Neuter accusative same as nominative

Level 1

In Czech, neuter words look exactly the same whether they are the subject (nominative) or the direct object (accusative).

How It Works

When learning the Czech accusative case, you might expect every word to change its ending. However, words of the neuter gender are a welcome exception!

The Rule:
For all neuter nouns, the accusative form is 100% identical to the nominative form. This applies to both the singular and the plural paradigms.

Modifiers stay the same too:
Any word describing the neuter noun—like adjectives, possessive pronouns, or the demonstrative pronoun to—also remains completely unchanged.

  • To je dobré pivo. (That is good beer. — Subject)
  • Piju to dobré pivo. (I am drinking that good beer. — Object)

Don't overcomplicate it:
Because beginners learn that feminine nouns change from -a to -u (like the feminine accusative), they often try to change neuter nouns ending in -o to -u as well. Remember: if it's a neuter noun or modifier, leave it alone! Also, neuter pronouns like co (what), něco (something), nic (nothing), and všechno (everything) follow this no-change rule and remain exactly the same as direct objects. Just keep in mind that this rule does not apply to the standalone personal pronoun ono (it), which changes to ho or je when used as a direct object, and to ně or něj after a preposition.

Watch out for irregular plurals:
Be careful with the highly common word dítě (child). While it is neuter in the singular, it becomes feminine in the plural (děti). Therefore, you must use feminine plural modifiers for it (e.g., Vidím ty malé děti, not ta malá děti). The words oko (eye) and ucho (ear) also change to feminine in the plural, but only when referring to biological body parts (eyes and ears). Fortunately, despite becoming feminine, their nominative and accusative plural forms remain identical, so the 'no-change' concept still practically applies.

Examples (4)

  1. Kupuju to nové auto.

    I am buying that new car.

    Word by Word: I-buy that new car.

    The pronoun 'to', the adjective 'nové', and the noun 'auto' all remain in their basic nominative forms.

  2. Piju české pivo.

    I am drinking Czech beer.

    Word by Word: I-drink Czech beer.

    Even though 'pivo' is the direct object of the verb 'pít', it does not change its ending.

  3. Rád navštěvuji ta stará města.

    I like visiting those old cities.

    Word by Word: Gladly I-visit those old cities.

    The rule applies to the plural as well. The neuter plural ending '-a' stays exactly the same.

  4. Vidím malé kuře.

    I see a small chicken.

    Word by Word: I-see small chicken.

    This applies to neuter nouns ending in -e/-ě as well.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying the feminine -u ending to neuter nouns ending in -o.

    Vidím autu.
    Vidím auto.

    Because feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the accusative, learners often mistakenly apply this to neuter nouns ending in -o. Neuter nouns never change in the accusative.

  • Changing the neuter pronoun 'to' into the feminine 'tu'.

    Chci tu pivo.
    Chci to pivo.

    The demonstrative pronoun 'to' remains 'to' in the accusative. 'Tu' is only used for feminine nouns.

How It Connects

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Neuter accusative same as nominativeLevel 1

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