# spojky a, i



## Velké-holky-nepláčou

I have a question: How do I know when to use the conjunctions
a, and i? The words for and, and also.
 and can someone help me make past tenses?
Dekuji


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## gabbiano

You can use the conjunction "a" in most of the cases. The conjunction "i" has a specific use, not so frequent, as "also", "even", sometimes "and".

Some exaples from the Czech dictionary:

dnem i nocí - _day and night_
patřit někomu tělem i duší - _belong to sb. body and soul_
i on to může vidět - _he may also seen it_
nejen já, ale i ty - _not only me, but also you_
to pochopí dokonce i dítě - _even a child can understand it_
i kdyby, i když_ - even if, even though_

I think, in most cases where in English is "_and_", you can use "a".


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## Jana337

gabbiano said:


> You can use the conjunction "a" in most of the cases. The conjunction "i" has a specific use, not so frequent, as "also", "even", sometimes "and".
> 
> Some exaples from the Czech dictionary:
> 
> dnem i nocí - _day and night_
> patřit někomu tělem i duší - _belong to sb. body and soul_
> i on to může vidět - _he may also seen it_
> nejen já, ale i ty - _not only me, but also you_
> to pochopí dokonce i dítě - _even a child can understand it_
> i kdyby, i když_ - even if, even though_
> 
> I think, in most cases where in English is "_and_", you can use "a".


 Nicely done.

I'd say that - idomatic expressions (tělem i duší, dnem i nocí) aside - the main usages of "i" are :

even (as above),
not only ..., but also ... (as above),
to replace "také" - "also",
"as well as" - if you want to sort of emphasize "and".
_Přišli ji poblahopřát Karel, Petr a Marek. - Karel, Petr and Marek came to congratulate her._  (simple enumeration)
_Přišli ji poblahopřát Karel, Petr i Marek. - Karel, Peter as well as Marek came to congratulate her._ (more emphasis)

Also notice that "i" can only bind elements of the same category of nouns, adjectives and pronouns, whereas "a" can also be used between two different propositions.
_Marcela i/a Petra už se těší na prázdniny. - Marcela as well as / and Petra are already looking forward to holidays.
Ještě nevím, které boty si koupím. Líbí se mi ty šedé i/a ty hnědé. - I don't know yet which pair of shoes I will buy. I like the grey ones and also the brown ones.
Koupil jsem si knihu a _(NEVER i) hned jsem ji začal číst. - _I bought a book and started reading it right away.
Už se mi nechtělo pracovat a_ (NEVER i) _neměl jsem nic zajímavého na čtení, tak jsem šel spát. - I was tired of working and I had nothing interesting to read, so I went to bed._

If "i" is between propositions, it never means "and". It is usually a part of a contradicting conjunction or something similar.
_Zavolal jsem mu, *i když* jsem mu neměl co říct. - I called him *although *I had nothing to tell him.
Přišlo málo lidí, ale *i tak *jsme se bavili. - Only very few people arrived but we had fun *nevertheless*.
Koncert se vydařil, lidé zpívali a tančili, *i* ten otravný déšť na chvíli přestal. - The concert was a success, people were singing and dancing, *even *the annoying rain stopped for a while._


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## Velké-holky-nepláčou

Thanks this helps me out a lot


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