Yes-no question

Level 1

In Czech, you don't need special question words like "do" or "does" to ask a yes-no question. You just use a normal sentence and make your voice go up at the end.

How It Works

Forming yes-no questions in Czech is incredibly straightforward, but it works differently than in English.

  • No question-specific helper verbs: English adds words like "do," "does," or "did" to signal a question (e.g., "Do you know?"). Czech does not. A yes-no question uses the exact same verbs as a normal statement.
  • Word order is flexible: Many textbooks suggest you must put the verb first to make a question. While putting the verb first is very common, it is not required. A question can have the exact same basic statement word order as a regular sentence (e.g., Petr má psa?).
  • Rising intonation is mandatory: Because the word order might be identical to a statement, your voice must rise in pitch at the end of the sentence to show it is a question.
  • Using "že?": You can also turn a statement into a question by adding the tag že? at the end, similar to "right?" or "isn't it?" in English (e.g., Petr je doma, že?).

How to answer:
While you can answer with Ano or Ne (Yes / No) or the very common informal jo (yeah), native speakers frequently answer by echoing the verb. For example, if someone asks Máš čas? (Do you have time?), a natural answer is Mám (I have) or Nemám (I don't have). When echoing the verb, remember to change the verb form to match the person answering (e.g., if asked Máš...?, reply Mám). Also, drop the subject pronoun (say Mám, not Já mám), as the verb ending already shows who is doing the action. In the past tense, you typically echo just the past participle (e.g., Byl jsi tam? - Byl.). Answering with just ano or ne can sometimes sound a bit abrupt or overly formal. Echoing the verb is especially helpful when answering negative questions, as it avoids the confusion of English "yes/no" logic. If someone asks Nemáš čas? (Don't you have time?), answering Mám clearly means "I do have time," and Nemám means "I don't." You can also use the phrase Ale ano! (literally "But yes!") to contradict a negative question, similar to the French "si" or German "doch".

Warning: The informal Czech word no means "yeah" or "well." It does not mean "no"! If you want to refuse, use ne.

Examples (4)

  1. Máš dneska čas?

    Do you have time today?

    Word by Word: Have-you today time?

    A standard yes-no question with the verb at the beginning. Notice there is no word for "do".

  2. Petr je doma?

    Is Petr at home?

    Word by Word: Petr is at-home?

    This has the exact same word order as the statement "Petr je doma." The rising intonation at the end makes it a question.

  3. Maminka se už vrátila?

    Has mom returned already?

    Word by Word: Mom herself already returned?

    Even in a question, the reflexive clitic "se" must stay in the second position of the sentence.

  4. Rozumíte mi?

    Do you understand me?

    Word by Word: Understand-you to-me?

    A natural answer to this would be echoing the verb: "Rozumím" (I understand) or "Nerozumím" (I don't understand).

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to translate the English auxiliary verbs "do" or "does".

    Děláš ty máš čas?
    Máš čas?

    Czech does not use auxiliary verbs to form questions. Just use the main verb and raise your pitch at the end of the sentence.

  • Moving clitics out of the second position when forming a question.

    Učíš česky se?
    Učíš se česky?

    Even in questions, short words called clitics (like se) must strictly remain in the second position of the clause.

  • Using 'no' when you mean 'no'.

    Different MeaningNo.
    Ne. / Nemám.

    'No' is a good Czech word, but it is informal and means 'yeah' or 'well'. To say 'no', use ne or simply negate the verb (Nemám.).

How It Connects

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Yes-no questionLevel 1

Learn This First

To form a yes-no question in Czech, you need to be able to construct a basic declarative sentence using verbs (like 'být' or the '-ám' type) and understand that the answer to such a question will typically involve 'ano' (yes) or 'ne' (no).

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Words in This Pattern

anoanonene