Mit (to have) in Czech

Overview

The verb mit (to have) is one of the most frequently used verbs in Czech. It expresses possession, obligation (in combination with infinitives), and appears in many fixed expressions. Unlike byt, the conjugation of mit follows a relatively regular pattern, making it a good early model for verb forms.

At the A1 level, mit is essential for talking about possessions, family relationships, available time, and basic needs. It also appears in common idiomatic phrases that do not translate literally from English, such as mit pravdu (to be right, literally "to have truth").

The verb takes a direct object in the accusative case, so practicing mit also reinforces accusative forms naturally.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	Form
ja	mam
ty	mas
on/ona/ono	ma
my	mame
vy	mate
oni/ony/ona	maji

Negation

Add ne- prefix: nemam, nemas, nema, nemame, nemate, nemaji.

Common Patterns

1. Possession: Mam psa. (I have a dog.)
2. Time/opportunity: Mas cas? (Do you have time?)
3. Idiomatic expressions: Ma pravdu. (He/She is right.)
4. Obligation (with infinitive): Mam to udelat. (I am supposed to do it.)

Examples in Context

Czech	English	Note
Mam psa.	I have a dog.	Accusative: pes -> psa (animate)
Mas cas?	Do you have time?	Common question
Mame problem.	We have a problem.	Inanimate acc = nominative
Ma pravdu.	He/She is right.	Idiomatic expression
Nemam penize.	I don't have money.	Negation with ne-
Mate deti?	Do you have children?	Formal/plural
Mam rad Prahu.	I like Prague. (m)	mit rad = to like
Maji velky dum.	They have a big house.	Adjective + noun in acc
Mam hlad.	I am hungry.	Literally "I have hunger"
Nemas zac.	You're welcome.	Literally "you don't have for what"

Common Mistakes

Using Nominative Instead of Accusative After Mit

• Wrong: Mam sestra.
• Right: Mam sestru.
• Why: Mit takes a direct object in the accusative. Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u.

Confusing Mit with Byt in Expressions

• Wrong: Jsem hlad. (I am hunger.)
• Right: Mam hlad. (I have hunger / I am hungry.)
• Why: Czech uses mit where English uses "to be" for hunger, thirst, and some other states.

Forgetting the Colloquial Third-Person Plural

• Wrong: Using maji in overly casual speech where maj is common
• Right: Both maji (standard) and maj (colloquial) are used
• Why: In informal speech, the final -i often drops. Be aware of both forms but use maji in writing.

Usage Notes

The expression mit rad/rada (to like) is extremely common and requires gender agreement with the subject, not the object. A male speaker says mam rad, a female speaker says mam rada. This is covered in detail in the related concept on expressing likes.

Practice Tips

1. Inventory exercise: List things you own and form sentences with mam + accusative. Practice both animate and inanimate objects.
2. Question-answer pairs: Practice Mas...? / Ano, mam... / Ne, nemam... with a partner or aloud.
3. Learn the idioms early: Expressions like mit hlad, mit pravdu, mit rad are so common that learning them as fixed phrases accelerates fluency.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns -- subject pronouns used with mit
• Prerequisite: Nominative and Accusative Cases -- mit requires accusative objects