ž, š, č are palatal sibilants, the position of the tongue is in the middle of the mouth, the teeth are almost closed and hissing sounds are formed.
ř, the tongue as in the preceding section, but the tip is slightly raised and it trills when ř is pronounced.
h, ch, gutturals, are formed in the throat.
di, ti, ni.
Syllables di, ti, ni are pronounced as if written ďi, ťi, ňi, leaving out the “v” hook is an exception in writing.
Distinguish carefully in writing and speaking the syllables di, ti, ni, from dy, ty, ny. This is very important!
Examples:—zvony, bells; zvoní, rings; u vody, by the water; vodí, leads; letí, flies; tety, aunts; noviny, newspaper; nic, nothing; ticho, silence; boty, boots; vždy, always; divadlo, theater.
| Verbs. | Slovíčka. |
|---|---|
| Jsem, I am, | Jsme, we are, |
| jsi, thou art, | jste, you are, |
| on jest (abbreviated je), he is, | ona jest (je), she is, |
| máš, thou hast, | máte, you have, |
| znáš, thou knowst, | znáte, you know, |
| voláš, thou calls, | voláte, you call. |
The second person singular jsi, máš, voláš etc. corresponds to our: thou art, thou hast, thou callest etc. These forms, however, are obsolete in English and therefore the Bohemian forms ought to be translated by you are, you have, you call etc.
In Bohemian the singular forms jsi, máš, etc. are used in a familiar way, in talking to intimate friends, to children, or among the members of the family. The plural forms, jste, máte etc. are the polite forms to be used by the stranger.