How to Identify This Pattern
Masculine nouns referring to things/concepts, ending in a hard consonant. The genitive singular ends in -u (or sometimes -a for older/formal words).
Ending Pattern
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom(Nominative) | -∅ | -y |
| Gen(Genitive) | -u | -ů |
| Acc(Accusative) | -∅ | -y |
| Dat(Dative) | -u | -ům |
Model word: hrad
Why This Pattern Matters
Unlike animate masculines, inanimate nouns keep the same form in nominative and accusative. This simpler pattern covers most everyday objects. The genitive -u is your signal that this isn't a person/animal.
Common Mistakes
Mixing up genitive endings: using -a (animate) instead of -u (inanimate). 'Without the house' is 'bez domu', not *'bez doma'.
Example Nouns
dům
house
Nom
dům
Gen
domu
stůl
table
Nom
stůl
Gen
stolu
telefon
phone
Nom
telefon
Gen
telefonu
počítač
computer
Nom
počítač
Gen
počítače
Note: Soft variant ending in -č
hrad
castle
Nom
hrad
Gen
hradu
Full Declension Tables
dům(house)Masculine Inanimate
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom(Nominative) | dům | domy |
| Gen(Genitive) | domu | domů |
| Acc(Accusative) | dům | domy |
| Dat(Dative) | domu | domům |
stůl(table)Masculine Inanimate
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom(Nominative) | stůl | stoly |
| Gen(Genitive) | stolu | stolů |
| Acc(Accusative) | stůl | stoly |
| Dat(Dative) | stolu | stolům |
telefon(phone)Masculine Inanimate
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom(Nominative) | telefon | telefony |
| Gen(Genitive) | telefonu | telefonů |
| Acc(Accusative) | telefon | telefony |
| Dat(Dative) | telefonu | telefonům |