I'm just using chtit as an example but is there a rule for when you use 'ja chtel' instead of 'ja jsem chtel' or 'chtel jsem'. I learned that jsem, jsi etc. have to be there when using the past tense but I've see this 'ja' form and heard it a lot. Is 'ja chtel' used for even greater emphasis than 'ja jsem chtel'? Or does it make no difference and depend on the individual? Thanks
"chtěl jsem" is standard and most frequent "já jsem chtěl" if you want to stress it was you, who wanted "já chtěl" is substandard, but also used, negligent 8)
Sometimes it depends on context, too. A few examples: Chtěl jsem jít domů, ale stál tam ten chlap. Konečně jsi přišla, já chtěl už jít domů. Přestaňte se hádat, já jsem chtěl jenom klíč od bytu. - Proč jsi nenapsal domácí úkol? - Já chtěl, ale náš pes mi sežral sešit. - Nechtěl jsi jít domů? - Domů jsem jít chtěl, ale pak jsem se rozmyslel. Jít domů, to se jí lehko řekne! Chtěl bych jít domů, to se ví! Jenže chtít jít domů a opravdu tam jít, v tom může být někdy pořádný rozdíl!
It is important to express the correct person. It is not possible to omit both "já" and "jsem". One of them may be omitted, because the person is known giving any one of them: 1st person: chtěl jsem já chtěl já jsem chtěl, all OK using only "chtěl" would mean 3rd person and is (almost - see eso 8) ) impossible in 1st person compare russian "я хотел"
Well, if it's answer to question... - Chtěl jste tu šunku? - Chtěl. But I don't want to scare hribecek too much
Nejsou voni trochu mešuge, Roubíček? Kdyby znali nějakého gojima, který by to chtěl, tak mu to prodají sami. A když žádného neznají, proč si myslí, že by to od nich našinec koupil?
Okay thanks for the help. I'll stick with just chtel jsem or ja jsem chtel when speaking. Also, is there a difference in meaning between 'nebo' and 'anebo', does 'anebo' have the same meaning as 'and/or' in English?
In my opinion "anebo" means the same as "nebo", which can mean both exclusive (one or the other but not both) or inclusive or (any of). If we want to be precise we use "a/nebo" in the same sense as "and/or".
I'm going to have to come back and read this again. How am I ever going to learn Czech when I don't understand English?!
using and/or (anebo) is redundant, since "or" itself actually means "and/or" - "or" is true when at least one variable is true _and_ when both of them are true (which is, in fact, "and") bottom line, when you need "and" use "and", use "or" in all other cases (unless you need exclusive or of course, which is usually fairly awkward in natural languages, you'd probably say something like "to nebo to druhé, ale ne obojí")
