mít

The verb mít is incredibly versatile in Czech. Here are its main uses:

• Possession: Used to say you own something. The object you have must be in the accusative case. For example, feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u (kniha → knihu).
• Physical and Mental States: Where English uses "to be," Czech often uses mít + noun. For example, mám hlad literally means "I have hunger" (I am hungry), mám strach means "I am afraid," and mám pravdu means "I am right" (literally "I have truth"). Other common expressions include mít čas (to have time), mít štěstí (to be lucky), and mít smůlu (to be unlucky).
• Well-being: Combined with the reflexive pronoun se, it expresses how you are doing, like in the greeting Jak se máš?
• Affection: The phrase mít rád means "to like" (a lasting fondness for a person, place, or thing). Note that rád is a short adjective (predicative adjective) and must agree with the gender and number of the subject using short endings: rád (masculine), ráda (feminine), rádo (neuter), rádi (masculine animate plural), rády (feminine and masculine inanimate plural, notably including děti - children), and ráda (neuter plural). Also, remember that short object pronouns (like tě) must go in the second position of the sentence, splitting the phrase. For example, "I like you" is Mám tě rád (or Mám tě ráda), not Mám rád tě. Important contrast: English speakers often overuse mít rád. Use mít rád for lasting fondness and general food preferences (e.g., Mám rád pizzu = I like pizza). For physical attraction or aesthetic appeal, use líbit se (e.g., Líbí se mi to = I like it). For the actual sensory experience of tasting or smelling, use chutnat or vonět (e.g., Chutná mi to = It tastes good to me; Voní mi to = It smells good to me).
• Clothing/Wearing: The phrase mít na sobě is used to express what someone is wearing (e.g., mám na sobě bundu = I am wearing a jacket).
• Soft Obligation: When followed by an infinitive verb, it means "supposed to" or "should" (e.g., mám pracovat = I am supposed to work).

False Friend Warning: Do not use mít to express age. While some languages say "I have 20 years," Czech uses the verb být (to be) with a dative pronoun, such as je mi dvacet let (I am twenty years old).

Note on Pronouns: Czech usually drops subject pronouns like já (I) or ty (you) because the verb ending already tells us who is doing the action. Saying já mám sounds unnatural unless you are specifically emphasizing "I" in contrast to someone else.