Czech · Cases in Use

Vocative: Addressing People

When you speak to someone, Czech uses a special form called the vocative. Using the normal form here sounds wrong.

Most masculine names add -e: Martin → Martine, Karel → Karle, Petr → Petře (r after a consonant becomes ř).
Names and nouns ending in -k, -h, -ch take -u: Marek → Marku, Novák → Nováku, tatínek → tatínku. After soft consonants the ending is -i: Tomáš → Tomáši.
Names in -a change to -o, feminine and masculine alike: Jana → Jano, Eva → Evo, Svoboda → Svobodo.
pan becomes pane, and titles change as well: pane doktore, pane profesore, paní učitelko.
Some forms do not change: paní + surname (paní Nováková), surnames that look like adjectives (pane Černý), and names like Jiří or Lucie.

When you talk about someone, use the normal form: To je pan Novák.

Examples

Dobrý den, pane (Novák)!Show answer

Dobrý den, pane Nováku!

(Petr), pojď sem!Show answer

Petře, pojď sem!

Dobrý den, paní (Nováková).Show answer

Dobrý den, paní Nováková.

Děkuju, pane (doktor).Show answer

Děkuju, pane doktore.

Pane (Černý), máte chvilku?Show answer

Pane Černý, máte chvilku?

Ahoj, (Jana), jak se máš?Show answer

Ahoj, Jano, jak se máš?

(Lucie), kde jsi?Show answer

Lucie, kde jsi?

(Tomáš), máš čas?Show answer

Tomáši, máš čas?

To je můj kamarád (Petr).Show answer

To je můj kamarád Petr.

(Karel), podej mi tu knihu.Show answer

Karle, podej mi tu knihu.