7 Common Grammar Mistakes Czech Examiners Hate

Passing the Czech A2 Exam (Zkouška z češtiny pro trvalý pobyt v ČR) is the key milestone for obtaining permanent residency in the Czech Republic. While the examiners at the certified schools aren't expecting you to speak like a native Czech novelist, they do have a strict set of grading guidelines.

According to the official exam portal cestina-pro-cizince.cz managed by the National Pedagogical Institute (NPI), candidates are assessed on their ability to communicate clearly and follow basic grammatical rules. Certain errors—especially in the Writing (Psaní) and Speaking (Mluvení) subtests—will immediately catch the examiner's eye (and red pen).

Here are the 7 most common grammar mistakes Czech examiners hate, and how you can avoid them.

1. The Clitic Chaos: Misplacing se, si, and jsem

In Czech, "clitics" are small, unstressed words that cannot start a sentence and must be placed in the second logical position of the sentence (Wackernagel's Law). These include reflexive particles (se, si), past-tense auxiliary verbs (jsem, jsi, jsme, jste), and short pronoun forms (mi, ti, ho).

Treating Czech word order like English (Subject-Verb-Object) and putting these particles in the wrong place is the number-one giveaway of a beginner.

❌ Špatně: Se učím česky každý den. / Jsem koupil nový byt.
✅ Správně: Učím se česky každý den. / Koupil jsem nový byt. / Včera jsem koupil nový byt.

2. Past Tense Subject-Verb Agreement (Shoda přísudku s podmětem)

In the past tense, Czech verbs must agree with the gender and number of the subject. Beginners frequently forget to change the verb endings, resulting in phrases that sound jarring to native examiners.

Remember the basic past tense endings:

Masculine Singular: ended in -l (dělal)
Feminine Singular: ends in -la (dělala)
Neuter Singular: ends in -lo (dělalo)
Masculine Animate Plural: ends in -li (dělali)
Feminine & Masculine Inanimate Plural: ends in -ly (dělaly)

❌ Špatně: Moje kamarádka říkal, že přijde. / Film se mi líbilo.
✅ Správně: Moje kamarádka říkala, že přijde. / Film se mi líbil. (because film is masculine inanimate).

Examiners look closely at verb agreement in the Writing section because it shows whether you understand the grammatical gender of nouns you are using.

3. Static vs. Dynamic Prepositions (Kde vs. Kam)

Czech draws a sharp distinction between being in/at a place (static location - answer to Kde?) and moving to a place (direction - answer to Kam?). Mixing up the prepositions and the cases that follow them is a major red flag.

When you are static, you often use the Locative case (with v, na, u). When you are moving, you use the Accusative case (with na, do) or the Genitive case (with do).

❌ Špatně: Jsem do Prahy. / Jedu v Praze. / Byl jsem na poštu.
✅ Správně: Jsem v Praze. / Jedu do Prahy. / Byl jsem na poště. (Locative) / Jdu na poštu. (Accusative)

If you tell an examiner "Jsem do kanceláře" instead of "Jsem v kanceláři", you are confusing two entirely different grammar structures, which leads to immediate point deductions.

4. The English Translation Trap: "I am 30 years old"

Translating English idioms literally into Czech is a common pitfall. The most famous example is expressing age. In English, you "are" an age, but in Czech, the age "is to you" (using the Dative case of the pronoun + je + number of years).

Translating "I am 30" as "Já jsem 30" makes you sound like a 30-year-old object rather than a human being!

Other literal translation traps to avoid:

Age:
- ❌ Špatně: Já jsem třicet let starý.
- ✅ Správně: Je mi třicet let.
Being late:
- ❌ Špatně: Jsem pozdě.
- ✅ Správně: Mám zpoždění. (Literally: I have a delay)
Feeling cold:
- ❌ Špatně: Jsem studený. (This means you are cold to the touch, like a corpse!)
- ✅ Správně: Je mi zima. (Literally: It is winter/cold to me)

5. Mixing Up Vykání (Formal) and Tykání (Informal)

In the A2 exam, you must pay strict attention to social registers. The writing prompts will clearly define who you are writing to. If you are writing to a friend (kamarád), you must use the informal tykání form. If you are writing a formal email to a landlord (pan domácí), a doctor, or an office, you must use the formal vykání form.

The biggest mistake candidates make is mixing both registers in a single text.

❌ Špatně: Dobrý den, pane Nováku. Chtěl jsem se tě zeptat, jestli máš čas. (Starts formal, switches to informal tě and máš).
✅ Správně: Dobrý den, pane Nováku. Chtěl jsem se vás zeptat, jestli máte čas.

Exam Tip: During the Oral (Speaking) subtest, always use vykání when addressing the examiners. Even if they are friendly, treating the exam environment as formal is essential for a passing score.

6. Single Negation (Double Negatives are Mandatory!)

If you are a native English speaker, you were probably taught that double negatives are a grammatical sin ("I don't know nothing"). In Czech, however, double negatives are grammatically required.

If you use a negative pronoun or adverb like nikdo (nobody), nic (nothing), nikdy (never), or nikde (nowhere), the verb must also be negative.

❌ Špatně: Já vím nic. / Nikdo přišel.
✅ Správně: Já nic nevím. / Nikdo nepřišel. / Nikdy jsem tam nebyl.

Leaving the verb in its positive form makes the sentence grammatically incorrect and confusing to a Czech ear.

7. Neglecting Diacritics (Háčkování a čárkování)

Many students treat Czech diacritics (háčky like ščžř and čárky like áéíóúýů) as optional decorations. They are not. They are full-fledged letters, and omitting them changes the meaning of words entirely.

Consider these differences:

byt (apartment) vs. být (to be)
jed (poison) vs. jeď (drive/go! - imperative)
pas (passport) vs. pás (belt or zone)
plat (salary) vs. plát (sheet of metal)

If you write "Chci byt zdravý" instead of "Chci být zdravý", the examiner knows what you mean, but it counts as a spelling and grammatical error. If you write your entire exam essay without a single hook or line, examiners may deem the text unreadable, leading to a failing grade for that section.

Conclusion: Practice Makes Perfect

Passing the Czech A2 exam isn't about being flawless; it's about showing that you can navigate everyday situations without making fundamental errors that impede understanding. By focusing on your clitic placement, subject-verb agreement, and avoiding literal translations, you will easily stand out in the eyes of the examiners.

Hodně štěstí u zkoušky!