# Tento/Onen



## PocketWatch

Ahoj,

Mám otázku.

Regarding demonstrative pronouns, I originally learned to use tento (m), tato (f), toto (n) for this and onen (m), ona (f), ono (n) for that. I recently saw the use of "ten, ta and to" for that, listed on a website. Which one do you use? I am thinking that perhaps the set of "onen..." is an outdated version of that.

Ďekuji.


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## kelt

Hi,

onen is really outdated now. More appropriate would be tamten, tamta, tamto.

It is Děkuji ;-)


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## winpoj

Well, it's true, PW, that "that" is often translated as tamten, tamta, tamto" in textbooks and dictionaries.
If you observe the actual language though, you'll find that "ten, ta, to" is very often used in Czech where English would use "that".

That's wonderful. To je nádhera.

That man is stupid. Ten muž je hlupák.

I didn't know that. To jsem nevěděl.

The use of "tamten..." is quite narrow in Czech. I'd use it when referring or pointing to more distant people or object but not to refer to what someone has said or to what appears to be understood.

Note also that "tento, tato, toto" sound a bit formal. The usual terms in spoken Czech (at least in Bohemia) would be "tenhle, tahle, tohle".


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## PocketWatch

Děkuji (thanks for the correction). How do these words (this and that) look under singular and plural declension? The only declensions that I have for demonstrative pronouns are in my Czech book which use tento and onen.


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## winpoj

"Tamten, tamta, tamto" and "tenhle, tahle, tohle" have the same declension as "ten, ta, to" - you just add "tam-" before or "-hle" after the respective form.


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## Tagarela

Ahoj,



PocketWatch said:


> Regarding demonstrative pronouns, I originally learned to use tento (m), tato (f), toto (n) for this and onen (m), ona (f), ono (n) for that.



I am in doubt about what is _this_and _that_ in this case.*. *Is it used when the speaker is talking for example a thing that is next to him.
For example: 

*Tato kniha je dobrá *-  _This book (that's in my hands/I'm reading) is good_

But if it is the listeners who is holding the book, should I say: *Ona/tamta kniha je dobrá* _This book (that you're holding/reading) is good_? 

I am wondering if toto would be the same of Portuguese and Spanish este.

Děkuju 

Na shledanou.:


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