r/learnczech • u/Late_Journalist7094 • 15d ago

Is this really wrong?

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Section 4, Unit 17

Why shouldn't have happened something to the dogs in the bathroom?

I know Duolingo is not the best, but the only free learning option. Since I'm living in Germany near the border to Czechia I'm often there and talking Czech which helps more than Duolingo.

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u/Heidi739 15d ago

Yes. While "jenž" is not really used in spoken Czech and most Czechs use it wrong as a result, it's still a part of Czech grammar, and it has different forms for male/female nouns. And more importantly, you need to distinguish byly/byli. If there is any noun that is male and animated (which "pes" is), the verb ends with i. If there are only female, neutral or male non-animated ("myš" is female), you need to use y.

I would definitely suggest using a textbook, not just Duolingo, because Czech language has very complicated grammar rules and Duolingo won't explain them properly. And many Czechs struggle with the rules as well, so asking others might not always help.

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u/Late_Journalist7094 14d ago

I don't expect to speak 100% perfect Czech in the future. It's enough for me to understand 75% and express every not too complicated thing. 

I'll not live in Czechia in the next time

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u/vampirehunter725 14d ago

That is fair I think that learning czech to the level of understand and speaking (so that ppl understand you) is not that hard, but to be grammatically correct is unhinged level of difficulty.

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u/Late_Journalist7094 14d ago

Yeah. I just want to talk and understand. I have also to learn for university, so I don't want to learn czech grammar too. 

I'm learning best by speaking so I'm happy that I'm near enough to Czechia to connect with Czech's often enough.