Czech Word Order - Clitics

Clitics

Unstressed words form stress units with preceding stressed words. These are clitics. For rhythmical reasons, they can never be the first words in sentences. They usually have the second position after the first part of a sentence. If more than one clitic occurs in a sentence, the order is the following:

• the conjunction -li (if) – used predominantly in literal styles
• auxiliary verbs in preterite (past tense) – jsem, jsi, jsme, jste; and conditionals – bych, bys, by, bychom, byste
• short form of the reflexive pronoun – si, se
• short forms of personal pronouns in dative – mi, ti, mu,
• short forms of personal pronouns in accusative – mě, tě, ho, tu, to

Examples:

• Prohlížel jsem si ho. – I was looking at him. (I was studying him.)

((null-S) looked (V) at (aux. verb) myself (dat.) him (accus.).)

or:

• Já jsem si ho prohlížel. – I was looking at him.

(I (S) am (aux. verb) myself (dat.) him (accus.) looked (V).)

• Budeš-li se pilně učit … - If you learn (study) hard …

((null-S) Will (aux. verb) if yourself (accus.) diligently learn (V).)