Czech Prepositions Unpacked: Z / ZE
Movement out, origin, and why Czech always asks “odkud?”
The Czech preposition z (and its phonetic variant ze) expresses one core idea: movement out of something, origin, or source.
While do brings you inside and na places you onto or into an activity, z always points away from a place, state, or source.
1. Core Rule: Z / ZE + Genitive
The preposition z / ze is always followed by the genitive case.
There are no exceptions.
The key question it answers is:
ODKUD?
“Where from?”
2. Physical Movement Out of a Place
2.1 Leaving an interior
Z / ze is used when something moves out of an enclosed or defined space.
Ten vlak přijel z Plzně.
“That train arrived from Plzeň.”Vyšel z domu.
“He walked out of the house.”Vzala si tašku z auta.
“She took the bag out of the car.”
This meaning directly contrasts with do.
2.2 Countries, cities, regions
Geographical origin is always expressed with z / ze.
Jsme z Česka.
“We are from Czechia.”Přiletěli z Německa.
“They arrived from Germany.”Studentka je z Prahy.
“The student is from Prague.”
This mirrors the do + genitive pattern for movement into these places.
3. Z vs. NA vs. DO: The Spatial System
Czech spatial prepositions work as a system:
DO → inside (KAM?)
NA → surface / area / participation (KAM? / KDE?)
Z → out of / from (ODKUD?)
Compare:
Jdu do školy.
“I’m going to school.”Jsem ve škole.
“I’m at school.”Jdu ze školy.
“I’m leaving school.”
The logic is consistent and highly predictable.
4. Origin, Background, and Social Meaning
Z / ze is often used to express background or origin in a broader sense.
Je z dobré rodiny.
“He comes from a good family.”Zkušenosti z práce.
“Experience from work.”Znám ho z dětství.
“I know him from childhood.”
Here, z marks the source of knowledge or identity.
5. Material and Composition
One very common and important use of z / ze is to describe what something is made of.
Prsten ze zlata.
“A ring made of gold.”Stůl ze dřeva.
“A wooden table.”Socha z kamene.
“A statue made of stone.”
In English, this often becomes of or an adjective, but Czech keeps the preposition.
6. Abstract Sources and Causes
Z / ze also expresses abstract origin, reason, or cause.
Z radosti se rozplakala.
“She cried out of joy.”Jednal z povinnosti.
“He acted out of duty.”Z nervozity zapomněl heslo.
“Out of nervousness, he forgot the password.”
The idea of “coming from” is still present.
7. Fixed Expressions and Common Phrases
Some expressions with z / ze are idiomatic and extremely frequent.
Z ničeho nic.
“Out of nowhere.”Z času na čas.
“From time to time.”Z jedné strany.
“From one side.”
These should be learned as chunks.
Z or ZE? (Form, Not Meaning)
Ze is used instead of z for pronunciation reasons, typically:
before words starting with z, s, š, ž
or when pronunciation would be difficult
Examples:
Ze školy.
“From school.”Ze Slovenska.
“From Slovakia.”
The meaning does not change.
Common Learner Mistakes
Confusing Z and OD
Both can translate as “from,” but:
z / ze → movement out of a place or source
od → distance from a person or starting point in time
Correct:
Dostal dopis od kamaráda.
“He got a letter from a friend.”Vrací se z práce.
“She’s coming back from work.”
Forgetting the genitive
Incorrect:
z Praha
Correct:
z Prahy
“from Prague”
Summary: How to Think About Z / ZE
Instead of translating z as “from,” think:
out of
origin
source
material
cause
If something comes from somewhere, physically or abstractly, z / ze is usually the right choice.
Final Learning Tip
Czech prepositions form a directional triangle:
DO → in
NA → on / onto / activity
Z → out of / from
Once you see this system, Czech stops being random and starts being precise.
