Verb-Preposition Collocations in Czech

Slovesné Vazby

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In Brief

Many Czech verbs select a particular preposition and case, and the whole combination must be learned as one unit: myslet na + accusative (“think of”), mluvit o + locative (“talk about”), and záležet na + locative (“depend on”). The Czech preposition may differ from its English counterpart, and even the same preposition can require a different case with a different verb.

Overview

A verb-preposition collocation is a conventional pairing such as English “wait for” or “believe in.” In Czech, the pairing contains one more piece of information: the case, meaning the form a noun, adjective, or pronoun takes to show its role. For example, na is followed by the accusative (the fourth case) in čekat na autobus, but by the locative (the sixth case) in záležet na počasí.

These combinations are often called slovesné vazby in Czech. Vazba means a verb’s “link” or grammatical pattern; linguists also use valency for the set of elements a verb requires or permits. At B2, knowing the verb alone is no longer enough. You need to know whether Czech says o něčem, na něco, s něčím, or perhaps uses no preposition at all.

English can help you understand the meaning, but it is an unreliable guide to the Czech structure. English “think of,” “talk about,” and “depend on” all use different prepositions; Czech uses na, o, and na respectively—and the two instances of na govern different cases. Treat every combination as a vocabulary item with grammar attached.

How It Works

Learn three parts together

Record each pattern in this form:

verb (including se/si) + preposition + required case

For example:

myslet na + accusative — think of, have in mind
mluvit o + locative — talk about
záležet na + locative — depend on
těšit se na + accusative — look forward to

The noun after the preposition must carry the required case ending. Any adjective or demonstrative belonging to that noun changes with it:

myslet na nový projekt — think about the new project (accusative)
mluvit o novém projektu — talk about the new project (locative)

The phrase refers to the same project, but nový projekt becomes novém projektu because the governing combination has changed.

High-value patterns by preposition and case

The following groups are useful for organising your vocabulary. They are learning patterns, not rules that let you predict every new verb.

Pattern	Required case	Typical meaning	Common combinations
na + accusative	accusative (4th)	target of attention, expectation, or reaction	myslet na, čekat na, těšit se na, vzpomínat na, reagovat na, zapomenout na
na + locative	locative (6th)	dependence or insistence	záležet na, trvat na
o + locative	locative (6th)	topic of speech or thought	mluvit o, přemýšlet o, diskutovat o
o + accusative	accusative (4th)	something sought, requested, or cared for	prosit o, požádat o, starat se o, zajímat se o, bojovat o
s + instrumental	instrumental (7th)	association, agreement, or something anticipated	souhlasit s, setkat se s, počítat s
k + dative	dative (3rd)	relation, contribution, or result	patřit k, přispět k, vést k
proti + dative	dative (3rd)	opposition	protestovat proti, bojovat proti
před + instrumental	instrumental (7th)	protection or warning	chránit před, varovat před
v + locative	locative (6th)	basis, area, or prevented activity	spočívat v, vyznat se v, bránit v
v + accusative	accusative (4th)	object of belief	věřit v
pro + accusative	accusative (4th)	choice or preference	rozhodnout se pro, hlasovat pro

A preposition’s concrete spatial meaning does not determine the case in these abstract combinations. In těšit se na prázdniny, the accusative does not express physical movement “onto” the holidays. It is simply part of the pattern selected by těšit se na.

Pronouns after the preposition

Pronouns make the governing case especially visible. Czech uses stressed forms after prepositions, not the short unstressed forms such as mi or ho. Third-person pronouns normally gain an initial n- after a preposition.

Meaning	After na/o + accusative	After na/o + locative	After s + instrumental
me	na mě	o mně	se mnou
you (singular, informal)	na tebe	o tobě	s tebou
him/it (masculine)	na něj	o něm	s ním
her	na ni	o ní	s ní
us	na nás	o nás	s námi
you (plural/formal)	na vás	o vás	s vámi
them	na ně	o nich	s nimi

This gives three easily confused but very useful sentences:

Myslím na tebe. — I’m thinking of you. (accusative)
Mluvím o tobě. — I’m talking about you. (locative)
Souhlasím s tebou. — I agree with you. (instrumental)

For “it/that,” to changes in the same way: na to (accusative), o tom or na tom (locative), and s tím (instrumental).

Keep se as part of the verb

Several common collocations contain the reflexive particle se: těšit se na, starat se o, zajímat se o, setkat se s, and rozhodnout se pro. Here se is part of the dictionary pattern and usually cannot simply be removed.

The particle is an unstressed clitic (a short word that leans on another word for pronunciation), so it normally appears in the second-position group of its clause:

Těším se na víkend. — I’m looking forward to the weekend.
Na víkend se opravdu těším. — I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

The prepositional phrase can move for emphasis, while se follows Czech clitic placement rather than staying beside the infinitive at all costs.

Questions preserve the preposition and case

The selected preposition remains present when you ask a question. The question word also takes the required case form.

Czech question	English	Underlying pattern
Na koho čekáš?	Who are you waiting for?	čekat na + accusative
Na co myslíš?	What are you thinking of?	myslet na + accusative
O kom mluvíte?	Who are you talking about?	mluvit o + locative
Na čem záleží?	What does it depend on?	záležet na + locative
S kým souhlasíš?	Who do you agree with?	souhlasit s + instrumental

English often leaves its preposition at the end—“Who are you waiting for?” Czech normally places the preposition directly before kdo/co: na koho, not a literal copy of the English order.

Examples in Context

Czech	English	Note
Myslím na tebe.	I’m thinking of you.	na + accusative
Mluvíme o tom.	We’re talking about it.	o + locative
Záleží na tobě.	It depends on you.	na + locative
Těšíme se na prázdniny.	We’re looking forward to the vacation.	reflexive verb; na + accusative
Čekám na kolegu před kavárnou.	I’m waiting for a colleague outside the café.	masculine animate accusative: kolegu
Zajímá se o moderní dějiny.	She is interested in modern history.	o + accusative
Požádali jsme souseda o pomoc.	We asked the neighbour for help.	person without a preposition; requested thing with o
Souhlasím s tebou, ale ne se vším.	I agree with you, but not with everything.	s + instrumental
Počítáme s vaší účastí.	We are counting on your attendance.	s + instrumental
To patří k mé práci.	That is part of my job.	k + dative
Ředitel trvá na svém rozhodnutí.	The director insists on his decision.	na + locative
Rozhodli jsme se pro levnější variantu.	We chose the cheaper option.	pro + accusative
Věřím v lepší budoucnost.	I believe in a better future.	v + accusative
Lékaři varují před tímto rizikem.	Doctors warn against this risk.	před + instrumental
Dobrá příprava přispěla k našemu úspěchu.	Good preparation contributed to our success.	k + dative

Common Mistakes

Copying the English preposition

Wrong: Čekám pro autobus.
Right: Čekám na autobus.
Why: English “wait for” corresponds to Czech čekat na + accusative. Translate the meaning, not the individual preposition.

Learning the preposition but not the case

Wrong: Záleží na dobré počasí.
Right: Záleží na dobrém počasí.
Why: záležet na takes the locative, while čekat na takes the accusative: Čekáme na dobré počasí. Store the case with the complete verb pattern.

Using short pronoun forms after a preposition

Wrong: Myslím na tě. / Mluvím o ho.
Right: Myslím na tebe. / Mluvím o něm.
Why: A preposition requires the full pronoun form. Third-person forms normally add n- after it: něj, něm, ní, nich.

Dropping the reflexive particle

Wrong: Těším na dovolenou.
Right: Těším se na dovolenou.
Why: “Look forward to” is the complete pattern těšit se na + accusative. Without se, the verb does not have this standard meaning.

Choosing the case by physical logic

Wrong: Mluvili jsme o nový projekt.
Right: Mluvili jsme o novém projektu.
Why: With mluvit o, o requires the locative. The phrase describes a topic, but you still need the grammatical case ending.

Forgetting the preposition in a question

Wrong: Kom mluvíte?
Right: O kom mluvíte?
Why: The question keeps the preposition from mluvit o + locative. Czech places it directly before the question word.

Usage Notes

One English verb may split into several Czech patterns

English “think about” can describe having someone in mind or considering a subject. Czech often distinguishes these meanings:

Myslím na Petra. — I’m thinking of Petr; Petr is in my thoughts.
Přemýšlím o Petrově návrhu. — I’m thinking over Petr’s proposal.

Likewise, English “ask” does not map to one fixed Czech frame. Ptát se někoho na něco means to ask someone about something, while požádat někoho o něco means to request something from someone. The English translation may hide this structural difference.

Similar-looking patterns can express different meanings

Compare bojovat o + accusative (“fight for something one wants to gain or keep”) with bojovat proti + dative (“fight against something”):

Bojují o titul. — They are fighting for the title.
Bojují proti diskriminaci. — They are fighting against discrimination.

The preposition is not decorative; it helps define the verb’s meaning.

Standard and conversational Czech

The governing preposition and case normally remain the same across formal writing and everyday speech. Spoken Czech may use colloquial noun or adjective endings, but learners should first master the standard forms used here. In careful writing, errors in a verb’s case government are conspicuous even when the intended meaning is clear.

Beyond the Basics: Clauses, Aspect, and Meaning

Linking a whole clause with to

A verb’s complement is sometimes an entire clause rather than a single noun. Czech frequently uses a form of the demonstrative to as a bridge. Its form still reflects the case required by the verb:

Czech	English	Case bridge
Těším se na to, že se zase uvidíme.	I’m looking forward to seeing each other again.	na to — accusative
Záleží na tom, jestli bude mít čas.	It depends on whether she has time.	na tom — locative
Mluvili jsme o tom, co se stalo.	We talked about what happened.	o tom — locative
Trvám na tom, abyste přišel včas.	I insist that you arrive on time.	na tom — locative + aby clause
Počítám s tím, že vlak bude mít zpoždění.	I expect the train to be delayed.	s tím — instrumental

English often uses an -ing form or a bare “that/whether” clause where Czech makes the selected preposition visible through to/tom/tím. This construction is central to fluent B2 and C1 writing.

Aspect usually preserves the pattern—but verify it

An imperfective/perfective pair often keeps the same complement:

ptát se / zeptat se na + accusative — ask / ask once about
zapomínat / zapomenout na + accusative — be forgetting / forget
rozhodovat se / rozhodnout se pro + accusative — be deciding / decide in favour of

However, a prefix can create a new verb with a shifted meaning and a different grammatical frame. Do not assume that every related-looking verb preserves the original pattern. Check and record the complete construction when learning the prefixed verb.

A verb may allow more than one frame

Some verbs occur in several constructions, with a change in meaning or focus. Myslet na někoho means to have someone in mind, while myslet o někom něco means to hold an opinion about that person: Co si o něm myslíš? (“What do you think of him?”). Similarly, mluvit o problému identifies the topic, whereas mluvit s kolegou identifies the conversation partner. These are not interchangeable variants; each complement answers a different question.

Practice Tips

Make three-part flashcards. Put záležet na + locative on the answer side, not just záležet = depend. Add one noun and one pronoun example: na počasí, na tobě.
Transform one sentence across cases. Start with nový projekt, then produce Myslím na nový projekt, Mluvím o novém projektu, and Počítám s novým projektem. This connects case endings to meaning instead of practising endings in isolation.
Ask the matching question. For every new collocation, learn Na co? O čem? S kým? K čemu? The question exposes both the preposition and the case and makes later retrieval faster.