# from - od/z



## xxatti

Ok, this may be a dumb question, but Im a beginner and I've only been studying for a few weeks. Plus Im teaching myself right now, so I dont have anyone to ask all the small questions that you need to ask when learning a language. 

Anyways, could someone please try to explain how and when "od" and "z" are used to say "from" in English? I know you could say "dopis od Igora", but how would you say Igor is from Florida? Would you still use "od"? If so, when and how do you use "z"? Or maybe od and z mean totally different things and Im just way off here?? Im so confused


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## Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!

It's fairly simple: "z" indicates moving "out of" something, whereas "od" has more of an "away from" meaning.

"A letter from Igor" is "dopis od Igora" because you're not pulling it out of Igor's bowels, nor is it written on parchment made from Igor's skin, or so I should hope. 

"Igor is from Florida" is "Igor je z Floridy" because he comes from _inside_ the state. Note that you can also say e.g. "Igor je od Brna" to indicate that he doesn't live in Brno itself, but in a nearby village.


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## Vanda

Hi xxatti


> xxatti said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...Plus Im teaching myself right now, so I dont have anyone to ask all the small questions that you need to ask when learning a language.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm teaching myself too, but probably I'm not so devoted as you are, cause I've been doing this for years now.  I try to study for a whole week, then, 6 months later, I begin everything again...  (Shame on me! )
> Anyway, besides the nice people here to help us, I like this site, that I think was indicated by them (Jana, probably) to help me doing some exercises.
Click to expand...


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## xxatti

Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li! said:
			
		

> It's fairly simple: "z" indicates moving "out of" something, whereas "od" has more of an "away from" meaning.
> 
> "A letter from Igor" is "dopis od Igora" because you're not pulling it out of Igor's bowels, nor is it written on parchment made from Igor's skin, or so I should hope.
> 
> "Igor is from Florida" is "Igor je z Floridy" because he comes from _inside_ the state. Note that you can also say e.g. "Igor je od Brna" to indicate that he doesn't live in Brno itself, but in a nearby village.


Thanks, that helps a lot. I feel much less confused now.


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## xxatti

Vanda said:
			
		

> Hi xxatti
> 
> 
> 
> I'm teaching myself too, but probably I'm not so devoted as you are, cause I've been doing this for years now. I try to study for a whole week, then, 6 months later, I begin everything again... (Shame on me! )
> Anyway, besides the nice people here to help us, I like this site, that I think was indicated by them (Jana, probably) to help me doing some exercises.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the link. Now I just have to figure out the correct way to use k, u, and v .
Click to expand...


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## Tchesko

xxatti said:
			
		

> Vanda said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi xxatti
> 
> Thanks for the link. Now I just have to figure out the correct way to use k, u, and v .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you add the preposition "_do_", you'll have them all!
> 
> Basically, once you understand the difference between _od_ and _z_, you can use correctly the other ones (this applies only to their spatial use):
> 
> _u / od / k_ go together, so do _v / z / do_.
> 
> The first three have a sense of *proximity*:
> *u* = near, at
> *od* = from ("away from"; you should understand the nuance from Tekeli-li's delicious explanation)
> *k* = to, towards
> 
> With the other three, there is a notion of *interior or enclosed space*:
> *v* = in, inside
> *z* = from, "out of" (an outward movement; see Tekeli-li's explanation again)
> *do* = to, into (an inward movement)
> 
> _u_ and _v_ are static, they indicate a *localisation*; the other four express a movement: _od_ and _z_ are used with a *movement from* a given place, _k_ and _do_ express a movement whose *destination* is a given place.
> 
> 
> Let me give a few examples:Igor je u školy (Gen.) = Igor is near the school
> Igor je ve škole (Loc.) = Igor is at (= in the) school
> 
> Igor jde ke škole (Dat.) = Igor is going towards the school
> Igor jde do školy (Gen.) = Igor is going to (= into the) school
> 
> Igor jde od školy (Gen.) = Igor is going (away) from the school (assuming he was near the school and not inside)
> Igor jde ze školy (Gen.) = Igor is going from (out of) the school / Igor is leaving the school (assuming he was inside, ie at school, attending classes)
> ​Learning prepositions in a foreign language is always difficult because they are not always used the same way in one's native language (cf. "Igor is at school": in Czech, we say he is "in the school", which may be true but not intuitive for English speaking learners).
> 
> Note that besides this basic meaning, these prepositions can have other meanings. Example: _u_ means also "at someone's place, in someone's house":
> jsem u Igora (Gen.) = I am at Igor's
> Igor je u řezníka (Gen.) = Igor is at the butcher's
> 
> Good luck with all this!
> 
> Roman
Click to expand...


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## xxatti

Tchesko said:
			
		

> If you add the preposition "_do_", you'll have them all!
> 
> Basically, once you understand the difference between _od_ and _z_, you can use correctly the other ones (this applies only to their spatial use):
> 
> _u / od / k_ go together, so do _v / z / do_.
> 
> The first three have a sense of *proximity*:
> *u* = near, at
> *od* = from ("away from"; you should understand the nuance from Tekeli-li's delicious explanation)
> *k* = to, towards
> 
> With the other three, there is a notion of *interior or enclosed space*:
> *v* = in, inside
> *z* = from, "out of" (an outward movement; see Tekeli-li's explanation again)
> *do* = to, into (an inward movement)
> 
> _u_ and _v_ are static, they indicate a *localisation*; the other four express a movement: _od_ and _z_ are used with a *movement from* a given place, _k_ and _do_ express a movement whose *destination* is a given place.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Let me give a few examples:Igor je u školy (Gen.) = Igor is near the school
> Igor je ve škole (Loc.) = Igor is at (= in the) school
> 
> Igor jde ke škole (Dat.) = Igor is going towards the school
> Igor jde do školy (Gen.) = Igor is going to (= into the) school
> 
> Igor jde od školy (Gen.) = Igor is going (away) from the school (assuming he was near the school and not inside)
> Igor jde ze školy (Gen.) = Igor is going from (out of) the school / Igor is leaving the school (assuming he was inside, ie at school, attending classes)
> 
> 
> ​Learning prepositions in a foreign language is always difficult because they are not always used the same way in one's native language (cf. "Igor is at school": in Czech, we say he is "in the school", which may be true but not intuitive for English speaking learners).
> 
> Note that besides this basic meaning, these prepositions can have other meanings. Example: _u_ means also "at someone's place, in someone's house":
> jsem u Igora (Gen.) = I am at Igor's
> Igor je u řezníka (Gen.) = Igor is at the butcher's
> 
> Good luck with all this!
> 
> Roman


Wow. Thanks! That really helps a lot. Im gonna have to print this out and study it . This whole at, but not inside some place is a really confusing concept to grasp. In English there's no need to specify anything. Whether Igor is close to the school or inside the school, he still comes from school. 

Man, I have so much yet to learn about Czech language. Im only on page 75 of like 300 in my study book  .


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