# I need a room with two beds



## merquiades

Hello everyone,

Does this translation sound right to you?

Chtěl bych pokoj s dvěma posteli.

Pokoj in accusative, dvěma in instrumental after "s",  posteli genitve after number.

Thanks for suggestions.

Děkuju


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## vianie

Hello.

My suggestions are rather these two:

Chtěl bych pokoj s dvěma postelemi.
(Here is the intersting, that Google gives more hits with "dvěmi".)

Chtěl bych pokoj o dvou postelích.
(Here is the highest number of the searched results.
Anyway, in a normal case, I would prefer that first sentence.)


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## jazyk

> Does this translation sound right to you?
> 
> Chtěl bych pokoj s dvěma posteli.
> 
> Pokoj in accusative, dvěma in instrumental after "s",  posteli genitve after number.


The genitive plural is only used from 5 on. Czech is not like Russian here, which requires genitive singular after 2, 3, and 4. Since we have a preposition, both the numeral and the noun after it must be in the case required by the preposition, which is the instrumental: s dvěma postelemi, as Vianie wrote.

Another possibility: Chtěl bych dvoulůžkový pokoj.


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## werrr

vianie said:


> Chtěl bych pokoj s dvěma postelemi.
> (Here is the interesting, that Google gives more hits with "dvěmi".)


Standard Czech prefers the variant with syllabic preposition ("se dvěma"). It is no wonder therefore that the non-syllabic variant gives more hits with colloquial forms ("dvěmi postelemi", "dvěma postelema"...).

But "chtěl bych pokoj se dvěma postelemi" actually means "I would like a room with two separate beds" because "postel" is a piece of furniture.



			
				jazyk said:
			
		

> Another possibility: Chtěl bych dvoulůžkový/dvojlůžkový pokoj.


This only option is a real phraseme and the most natural option assuming that the difference between "postel" and "lůžko" is irrelevant and that "chtěl bych" is acceptable loose translation for "I need".


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## merquiades

werrr said:


> This only option is a real phraseme and the most natural option assuming that the difference between "postel" and "lůžko" is irrelevant and that "chtěl bych" is acceptable loose translation for "I need".



So what is this difference between "postel" and "lůžko"?


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## werrr

merquiades said:


> So what is this difference between "postel" and "lůžko"?


"Postel" is a piece of furniture with some mattress and bed sheet intended for resting in lying position. "Lože/lůžko" is a place for lying (in all thinkable meanings).

There could be one or more places for lying in one "postel" (double bed, bunk bed...) and "lože/lůžko" needn't be furniture at all.

A double bed could be considered either two join places for lying (thereof the Czech name "dvoulůžková postel") or one single place for lying shared by two persons (thereof the phraseme "manželské lože").


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## bibax

Examples where *lůžko* and *lože* are used figuratively (metaphorically):

losos na špenátovém lůžku (salmon on a spinach bed)
lůžko nehtu (the nail bed)
částí soustruhu je lože (a part of the lathe is a bed)
skalní lože (bedrock)

_Postel_ is a solid piece of furniture only.


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## vianie

Now the question for merquiades is, whether he wants just a double-bed for himself (eventually for his half) resp. he requires two separate beds.



werrr said:


> Standard Czech prefers the variant with syllabic preposition ("se dvěma").



This can also relate to the fact that Standard Czech somewhat needn't regressive voice assimilation.


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## merquiades

Thanks everybody for your responses.

I think "postel" would be better.  Two small beds are fine. I take it with "lůžko" they might put me anywhere, even on the floor. 


"se dvěma posteli" makes the sentence easier to pronounce.


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## jazyk

Se dvěma posteli is not correct. Read above.


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## merquiades

jazyk said:


> Se dvěma posteli is not correct. Read above.



yes, right.  Se dvěma postelemi.  Thanks for pointing it out again.


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## bibax

*"Se dvěma posteli"* is also possible (_postel_ declined like _stroj_).

In Standard Czech the noun *postel* (dim. *postýlka*) is feminine, however _postel_ is masculine in some dialects.

For me it sounds quite natural: *ten pohodlný postel, postýlek*. It's like _ten postroj, ten posed, ten posyp, ten potah, ..._, all masculine nouns (and postverbals).

_Postel_ is derived from the verb _postlati (stláti)_.
Another word of the same root is _stůl_ (= table).

_*"Postelu ti postel."*_ (I am not able to translate it into English, the verb *postelu* is a hard nut = tvrdý oříšek for me)


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