
| já (I) | jsem | Já jsem mluvil. / Mluvil jsem. |
| ty (you, sing.) | jsi | Ty jsi čekal. / Čekal jsi. |
| my (we) | jsme | My jsme mluvili. / Mluvili jsme. |
| vy (you, pl.) | jste | Vy jste čekali. / Čekali jste. |
And if you’re female, change the ending:
| Person | Auxiliary Verb | Example (fem. speaker) |
|---|---|---|
| já (I) | jsem | Já jsem mluvila. / Mluvila jsem. |
| ty (you, sing.) | jsi | Ty jsi čekala. / Čekala jsi. |
| my (we) | jsme | My jsme mluvily. / Mluvily jsme. |
| vy (you, pl.) | jste | Vy jste čekaly. / Čekaly jste. |
Word Order: Watch the Second Position
In Czech, the auxiliary verb usually comes second in the sentence.
Examples:
Já jsem mluvil. (I spoke.)
Mluvil jsem. (I spoke.)
Nepracovali jste. (You didn’t work.)
Kde jsi čekal? (Where did you wait?)
Asking Questions in Past Tense
Good news: No special structure is needed for questions. Just use intonation and question mark in writing. Make sure jsem, jsi, jsme, jste is in the second position.
- Ty jsi čekal? (Did you wait?)
- Čekal jsi? (Did you wait?)
- Ty jsi šel do práce? (Did you go to work?)
Kde jste pracoval? (Where did you work?)
Making Negative Sentences
Just like in the present tense, negation is done by adding ne- to the main verb (never the auxiliary!).
Examples:
Já jsem nemluvil. (I didn’t speak.)
Marie nečekala. (Marie didn’t wait.)
Neletěl. (He didn’t fly.)
Formal “You” = Vykání
When addressing someone formally, you use plural auxiliary (jste) but keep the singular full verb, depending on gender.
Vy jste čekal. (You waited – male, formal)
Vy jste čekala. (You waited – female, formal)
Čekal jste? (Did you wait? – male, formal)
Čekala jste? (Did you wait? – female, formal)
- Kde jste pracoval? (Where did you work? – male, formal)
Irregular Verbs in the Past
Some verbs don’t follow the regular drop -t, add -l rule. These are common and worth memorizing.
| Infinitive | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| pít (to drink) | pil |
| psát (to write) | psal |
| mít (to have) | měl |
| chtít (to want) | chtěl |
| říct (to say) | řekl |
| číst (to read) | četl |
| jíst (to eat) | jedl |
| moct (to be able to) | mohl |
| pomoct (to help) | pomohl |
| jít (to go) | šel (male), šla (female), šli, šly |
Also watch out for -nout verbs like:
minout → minul (to pass/miss)
hnout → hnul (to move)
Recap: How to Form the Czech Past Tense
Use the past participle
Add present tense of být for I/you/we/you (plural)
Watch for gender and number endings
Use correct word order (auxiliary is 2nd)
Add ne- for negatives
Use intonation for questions
Learn irregular verbs
Test Your Knowledge
Choose the correct form of the verb. If the subject pronoun is in parentheses, it means that the subject is dropped.