# hrát košíkovou?



## djwebb1969

This phrase is given in my textbook, with no explanation. It clearly means "play basketball", but as I thought košíková a noun, I had expected košíkovu in the Accusative. 

Is this word fundamentally adjectival, although functioning as a noun?


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## Enquiring Mind

Yes, there are a few more like that: kopaná (hrát kopanou = to play football, though this word has been mostly superseded by "fotbal"), schovávaná (hrát si na 
schovávanou = to play hide and seek, also figuratively to play cat and mouse), dovolená (jet na dovolenou = to go on holiday, jsem na dovolené = I'm on holiday). 

Actually, come to think of it, I hardly ever hear "košíková" these days, it's been mostly superseded (at least in spoken Czech) by "basket". Jdeme na basket - we're off to play basketball. 

I think I'm right in saying no "proper" Czech noun ends in á, unless it's a borrowing, like apartmá, angažmá, where the á is usually nasalised to some extent, and borrowings like this are indeclinable, and neuter, not feminine. Apart from that, if a words ends in á, it declines like an adjective.


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## djwebb1969

Thanks - that makes sense! I can compare it to nouns in Russian like знакомый or знайомий in Ukrainian that are adjectival. At least that helps me understand it.


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## risa2000

Enquiring Mind said:


> I think I'm right in saying no "proper" Czech noun ends in á, unless it's a borrowing, like apartmá, angažmá, where the á is usually nasalised to some extent, and borrowings like this are indeclinable, and neuter, not feminine. Apart from that, if a words ends in á, it declines like an adjective.


Other possible nouns, not coming from other languages: *dočesná, podívaná, prodloužená, stužková, vybíjená. *Košíková is official Czech name of the sport. In the news, in the press, etc. it is always used. When we played it in the school it was košíková as well, so if it is replaced by basket now, it must have happened not so long ago .


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## hypoch

Hi djwebb,
you can compare знакомый to these adjectival nouns - it even has a direct Czech counterpart "známý".


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## djwebb1969

Thanks, hypoch, I learned another word!


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