# Je mi smutno



## Odriski

Today I knew a new use for Czech adverbs, they can be used like adjectives. eg. Je mi smutně, Jdou mi špatně hodinky. But I am a little confused that: why use "mi" instead of "ja"? Shouldn't "ja" is a subject here? If I say, "květiny jsou krasně", is it correct? which form of the word "květiny" I should use?
PS: I am a Chinese who is a beginner of Czech language, as the data for Czech language is too few in China or Chinese website, I have to seek for more data here.

Thanks for anyone who answers this question, I am waiting for you guys' respond.


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## Emys

Hi,
je mi smutně is not correct, it should be: *Je mi smutno*. Smutno is adverb derived from neuter form of archaic form of adjective "smuten" (or participle?). It is used only in impersonal constructions like your sentence.
You must say: *Květiny jsou krásné*. Květiny is subject (so nominative), krásné is adjective not an adverb. Adjective has tilde, adverb háček above the final e and they are pronounced differently. Květiny jou krásně is not correct.
But *Je mi smutno* is impersonal construction with no explicit subject. You can help yourself by adding neuter pronoun *ono* instead of subject saying (Ono) je mi smutno. "Ono" stands for subject, "mi" (dative form of pronoun já) is object, "smutno" is complement I think.
I am not sure about using adverbs like adjectives.


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## francisgranada

Odriski said:


> ... why use "mi" instead of "ja"? Shouldn't "ja" is a subject here? ...


Besides the explanation of Emys, also because "Já je smutno" has no grammatical sense (it would mean something like "I is sadly"). But you could say "Já jsem smutný" (I am sad). 

"Je mi smutno" cannot be literally translated to English, but the pronoun "mi" corresponds to "_to me", a_s if we said "It is sad(ly) to me" (which doesn't work in English, but may help to understand the proper construction).


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## Odriski

Thanks for both of you. I understood now. But just one question for the sentence "Jdou mi špatně hodinky", why use "mi" here? Does it mean "to me", too?


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## francisgranada

Odriski said:


> ...Does it mean "to me", too?


Literally yes.


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## Odriski

francisgranada said:


> Literally yes.



Thanks, it sounds really weird, "the watch doesn't work well to me"...


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## francisgranada

Odriski said:


> Thanks, it sounds really weird, "the watch doesn't work well to me"...


In English yes, but Czech is not the only language with this kind of constructions. E.g. in German "es ist mir kalt" (lit. it is me cold, it is cold to me) = I am cold.


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## Odriski

francisgranada said:


> In English yes, but Czech is not the only  language with this kind of constructions. E.g. in German "es ist mir  kalt" (lit. it is me cold, it is cold to me) = I am cold.



quite an impressive example!


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## Enquiring Mind

Odriski said:


> Thanks, it sounds really weird, "the watch doesn't work well to me"...


Hi Odriski, the "mi" here indicates that the watch is mine or that I am using the watch - it's a *possessive* meaning.

If it was your watch that was not keeping good time, we'd say "hodinky ti jdou špatně".  If it was his or her watch, then "hodinky mu/jí jdou špatně".  It's one of the functions of the dative case.

More examples:
Umřel *mi* papoušek - *my* parrot has died; porouchalo se *mi* auto - *my* car has broken down; blbne *m*i počítač - *my* computer's _going wrong _/ _doing stupid things _/ _on the blink _/ _playing up / acting strangely_; ruplo/prasklo *mi *v zádech - I've put *my *back out; I've done *my* back in; I've hurt *my* back; ruply* mi* nervy - I flipped, I lost *my* nerve, I went berserk, I lost it, I cracked (etc, according to context.) 

In the original phrase you asked about - je mi smutno - the "mi" is, again, the dative short-form personal pronoun of já, but it doesn't indicate possession in this sense; this impersonal construction is used for physical or mental states or feelings. 

Je mi teplo - I'm hot. Už mi to nemyslí - I can't think straight/properly any more. Je ti něco? - Is something the matter (with you)? Is there something wrong (with you)?  Nic mi není - there's nothing wrong (with me), I'm okay.  Není mi dobře - I'm not feeling well.

You said you don't have many learning materials available, so let me refer you to Karel Tahal's online Czech grammar here (source: factumcz.cz), and the Czech pages of speakenglish.co.uk here, where you can find useful Czech phrases for lots of situations.


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## werrr

Emys said:


> je mi smutně is not correct


How so?

In my opinion it is perfectly valid construction alike: _je mi dobře/špatně/zle/krásně/hrozně..._


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## werrr

francisgranada said:


> Besides the explanation of Emys, also because "Já je smutno" has no grammatical sense.


Actually, it has grammatical sense of "ego is in a sad mood". But that is completely different usage of "já".


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## francisgranada

werrr said:


> Actually, it has grammatical sense of "ego is in a sad mood". But that is completely different usage of "já".


In philosophy yes . However, here _smutno _is an adjective (neuter from _smuten)_, not an adverb.

P.S. I have corrected _smunto_, thanks.


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## Hrdlodus

And something more.
We say: "Je mi smutno." ( (It) is sad to me. ) 
And we say: "Cítím se smutně." ( (I) feel sad. )


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## Odriski

Enquiring Mind said:


> Hi Odriski, the "mi" here indicates that the watch is mine or that I am using the watch - it's a *possessive* meaning.
> 
> If it was your watch that was not keeping good time, we'd say "hodinky ti jdou špatně".  If it was his or her watch, then "hodinky mu/jí jdou špatně".  It's one of the functions of the dative case.
> 
> More examples:
> Umřel *mi* papoušek - *my* parrot has died; porouchalo se *mi* auto - *my* car has broken down; blbne *m*i počítač - *my* computer's _going wrong _/ _doing stupid things _/ _on the blink _/ _playing up / acting strangely_; ruplo/prasklo *mi *v zádech - I've put *my *back out; I've done *my* back in; I've hurt *my* back; ruply* mi* nervy - I flipped, I lost *my* nerve, I went berserk, I lost it, I cracked (etc, according to context.)
> 
> In the original phrase you asked about - je mi smutno - the "mi" is, again, the dative short-form personal pronoun of já, but it doesn't indicate possession in this sense; this impersonal construction is used for physical or mental states or feelings.
> 
> Je mi teplo - I'm hot. Už mi to nemyslí - I can't think straight/properly any more. Je ti něco? - Is something the matter (with you)? Is there something wrong (with you)?  Nic mi není - there's nothing wrong (with me), I'm okay.  Není mi dobře - I'm not feeling well.
> 
> You said you don't have many learning materials available, so let me refer you to Karel Tahal's online Czech grammar here (source: factumcz.cz), and the Czech pages of speakenglish.co.uk here, where you can find useful Czech phrases for lots of situations.



WOW, you are so awesome! That's quite detailed!


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## Odriski

And thanks for your online PDF, *Enquiring Mind*!


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## chondrinenigma

I have found it helpful (as an English speaker) to think of 'mi' in cases like 'hodinky mi jdou blbě' as 'on me'.  Maybe not in this particular example, but 'the computer broke down on me' , eg. I was the victim of the computer's breakdown.  'ukradl mi peněženku', 'he stole my wallet on me', he took it from me against my will (again, I am the unwilling victim of this action while the wallet is the direct object, the thing that was stolen)

It is usually the case that the person in the 3rd case is either the victim or the person being influenced by another person or by the surroundings.  'Je mi zima', it is cold (here, in the surroundings) and it is making me cold.  'jsem zima' means, if I'm not mistaken, means that my body is physically cold, meaning that I'm dead.


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## nueby

chondrinenigma said:


> 'jsem zima' means, if I'm not mistaken, means that my body is physically cold, meaning that I'm dead.



Actually 'jsem zima' means 'I am winter.' Jsem studený would be the meaning you were after.


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## George1992

Můžete říct:

"Tobě jdou špatně hodinky" nebo "Jdou ti špatně hodinky"
"Mně jdou špatně hodinky" nebo "Jdou mi špatně hodinky" 
"Jemu jdou špatně hodinky" nebo "Jdou mu špatně hodinky" 

A tak dále...


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## francisgranada

nueby said:


> Actually 'jsem zima' means 'I am winter.' Jsem studený would be the meaning you were after.


... or perhaps also "I am the coldness". Unlike in English, in Czech the adjectives formally always differ from the nouns, e.g. _zima _is a noun and _zimní _is an adjective from the noun _zima_.


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