-ím

Present Verbs in -ím

Level 1

To say "I speak" or "I understand" in Czech, you drop the -it or -et/-ět ending from the dictionary form and add -ím. Because the ending tells us exactly who is doing the action, you don't need to say the pronoun "já" (I).

How It Works

Pronunciation rule: Because all endings in this verb group start with a long í (-ím, -íš, -í, -íme, -íte, -í), the consonants d, t, n that come right before them are pronounced as soft ď, ť, ň throughout the entire present tense conjugation. For example, the 'd' in chodit (to walk) is already soft, and it remains soft in chodím, chodíš, etc., all pronounced with a soft "ď".

Dropping the pronoun: Czech is a pro-drop language. You should say Mluvím česky instead of Já mluvím česky. Using já sounds like you are emphasizing "I speak Czech (but someone else doesn't)".

Future meaning: If you conjugate a perfective verb (a verb describing a single completed action) in this way, it actually creates the future tense! For example, dropping the -it ending from koupit (to buy) and adding the suffix gives you koupím (I will buy).

Watch out: Watch out for certain short one-syllable verbs ending in -ít (with a long í), like pít (to drink) or žít (to live). These belong to a different group and take different endings (e.g., piju, žiju).

Examples (5)

  1. Mluvím trochu česky.

    I speak a little Czech.

    Word by Word: Speak-(I) little Czech.

    The -ím ending clearly shows that "I" am the one speaking, so no pronoun is needed.

  2. Nerozumím, co říkáš.

    I don't understand what you are saying.

    Word by Word: Not-understand-(I), what say-(you).

    The negative prefix ne- attaches directly to the front of the conjugated verb.

  3. Prosím tě o pomoc.

    I am asking you for help.

    Word by Word: Ask-(I) you for help.

    This is the literal use of the verb prosit (to ask/request), which is also the origin of the word "prosím" (please).

  4. Chodím do práce pěšky.

    I walk to work.

    Word by Word: Walk-(I) to work on-foot.

    Notice the pronunciation: the 'd' in chodím remains a soft 'ď' sound, just as it is in the infinitive chodit.

  5. Zítra to koupím.

    I will buy it tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow it buy-(I).

    Because 'koupit' is a perfective verb, adding the -ím ending creates a future meaning ("I will buy").

Common Mistakes

  • Overusing the pronoun "já" (I).

    Different MeaningJá mluvím česky a já rozumím dobře.
    Mluvím česky a rozumím dobře.

    The ending -ím already means "I". Using "já" in every sentence sounds unnatural and overly emphatic to native speakers. The sentence with 'já' is correct, it just adds emphasis.

  • Confusing the "I" form with the "they" form.

    Oni mluvím anglicky.
    Oni mluví anglicky.

    The "I" form ends in -ím, while the "they" (and sometimes "he/she") form ends in -í. Don't forget the final -m when talking about yourself!

  • Applying the wrong verb class ending.

    Prosu tě o pomoc.
    Prosím tě o pomoc.

    Beginners often mix up verb groups. Verbs like prosit and mluvit take -ím, not -u (which is for verbs like číst) or -ám (which is for verbs like dělat).

How It Connects

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

-ímLevel 1Present Verbs in -ím

Learn This First

To learn the -ím verb conjugation, you first need to understand how personal pronouns function as subjects and how basic Czech verb conjugation works using the -ám type as a foundation. You should also be familiar with how to negate verbs.

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