Grammar again

Discussion in 'Grammar & Pronunciation' started by Lorenzo, Oct 12, 2002.

  1. Lorenzo

    Lorenzo Well-Known Member

    Hi again!

    I have sailed across the seven cases and now I'm back with a few questions :)

    I'm a bit puzzled by the use of the verb "rici" in the question.
    "Jak se rekne cesky"? Which tense is the verb in? I think it's in the present tense but is "rekne" maybe the past partiple of "rici"? That would make this question an idiomatic expression to me? Am I right?

    And a couple of things I'm curious about...

    Is "jestli" the same as "kdyz"? It seems to me people tend to use it more often that "kdyz".

    I have noticed that the word "voda" is often used in Czech to refer to both rivers and lakes. Is that correct?

    Thank you in advance for your help!

    Lorenzo
     
  2. Anke

    Anke Well-Known Member

    Hi Lorenzo,

    this time, I can answer easily.
    "Ríci" is an old form of an infinitive (you may also hear "ríct").
    "rekne" is the present tense form for he, she or it. The past form is "rekl/-a/-o/-i" and the passive participle is "recen" (with hacek above r and c).
    Anyway, "jak se to rekne/ríká v cestine?" is idiomatic, too.

    "jestli" (if) and kdyz (when) are pretty much used as in English. Jestli describes a condition, which might not be fulfilled, while constructions with kdyz are probable.

    "voda" is translated as "water", hence it can refer to any kind of water: lake, river, sea etc.

    hope to have helped you?!?
     
  3. Lorenzo

    Lorenzo Well-Known Member

    Hi Anke!

    Sure you have been of great help!
    I was curious about "rekne" and now I know how it works! :)
    Thank you a lot!

    Lorenzo
     
  4. Dana

    Dana Well-Known Member

    Good answer Anke! As a hopeless perfectionist, I'd just like to throw in a few additional comments.

    "Rekne" is actually really the future tense for "ríct" or "ríci", the present tense being "ríká".

    As far as "voda" goes, yes, that word can be used in general for any body of water, especially when people refer to it as a place to go swimming in the summer or use it otherwise for entertainment.
    E.g. "V léte chodíme k vode" basically means "we go swimming/hanging out by the water - a lake/river/pool - in the summer"
    "Byli jsme na dovolené u vody" - "We spent our vacation by the water"; again, it can be a lake, river, or even the sea, although people usually say "u more" because for us, Czechs, the sea is a big deal!
    "Máme chatu u vody" - "We have a cabin by the water" (lake, river, creek...)

    However, you wouldn't use "voda" when talking about specific rivers or lakes (you can't say "Prahou protéká voda Vltava" or "Máchovo jezero je nejvetsí voda v Ceské republice") and when it's important to distinguish what body of water you're talking about, e.g. "Pstruzi zijí v cistých rekách" ("Trout live in clean rivers").

    Speaking of water, were you in Prague during the floods?
     
  5. Lorenzo

    Lorenzo Well-Known Member

    Ahoj Dano!

    Thank you for plunging deeper in these "watery matters" ;-)
    Ano, v srpnu jsem byl dva tydny v Praze!
    When I came to Prague, the situation seemed to be under control and I didn't imagine the city could be flooded. Anyway I was located in a safe place between Hradcany and Strahov. I was so sorry to see such a beautiful side of the city I like so much slowly go under water and all the damage this has caused!
    On the other hand with almost every metro station closed I had to find some alternative routes to get around the city either by tram or on foot and this gave me the chance to see much more of the city. I did walk a lot and with the good company of a friend from Prague I had a great experience in the Mother of Towns!
    I was there for only a couple of weeks and I don't know how things have turned out to be in the long run but while I was there it seemed to me the city authorities and public transportation tackled and put on well with the situation. But maybe we should ask the people who had to be evacuated... I know there have been some complaints and maybe the metro could have been closed before the water flooded it completely.
    I was on the last train from Cerny Most when they made us get off at Florenc because water was leaking in and I was told the station was totally inundated just a couple of hours later.
    I could see the city from a different perspective but now I hope things will get back to normal for everyone there!
    Where you in Prague too in those days?

    Lorenzo
     
  6. Dana

    Dana Well-Known Member

    Hi Lorenzo,

    No, I wasn't in Prague during the flood and it was hard to watch things from beyond the ocean and feel so completely helpless. I was relieved to know that most of the old town was saved. On the other hand, it was very sad to hear about the damage in Cesky Krumlov, a town I love very much. With all the focus aimed at Prague, it's been hard to find current information about other parts of the country that were flooded. Anyway, it seems that life is almost back to normal in the center of Prague - certainly not for many residents whose apartments and houses were flooded or even collapsed. You are right, it is questionable why the authorities waited so long before closing the metro - and evacuating the ZOO. I guess not having seen anything like that for 500 years, no one was willing to believe how bad the situation could really get!
     
  7. Lorenzo

    Lorenzo Well-Known Member

    Hi Dana,

    Yes, Prague and the best part of the Czech Republic had to face something no one would have expected and it can’t have been easy to make everybody feel safe.
    I don’t know how I would have reacted had I heard of the flood from Italy. I would have surely felt helpless too, fearing for the city and those places I treasure so much!

    Lorenzo
     

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