-ama

Common Czech Instrumental Plural -ama Contrast

Level 6

In casual spoken Czech (Common Czech), the complex standard instrumental plural endings collapse into a universal -ama (or -ema). Using it instantly shifts your register to relaxed and informal.

How It Works

1. The Colloquial Rule:
This pattern is most frequently triggered by the preposition s/se (with), but it applies to all uses of the instrumental plural, including other prepositions (před, pod, nad, za, mezi) and bare instrumentals of means or transport (e.g., jet vlakama, psát tužkama). In Common Czech, the universal suffix is -ma, and the preceding vowel depends strictly on the noun's declension class. Hard stems take -ama (e.g., s autama, se ženama), while soft stems take -ema (e.g., s mužema, s učitelema). Note that some highly frequent irregular soft stems take -ma instead (e.g., s koňma, s penězma). For i-stems, speakers often use -ma or insert an 'i' (s kostma / s kostima, s věcma / s věcima). Highly frequent irregular words like lidé (people) and děti (children) become s lidma / s lidima and s dětma / s dětima in spoken Czech. Modifiers must agree, taking colloquial endings on pronouns and adjectives. Hard adjectives take -ejma or -ýma (e.g., s těma dobrejma/dobrýma klukama), while soft adjectives take -íma (e.g., s moderníma autama).

2. Register Shift:
This ending is extremely frequent in daily speech, accounting for the vast majority of spoken instrumental plural usage. However, it is non-standard and must be avoided in formal writing or careful public speaking, where you should use standard instrumental plural endings (such as -y, -i, -mi, -ami, -emi).

3. The Body Part Exception (Crucial):
A major trap for advanced learners is hypercorrection. Because these endings are taught as "colloquial," learners often avoid rukama, nohama, očima, and ušima in formal essays. However, these are historical dual forms and are the only correct standard forms for physical body parts. Furthermore, any adjectives, pronouns, and the numerals 3 and 4 modifying them must ALSO take the -ma ending in Standard Czech (e.g., s mýma holýma rukama, s velkýma očima, mezi čtyřma očima). Note that the numerals 2 and 'both' (dvěma, oběma) are universally standard in the instrumental for all nouns (e.g., se dvěma auty), whereas třema and čtyřma are specific exceptions triggered only by paired body parts (otherwise they are třemi and čtyřmi). The regularized forms (rukami, nohami, oky, uchy) are strictly reserved for inanimate metaphorical meanings, like table legs, nets/snares, or mug handles. Note that ramena (shoulders), kolena (knees), and prsa (chest/breasts) are exceptions to this dual rule; they take standard endings (s rameny, s koleny, s prsy) in Standard Czech, not -ma. Any adjectives modifying them must also take standard endings (e.g., s mými širokými rameny, NOT *s mýma širokýma ramenama).

Examples (5)

  1. Včera jsem šel na pivo s klukama z práce.

    Yesterday I went for a beer with the guys from work.

    Word by Word: Yesterday am went for beer with boys from work.

    Common Czech. The standard form would be 's kluky', but in a casual pub setting, the standard form sounds stiff.

  2. Bavili jsme se s těma novejma kolegama.

    We were talking with those new colleagues.

    Word by Word: Talked are reflexive with those new colleagues.

    Common Czech. Notice how the demonstrative (těma) and adjective (novejma) must agree with the -ama ending.

  3. Dítě radostně mávalo oběma rukama.

    The child waved joyfully with both hands.

    Word by Word: Child joyfully waved both hands.

    Standard Czech. Because it refers to physical human limbs, the historical dual form 'rukama' is strictly required, even in formal writing.

  4. Pes ležel pod nohami stolu.

    The dog lay under the legs of the table.

    Word by Word: Dog lay under legs of-table.

    Standard Czech. Because 'legs of a table' is a metaphorical, inanimate use, the regularized standard ending '-ami' is used.

  5. Musíš stát pevně nohama na zemi.

    You have to stand firmly with your feet on the ground.

    Word by Word: Must stand firmly feet on ground.

    Standard Czech. Physical body parts require the -ama ending.

Common Mistakes

  • Hypercorrecting physical body parts in formal writing.

    Pacient hýbal oběma rukami a nohami.
    Pacient hýbal oběma rukama a nohama.

    Advanced learners often avoid 'rukama', 'nohama', 'očima', and 'ušima' in formal writing because they think '-ama' is always colloquial. However, for physical human or animal body parts, these historical dual forms are the ONLY correct Standard Czech forms. Regularized forms like 'rukami' or 'oky' are only used for inanimate metaphors (like table legs or nets).

  • Using standard instrumental plural endings on modifiers of paired body parts.

    Díval se na mě svými velkými očima.
    Díval se na mě svýma velkýma očima.

    When using the standard dual forms for body parts (rukama, nohama, očima, ušima), any adjectives or pronouns modifying them MUST also take the '-ma' ending. Writing 'svými velkými očima' is a grammatical error in Standard Czech, even though it looks like standard instrumental plural agreement.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-amaLevel 6Common Czech Instrumental Plural -ama Contrast

Learn This First

To understand the contrast between standard and Common Czech instrumental plural endings, learners must first be familiar with the standard instrumental case endings for plural nouns and the specific preposition 's/se' that often triggers them. Additionally, knowledge of dual-like forms for paired body parts is necessary to distinguish where '-ama' is considered standard versus non-standard.