Irregular Verbs in Czech Past Tense

Learning irregular verbs is one of the most challenging aspects of mastering Czech. Here, we’ll go over some of the most common irregular verbs and their conjugations in the past tense.

Common Irregular Verbs

Být (to be)

  • Past: byl
  • Present: je

Chtít (to want)

  • Past: chtěl
  • Present: chce

Číst (to read)

  • Past: četl
  • Present: čte

Jít (to go on foot)

  • Past: šel
  • Present: jde

Jíst (to eat)

  • Past: jedl
  • Present: jí

Krást (to steal)

  • Past: kradl
  • Present: krade

Mít (to have)

  • Past: měl
  • Present: má

Moct (can/be able to)

  • Past: mohl
  • Present: může

Obléknout (to put on)

  • Past: oblékl
  • Present/Future: oblékne (fut.)

Otevřít (to open)

  • Past: otevřel
  • Present/Future: otevře (fut.)

Péct (to bake)

  • Past: pekl
  • Present: peče

Pít (to drink)

  • Past: pil
  • Present: pije

Plést (to knit/confuse)

  • Past: pletl
  • Present: plete

Pomoci (to help)

  • Past: pomohl
  • Present/Future: pomůže (fut.)

Přijmout (to accept)

  • Past: přijal
  • Present/Future: přijme (fut.)

Psát (to write)

  • Past: psal
  • Present: píše

Růst (to grow)

  • Past: rostl
  • Present: roste

Říct (to say)

  • Past: řekl
  • Present/Future: řekne (fut.)

Sednout si (to sit down)

  • Past: sedl si
  • Present/Future: sedne si (fut.)

Spát (to sleep)

  • Past: spal
  • Present: spí

Umřít (to die)

  • Past: umřel
  • Present/Future: umře (fut.)

Vzít (to take)

  • Past: vzal
  • Present/Future: vezme (fut.)

Vést (to lead)

  • Past: vedl
  • Present: vede

Začít (to begin)

  • Past: začal
  • Present/Future: začne (fut.)

Zapomenout (to forget)

  • Past: zapomněl
  • Present/Future: zapomene (fut.)

Zavřít (to close)

  • Past: zavřel
  • Present/Future: zavře (fut.)

Past Tense Exceptions

Generally, the length mark from the infinitive disappears in the past tense. Here are a few examples:

  • Psát (to write) → psal
  • Brát (to take) → bral
  • Nést (to carry) → nesl
  • Pít (to drink) → pil

However, in some cases, the length mark stays:

  • Bát se (to be afraid) → bál se
  • Hrát (to play) → hrál
  • Přát si (to wish) → přál si
  • Smát se (to laugh) → smál se

Summary

Understanding irregular verbs in Czech can be tricky, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. Remember to pay attention to the changes in the length mark and the specific irregular conjugations. Happy learning!

Feel free to practice these verbs and try to use them in sentences to get more comfortable with their conjugations in the past tense. If you have any questions or need further explanations, don’t hesitate to ask!

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