First-person plural imperative

Level 2

The Czech equivalent of "Let's..." is formed by adding a specific suffix to the present tense stem of a verb. It includes both the speaker and the listener in a joint proposal.

How It Works

Formation Rules:

  • Single-consonant stems: Add -me (nes-ou → nesme). This includes -ovat verbs, whose stem ends in the single consonant j (pracuj-í → pracujme). Note that stems ending in d, t, n soften to ď, ť, ň before this ending (plat-í → plaťme, vstan-ou → vstaňme). Additionally, long vowels in the stem frequently shorten (koup-í → kupme, vrát-í → vraťme).
  • Consonant-cluster stems: Add -ěme / -eme (začn-ou → začněme). Use -ěme after the consonants b, p, v, f, m, d, t, n. This softens d, t, n into ď, ť, ň in pronunciation, but because the letter ě automatically indicates this soft pronunciation, no háček is written. Due to Czech orthographic rules, after any other consonant (such as l, r, ř), you must write -eme. Exception: Stems ending in the specific clusters -st, -zd, -št, -žd do not add a vowel. Instead, they take the -me ending and soften the final consonant to ť or ď (e.g., pust-í → pusťme, jezd-í → jezďme, rost-ou → rosťme). Spelling Trap: Watch out for the single-letter difference between the indicative (začneme - we will begin) and the imperative (začněme! - let's begin!).
  • Verbs ending in -ají: Add -ejme (děl-ají → dělejme).

Common Irregular Forms:
Several irregular verbs are extremely common: buďme (let's be), jezme (let's eat), pojďme (let's go on foot / general 'come on'), dejme (si) (let's have/give), and nechme (let's leave/let).

Clitic Placement:
Reflexive pronouns (si, se) and short object pronouns (to, ho) strictly follow the second-position rule. If the imperative is the first word in the clause, they follow it (e.g., Udělejme to! - Let's do it!). If another word starts the clause, they precede the imperative (e.g., Zítra to udělejme! - Let's do it tomorrow!).

Negative Suggestions:
To say "Let's not," add the ne- prefix. There is a strong preference for imperfective verbs in negative commands (e.g., nedělejme to - let's not do it).

How Native Speakers Actually Say "Let's":
While synthetic forms like čtěme (let's read) are standard and neutral, casual spoken Czech often prefers the analytic construction pojďme + infinitiv (pojďme číst) or simply uses the perfective present with future meaning. These perfective suggestions are very frequently framed as questions with rising intonation to soften the proposal (e.g., Přečteme si to? - Shall we read it? / Let's read it).

Examples (5)

  1. Pojďme na pivo, mám hroznou žízeň.

    Let's go for a beer, I'm terribly thirsty.

    Word by Word: Let's go onto beer, I have terrible thirst.

    The irregular imperative 'pojďme' is the most common way to say 'let's go' and is completely natural in everyday speech.

  2. Udělejme si přestávku.

    Let's take a break.

    Word by Word: Let's make to ourselves break.

    A standard synthetic imperative formed from the present stem of 'udělat'.

  3. Začněme, ať to máme co nejdřív za sebou.

    Let's start, so we get it over with as soon as possible.

    Word by Word: Let's start, let it we have what earliest behind ourselves.

    Shows the '-ěme' ending attaching to a consonant cluster, which softens the preceding 'n' to an 'ň' sound.

  4. Buďme k sobě upřímní.

    Let's be honest with each other.

    Word by Word: Let's be to ourselves honest.

    The imperative 'buďme' (from být) is highly frequent in normal conversation. It is formed regularly from the 3rd-person plural stem 'bud-ou', with the 'd' softening to 'ď' before the '-me' ending.

  5. Pojďme se učit.

    Let's study.

    Word by Word: Let's go ourselves to study.

    This analytic construction (pojďme + infinitive) is the preferred, natural way to say 'let's [do something]' in modern spoken Czech.

Common Mistakes

  • Translating 'let's' with 'nechat'.

    Different MeaningNech nás jít do kina.
    Pojďme do kina.

    Nech nás jít is good Czech, but it asks someone to let us go ('allow us to go'). To suggest 'let's go' to the group, use pojďme, as in the right sentence.

  • Using the present indicative when you mean 'let's'.

    Different MeaningZačneme to hned!
    Začněme to hned! / Pojďme to začít hned.

    'Začneme to hned!' is a good sentence that states a fact: 'We will start right away.' To propose 'let's begin', use the imperative začněme, or pojďme + infinitive. Watch the spelling: začněme has ě.

  • Attaching the imperative ending to the infinitive instead of the present stem.

    Zpívatme tu píseň.
    Zpívejme tu píseň. / Pojďme zpívat tu píseň.

    The imperative is always formed from the present tense stem (found via the 3rd-person plural), never from the infinitive.

How It Connects

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First-person plural imperativeLevel 2

Learn This First

To form the first-person plural imperative (e.g., 'dělejme', 'mluvme', 'pojďme'), learners must first be familiar with the present tense conjugation of various verb types to identify the correct stem, as well as the irregular forms of high-frequency verbs like 'jít'.