být toho názoru, že
Explicit Opinion Formula
The phrase být toho názoru, že translates to "to be of the opinion that." It is a highly formal expression used in academic, legal, and journalistic contexts to state a deliberate, objective stance rather than a mere personal feeling.
How It Works
This pattern is a staple of professional Czech, but native speakers also use it in everyday spoken debates or discussions when they want to sound assertive, serious, or authoritative. By using the genitive case (toho názoru), the speaker projects objectivity and conviction.
Key Characteristics:
- Register: While elevated, it is not strictly bureaucratic. It is often used in serious discussions to add weight to one's stance. For more casual speech, you can use myslet si, že (to think that).
- Grammar: The phrase requires the genitive case. This is an example of the genitive of quality, which describes a characteristic or state of being (similar to být dobré mysli - to be of good cheer). Do not use the nominative or accusative (být ten názor), and never add a preposition (být v názoru). Strictly speaking, as a genitive of quality, the noun should not stand alone without a modifier like toho. However, in real life, you will frequently hear native speakers, journalists, and politicians drop it and simply say jsem názoru, že...
- Modifiability & Standalone Use: You can easily express a different or identical opinion by swapping the pronoun toho for an adjective in the genitive case, such as být jiného názoru (to be of a different opinion) or být stejného názoru (to be of the same opinion). These modified versions are often used as standalone sentences without the že clause to agree or disagree with someone (e.g., Jsem stejného názoru. = I am of the same opinion / I agree).
Similar Expressions:
You will often encounter mít za to, že (to assume/suppose) or zastávat názor, že (to hold the view that). Note that zastávat requires the accusative case (zastávat ten názor), unlike být which takes the genitive here.
Examples (4)
- Komise je toho názoru, že návrh je proveditelný.
The committee is of the opinion that the proposal is feasible.
Word by Word: Committee is of-that of-opinion, that proposal is feasible.
A typical bureaucratic use where an institution states its official, deliberated stance.
- Jsem toho názoru, že bychom měli počkat na další výsledky.
I am of the opinion that we should wait for further results.
Word by Word: Am of-that of-opinion, that we-should ought-to wait for further results.
The verb 'být' conjugates normally to match the subject (here, first-person singular 'jsem').
- Někteří odborníci jsou toho názoru, že se situace brzy zlepší.
Some experts are of the opinion that the situation will improve soon.
Word by Word: Some experts are of-that of-opinion, that itself situation soon will-improve.
Frequently used in journalism to report the consensus or views of professionals.
- Byl jsem toho názoru, že tato investice představuje příliš velké riziko.
I was of the opinion that this investment represented too great a risk.
Word by Word: Was am of-that of-opinion, that this investment represents too great risk.
The phrase works seamlessly in the past tense by conjugating 'být' into 'byl jsem'.
Common Mistakes
Adding the preposition 'v' (in) before the noun.
Komise je v názoru, že návrh je proveditelný.Komise je toho názoru, že návrh je proveditelný.Learners often incorrectly say 'být v názoru' (literally 'to be in the opinion'), likely influenced by English or other languages. The Czech Language Institute explicitly flags this as incorrect. The phrase relies purely on the genitive case without any prepositions.
Using the accusative case instead of the genitive.
Jsem ten názor, že to nebude fungovat.Jsem toho názoru, že to nebude fungovat.While the verb 'zastávat' (to hold) takes the accusative ('zastávat ten názor'), the verb 'být' in this specific formula requires the genitive of quality ('být toho názoru').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn this formal expression, you need to be comfortable with the present tense of the verb 'být', understand how the genitive case is used to describe a state or quality ('toho názoru'), and know how to link the main clause to a subordinate content clause using 'že'.
Related Patterns
- Genitive of quality
The phrase 'toho názoru' is a classic example of the genitive of quality, describing a characteristic state of the subject.
Level 6 - mít za to, žeFormal Stance Mít Za to
Another highly formal, explicit formula used in legal and academic contexts to state a considered assumption or stance.
Level 6 - býtPresent Tense of Být
The core verb of this pattern is 'být', which must be conjugated correctly to match the subject holding the opinion.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
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