Dative + je + Adverb

How Someone Feels

Level 2

Je mi zima. I'm cold (literally, it is cold to me). Je mu zle. He feels sick.

How It Works

Common words

  • Je mi zima. I'm cold.
  • Je mi teplo. I'm warm.
  • Je mi horúco. I'm hot.
  • Je mi zle. I feel sick.
  • Je mi dobre. I feel fine.
  • Je mi lepšie. I feel better.
  • Je mi smutno. I feel sad.
  • Je mi ľúto. I'm sorry.

Past and future. The verb stays neuter singular: Bolo mi zima. (I was cold.) Bude ti lepšie. (You'll feel better.)

Other people. Use any dative pronoun or noun: Je jej zima. Deťom je teplo. Babke je lepšie.

Word order. The neutral order is Je mi zima. Mi cannot start the sentence. For contrast, start with the long form: Mne je zima, a tebe? (I'm cold, and you?)

Two useful phrases. Je mi to ľúto means I'm sorry about it, as sympathy or regret; for an apology, say Prepáč. Je mi to jedno means it's all the same to me.

Adjectives work differently. Words that describe you, like tired or happy, use som with an adjective: Som unavený. (I'm tired.) Compare the subjectless Sentences Without a Subject.

Examples (6)

  1. Je mi zima.

    I'm cold.

    Word by Word: Is to-me cold.

  2. Je mu zle.

    He feels sick.

  3. Je mi ľúto, že si chorý.

    I'm sorry you're ill.

  4. Nie je ti zima?

    Aren't you cold?

  5. Včera mi bolo zle.

    I felt sick yesterday.

    In the past, the verb is always bolo.

  6. Je mi to jedno.

    It's all the same to me.

Common Mistakes

  • Translating I am cold word for word.

    Som zima.
    Je mi zima.

    Som zima would mean I am winter. The person who feels is in the dative: je mi zima.

  • Starting the sentence with mi.

    Mi je zima.
    Je mi zima.

    Mi is unstressed and cannot come first. Say Je mi zima, or Mne je zima for emphasis.

  • Making the past tense agree with the person.

    Včera mi bol zle.
    Včera mi bolo zle.

    There is no subject, so the past tense is always neuter: bolo.

How It Connects

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

Dative + je + AdverbLevel 2How Someone Feels

Learn This First

Before How Someone Feels, learn Dative Pronouns and Present Tense of byť. The person who feels is in the dative: Je mi zima. The sentence uses je, a form of byť.

Words in This Pattern

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