Similar to English, Czech has a three-level system of demonstrative pronouns.
the – this – that
For example, “ten” (masculine) changes differently in different cases: “toho” (genitive – 2th case), “tomu” (dative – 3. case), etc.
The first table shows the basic meaning of “the”.
| singular | plural | |||||
| case | masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| 1. kdo, co | ten | ta | to | ti , ty | ty | ta |
| 2. koho, čeho | toho | té | toho | těch | těch | těch |
| 3. komu, čemu | tomu | té | tomu | těm | těm | těm |
| 4. koho, co | toho, ten | tu | to | ty | ty | ta |
| 6. kom, čem | tom | té | tom | těch | těch | těch |
| 7. kým, čím | tím | tou | tím | těmi | těmi | těmi |
The second table shows the equivalent of “this” (i.e. something close to us).
THIS in Czech is formed by adding -TO (or -HLE) in the case of THIS or by putting TEN- at the beginning of the word in the case of THAT.
Examples
Nominative (who? what?):
– Masculine: “Tento muž je vysoký.” (This man is tall.)
– Feminine: “Tato žena je vysoká.” (This woman is tall.)
– Neuter: “Toto auto je rychlé.” (This car is fast.)
| case | masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| 1. | tento | tato | toto | tito, tyto | tyto | tato |
| 2. | tohoto | této | tohoto | těchto | těchto | těchto |
| 3. | tomuto | této | tomuto | těmto | těmto | těmto |
| 4. | tohoto, tento | tuto | toto | tyto | tyto | tato |
| 6. | tomto | této | tomto | těchto | těchto | těchto |
| 7. | tímto | touto | tímto | těmito | těmito | těmito |
THAT in Czech is formed by adding TEN- at the beginning of the word:
| case | masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| 1. | tamten |
tamta | tamto | tamti, tamty | tamty | tamta |
| 2. | tamtoho | tamté | tamtoho | tamtěch | tamtěch | tamtěch |
| 3. | tamtomu | tamté | tamtomu | tamtěm | tamtěm | tamtěm |
| 4. | tamtoho, tamten | tamtu | tamto | tamty | tamty | tamta |
| 6. | tamtom | tamté | tamtom | tamtěch | tamtěch | tamtěch |
| 7. | tamtím | tamtou | tamtím | tamtěmi | tamtěmi | tamtěmi |
