-ej

The suffix -ej is a defining phonological and morphological marker of Obecná čeština (Common Czech), the primary spoken interdialect in Bohemia. It replaces the Standard Czech long vowels -ý and, in specific environments, -í.

While it does not change the semantic meaning of a word, it drastically shifts the pragmatic tone, signaling a relaxed, authentic, and informal register. Using it appropriately demonstrates fluency in the "real" spoken language.

Where it applies:

• Masculine Singular: Replaces -ý in the nominative and inanimate accusative of hard adjectives (e.g., dobrý → dobrej, mladý → mladej). This applies identically to adjectival pronouns (e.g., který → kterej, nějaký → nějakej, takový → takovej, žádný → žádnej).
• Plural Oblique Cases: Applies across all genders in the genitive/locative (dobrých → dobrejch), dative (dobrým → dobrejm), and instrumental (dobrými → dobrejma).
• Prefixes, Word Roots & Suffixes: Frequently occurs in historical roots containing -ý- (e.g., být → bejt, mlýn → mlejn) and the prefix vý- (e.g., výlet → vejlet, výborný → vejbornej). It also appears in a specific, closed set of common words where Standard Czech has -í- after sharp sibilants (c, s, z) and l, which regularly diphthongized to -ej- in Common Czech (e.g., cítit → cejtit, zítra → zejtra, vozík → vozejk, mlít → mlejt, lít → lejt). It does not apply to all words with -í- in these positions (e.g., cíl remains cíl, síla remains síla).
• 3rd Person Plural Verbs: Replaces -í or -ejí in the 3rd person plural of many verbs (e.g., oni myslí → oni myslej, oni sázejí → oni sázej). Note that orthographically, the suffix is spelled -ěj after labials and alveolar stops (e.g., oni mluví → oni mluvěj, oni vidí → oni viděj) and -ej after soft consonants (e.g., oni učí → oni učej, oni slyší → oni slyšej).

Important Restrictions:

• Nominative/Accusative Plural & Neuter Singular: The -ej shift does NOT apply here. In Common Czech, the nominative/accusative plural for all genders unifies to -ý (dobří muži / dobré ženy / dobrá místa → dobrý muži / dobrý ženy / dobrý místa). Similarly, neuter singular becomes -ý (dobré auto → dobrý auto), not dobrej.
• Masculine Animate Accusative: Unlike the inanimate accusative (which takes -ej, e.g., vidím dobrej film), the animate accusative takes -ýho (e.g., vidím dobrýho kluka), never -ej.
• Masculine/Neuter Singular Oblique Cases: Standard Czech -é- in adjectival declensions always shifts to -ý- (or -í-), never to -ej-. For example, the genitive dobrého becomes dobrýho (not dobrejho), and the dative dobrému becomes dobrýmu.
• Feminine Singular Oblique Cases: Standard Czech -é in the genitive, dative, and locative (e.g., z dobré rodiny) becomes -ý in Common Czech (z dobrý rodiny), never -ej.
• It generally does not apply to soft adjectives ending in -í (e.g., moderní remains moderní), with notable exceptions for stems ending in c, s, z (e.g., cizí → cizej).
• It is strictly excluded from formal writing and highly formal public speaking.
• Avoid using it in formal greetings like Dobrý den; saying Dobrej den to a stranger or authority figure sounds cheeky or disrespectful.
• Geographically, it is rooted in Bohemia. In Moravia, speakers often use the standard -ý or regional dialects in casual speech, so forcing -ej there can sound unnatural.