Second-position clitics

Level 3

In Czech, certain unstressed words called clitics (příklonky) must always go in the second position of a clause. These include short pronouns (like ho, mi), reflexives (se, si), and auxiliary verbs (jsem, bych). They attach immediately after the first stressed block of information.

How It Works

While Czech is famous for its flexible word order, clitic placement is highly strict. The verb can move around for emphasis, but clitics stay anchored in slot two.

Key Rules:

  • Never start a sentence with a clitic. Because they have no stress, they must lean on the word before them.
  • Subject drop (pro-drop). Because Czech frequently drops subject pronouns, the verb itself often becomes the first position by default. This is why clitics frequently appear directly after the verb.
  • Don't glue them to the verb. Unlike in some languages, Czech clitics belong to the clause, not the verb. Even if the verb is placed later in the sentence, the clitics still stay in the second position.
  • Watch out for conjunctions. Certain coordinating conjunctions (specifically a, i, ale, nebo) are 'invisible' to the second-position rule, meaning the clitic goes after the first syntactic constituent (which can be a multi-word phrase) following the conjunction. However, subordinating conjunctions (like že, protože) count as the first position. Additionally, when the conditional clitic by follows certain subordinating conjunctions or adverbs, they fuse into a single word (e.g., kdy + by = kdyby). Note that aby (so that) functions as a distinct subordinating conjunction today; to say 'and I would', you cannot simply write a bych. Because a is invisible to the second position, a host word must go between a and bych for the clitic to lean on (e.g., A já bych šel or A šel bych). Similarly, the second-person singular auxiliary jsi must fuse with reflexive clitics (jsi + se = ses; jsi + si = sis) and with conjunctions or conditionals (e.g., aby + jsi = abys; kdyby + jsi = kdybys; že + jsi = žes).
  • Use short pronouns when available. For pronouns that have both short and long forms (like mi vs. mně or ho vs. jeho), only the short forms act as clitics. Pronouns with only one form (like nám, vám, or jim) can function as either clitics or regular words depending on the sentence. Long pronouns are used for emphasis or after prepositions and do not follow the second-position rule.

For example, in the sentence Zítra se mu omluvím (I will apologize to him tomorrow), Zítra is the first position, se mu is the clitic cluster in the second position, and the verb simply follows the cluster in this specific case. To understand the specific elements of the cluster, you can explore auxiliary and conditional clitics in the cluster or reflexive clitics in the cluster.

Examples (4)

  1. Zítra se mu omluvím.

    I will apologize to him tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow myself to-him I-will-apologize.

    The first position is the adverb 'Zítra'. The clitics 'se' (reflexive) and 'mu' (dative) take the second position, followed by the verb.

  2. Můj starý kamarád by si to nekoupil.

    My old friend wouldn't buy it.

    Word by Word: My old friend would to-himself it not-buy.

    The first position is the entire noun phrase 'Můj starý kamarád'. The clitic cluster 'by si to' (conditional + reflexive + accusative) follows it as a single block.

  3. Líbí se mi to.

    I like it.

    Word by Word: Pleases itself to-me it.

    Here, the verb 'Líbí' takes the first position, immediately followed by the clitics 'se mi'.

  4. Říkal, že jsem se mu to snažil vysvětlit.

    He said that I tried to explain it to him.

    Word by Word: He-said, that I-am myself to-him it tried to-explain.

    In the subordinate clause, the conjunction 'že' is the first position. It is followed by a full clitic cluster: 'jsem' (aux) + 'se' (refl) + 'mu' (dat) + 'to' (acc).

Common Mistakes

  • Starting a sentence with a clitic.

    Se mi to líbí.
    Líbí se mi to.

    Clitics have no word stress and must lean on a preceding word. They can never be the first word in a sentence.

  • Gluing the clitic to the verb instead of the second position.

    Já na to se nedívám.
    Já se na to nedívám.

    Clitics attach to the second position of the clause, not to the verb itself. Here, 'Já' is the first position, so the clitic 'se' must immediately follow it.

  • Treating the second position as strictly the 'second word'.

    Můj by si starý kamarád to nekoupil.
    Můj starý kamarád by si to nekoupil.

    The first position is the first syntactic constituent (a whole phrase), not just the first isolated word. 'Můj starý kamarád' acts as a single block.

How It Connects

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Second-position cliticsLevel 3

Learn This First

To understand the second-position clitic rule (Wackernagel's Law), learners must first be familiar with the specific words that function as clitics in Czech, including the past tense auxiliary, short object pronouns, and reflexive particles.

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