který

Relative Pronoun Který

Level 3

Který translates to who, which, or that. It is the everyday workhorse relative pronoun in Czech, used to introduce a relative clause that describes a specific noun in the main sentence.

How It Works

When using který, you must follow strict punctuation and syntax rules:

1. The Mandatory Comma: A relative clause introduced by který must always be preceded by a comma. If the relative clause is embedded in the middle of a main clause, it must be enclosed by commas on both sides (e.g., Ten dům, ve kterém bydlím, je velmi starý. = The house in which I live is very old.). Crucially, if který is governed by a preposition, the comma must be placed before the preposition, not directly before který.

2. No Preposition Stranding: The preposition must immediately precede the relative pronoun. You cannot leave the preposition at the end of the sentence like in English.

3. Který vs. Ten: English uses 'that' both to point (that car) and to link (the car that I bought). Czech separates these roles: ten points, while který links. However, they are very frequently paired together to point to and describe a specific noun (e.g., To je ten muž, který... = That is the man who...).

4. Masculine Accusative Split: When který is in the accusative case referring to a masculine noun, it changes based on animacy. For animate nouns (people/animals), use kterého (e.g., muž, kterého znám = the man whom I know). For inanimate nouns (objects/concepts), use který (e.g., film, který znám = the film which I know).

5. People vs. Things: Který is the standard relative pronoun for both people and things when modifying a noun. However, standard Czech DOES use kdo (for people) and co (for things) when the antecedent is a pronoun (e.g., ten, kdo... = the one who... or to, co... = that which...). In informal, spoken Czech, co is widely used as an invariable relative pronoun for both people and things even after nouns (e.g., ten kluk, co bydlí vedle = the boy who lives next door). Note that if the relative pronoun would normally be governed by a preposition, spoken Czech using co requires a resumptive pronoun (e.g., ten dům, co v něm bydlím = the house that I live in, instead of ve kterém bydlím).

6. Formal Equivalent: In highly formal or literary texts, you may encounter jenž as an equivalent to který. While you don't need to use it in everyday speech, it is useful to recognize it when reading.

Examples (4)

  1. Muž, který přišel, je můj soused.

    The man who came is my neighbor.

    Word by Word: Man, who came, is my neighbor.

    Nominative case: 'který' is the subject of the relative clause ('who came'). It is masculine animate singular to match 'muž'.

  2. Kniha, kterou jsem koupil, je výborná.

    The book that I bought is excellent.

    Word by Word: Book, which [I] bought, is excellent.

    Accusative case: 'kterou' is the direct object of 'koupil' (bought). It is feminine singular to match 'kniha'.

  3. Dům, ve kterém bydlím, potřebuje opravu.

    The house I live in needs repairs.

    Word by Word: House, in which [I] live, needs repair.

    Locative case: 'kterém' is governed by the preposition 'v' (in). Notice how the preposition moves to the front of the relative clause.

  4. To jsou ty ženy, kterým jsme pomohli.

    Those are the women we helped.

    Word by Word: It are those women, to whom [we] helped.

    Dative case: 'kterým' is the indirect object of 'pomohli' (helped). It is feminine plural to match 'ženy'.

Common Mistakes

  • Copying the case of the main noun instead of using the case required by the relative clause.

    Vidím toho muže, kterého tam stojí.
    Vidím toho muže, který tam stojí.

    The man is the direct object (accusative) in the main clause, but he is the subject (nominative) of the relative clause ('who stands there'). Therefore, 'který' must be nominative.

  • Leaving the preposition at the end of the relative clause (preposition stranding).

    To je to město, které bydlím v.
    To je to město, ve kterém bydlím.

    Czech does not allow preposition stranding. The preposition must be moved to the front of the relative clause, immediately before 'který'.

  • Dropping the relative pronoun entirely, as is common in English.

    Kniha čtu je zajímavá.
    Kniha, kterou čtu, je zajímavá.

    Unlike English, Czech strictly requires the relative pronoun to connect the clauses. It cannot be omitted, and you must include the comma.

How It Connects

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

kterýLevel 3Relative Pronoun Který

Learn This First

To use the relative pronoun 'který', a learner must understand how Czech adjectives and pronouns agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. Since 'který' declines like a hard adjective, familiarity with hard adjective endings is necessary. Additionally, the learner must be able to identify the antecedent in the main clause and determine the grammatical role (case) of the pronoun within the relative clause.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

který