stran + Genitive

Formal Preposition Stran

Level 6

The word stran is a highly formal secondary preposition meaning 'regarding', 'concerning', or 'in the matter of'. It is followed by the genitive case and is used almost exclusively in official, legal, administrative, or literary texts.

How It Works

1. Grammatical Rules
Stran attaches directly to a noun phrase in the genitive case. It is a secondary preposition (nevlastní předložka), meaning it evolved from a noun but now functions as a preposition. A very common and useful collocation is stran toho (regarding that / concerning that), which is used to refer back to a previously mentioned topic (e.g., Stran toho se ještě domluvíme. = We will agree on that later).

2. Register and Usage
This preposition is classified as knižní (bookish) and often zastaralé (archaic or obsolete). You will encounter it in older texts, legal documents, official correspondence, and formal journalism. Using it in casual emails or spoken Czech sounds comically stiff or absurdly bureaucratic.

3. Important Distinctions

  • Stran vs. Noun: Do not confuse the preposition stran with the genitive plural noun stran (of the parties/sides), as in dohoda obou stran (agreement of both parties). As a preposition, it stands before a noun to mean 'regarding' (e.g., dohoda stran ceny = agreement regarding the price).
  • Stran vs. Ze strany: Stran indicates the topic (regarding), while ze strany indicates the agent or source (on the part of / from the side of).

4. Common Alternatives
Because stran is highly formal, everyday Czech prefers other expressions for 'regarding' or 'concerning'. These include ohledně, co se týče, the preposition k (e.g., k vaší žádosti = regarding your request), or the formal phrase ve věci + genitive (e.g., ve věci vaší stížnosti = in the matter of your complaint).

Examples (4)

  1. Domluvili jsme se stran ceny.

    We came to an agreement regarding the price.

    Word by Word: Agreed we reflexive regarding price.

    A standard formal sentence where 'stran' introduces the topic of the agreement.

  2. Stran financování nebylo dosud rozhodnuto.

    Concerning financing, no decision has been made yet.

    Word by Word: Regarding financing was-not yet decided.

    A typical bureaucratic or journalistic phrasing.

  3. Soud vydal usnesení stran péče o nezletilé dítě.

    The court issued a resolution regarding the care of the minor child.

    Word by Word: Court issued resolution regarding care about minor child.

    Legal documents frequently use 'stran' to specify the subject matter of a ruling.

  4. Barbikan pronesl některé vysvětlující poznámky stran příčin a následků.

    Barbican made some explanatory remarks regarding the causes and consequences.

    Word by Word: Barbican pronounced some explanatory remarks regarding causes and consequences.

    An attested literary example showing its use in older or highly formal texts.

Common Mistakes

  • Register mismatch (using 'stran' in casual conversation)

    Different MeaningAhoj, volám ti stran toho včerejšího piva.
    Ahoj, volám ti ohledně toho včerejšího piva.

    Advanced learners sometimes memorize 'stran' as a direct translation for 'regarding' and use it in casual speech. To native speakers, this sounds absurdly bureaucratic. Use 'ohledně' or 'kvůli' in everyday situations.

  • Adding a comma before the preposition

    Byli jsme informováni, stran nového projektu.
    Byli jsme informováni stran nového projektu.

    Because it translates to phrases like 'as regards', learners sometimes mistakenly treat it as a conjunction or an inserted clause and place a comma before it. It is a simple preposition and does not take a comma.

How It Connects

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

stran + GenitiveLevel 6Formal Preposition Stran

Learn This First

To understand 'stran + genitiv', a learner must be comfortable with the genitive case endings for nouns and adjectives. It is also helpful to understand the concept of topic-framing prepositions (like 'ohledně') before moving to this highly formal variant.

Words in This Pattern

stran