# který / jenž



## JGIC

Co je rozdil mezi "který" a "jenž"?

Napřiklad:

Nejsem schopen vybrat v Egyptě jednoho člověka, *jenž* by mohl převzít vedení.
Nejsem schopen vybrat v Egyptě jednoho člověka, *ktery *by mohl převzít vedení.

Mají stejný smysl?


----------



## Mori.cze

Yes, the meaning is the same (there are nuances, but I do not believe the average native could name them)
Stylistically, _*který*_ is much more versatile, whereas _*jenž*_ tends to sound rather archaic (nowadays lots of Czechs cannot even get the declension right)
General advice: go with _*který.*_


----------



## Enquiring Mind

Hi JGIC, just to flesh out Mori.cze's explanation a bit, in terms of meaning as the relative pronoun "which/that", *jenž* is interchangeable with který, but *jenž* is literary, so you'll see it in poetry, formal writing, biblical text, (grammar books ) and so forth. In academic conference papers, university theses and the like, jenž is not used. You won't hear it in spoken conversational Czech because it will definitely sound odd. The table here (source: objevit.cz) gives the declensions and some examples.  Even in written Czech, který is preferred, with occasional diversions into the relevant declined forms of jenž often for stylistic reasons - to avoid repeating který too much.

Here, for example (source: denik.cz) we see jenž in the headline, but který in the text. Jenž is slightly shorter, and headlines go for brevity and sometimes greater formality or to sound more authoritative.

_"Útočníka, jenž ve švédské škole zabil dva lidi, prý vedl rasismus_
_Stockholm - Útočník, který ve čtvrtek ve škole na jihozápadě Švédska zabil učitele a jednoho žáka, jednal z rasistických pohnutek..." _


----------



## JGIC

Thanks!  Great explanations both of you!


----------



## bibax

Mori.cze said:


> ...(nowadays lots of Czechs cannot even get the declension right)...


The relative pronoun *jenž, jež, jež* is declined the same way like the personal pronoun on, ona, ono (simply add the *-ž* at the end) except the nominative case:

sing. - jenž (masc. - both anim. and inanim.), jež (f.), jež (n.)
plur. - již (masc. anim. only), jež

Some Czechs use the form *jenž* for all genders, and even in the accusative. 

A deterrent example:

Dívka, jenž jsi tu zanechal.  (The girl [that] you left behind.)

However, the novel written by Jojo Moyes has the correct title *Dívka, již jsi tu zanechal*.
*
*


----------

