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Was / were: minulý čas slovesa býtWas and were: the past of the verb be

Minulý čas slovesa být (to be) má v angličtině jen dva tvary: was a were. Přesto v nich Češi dělají pořád stejné chyby: I were, Was you…?, I didn't was, I had hunger. Tady je přehled tvarů, zápor bez didn't, otázky a krátké odpovědi, there was / there were, kdy čeština „má“ a angličtina „je“ — a 120 cvičení s okamžitou kontrolou.

The past of the verb be has only two forms: was and were. Still, learners keep making the same mistakes: I were, Was you…?, I didn't was, I had hunger. Here is an overview of the forms, the negative without didn't, questions and short answers, there was / there were, be with hungry, cold and age — and 110 self-checking exercises.

A1120 cvičení s kontrolou110 self-checking exercisesVýklad česky i anglickyExplanation in EnglishZdarmaFree
Výklad:Explanation:
Věty ke cvičení jsou vždy anglicky.Practice sentences are always in English.

Was / were — přehled tvarůWas / were — overview of the forms

Celý minulý čas slovesa být na jednom místě: kladná věta, zápor a otázka pro všechny osoby, na slově tired (unavený).

The whole past of be in one place: positive, negative and question for every person, with the word tired.

osobapersonkladná větapositivezápornegativeotázkaquestion
II was tiredI wasn't tiredWas I tired?
youyou were tiredyou weren't tiredWere you tired?
he / she / itshe was tiredshe wasn't tiredWas she tired?
wewe were tiredwe weren't tiredWere we tired?
theythey were tiredthey weren't tiredWere they tired?
I / he / she / it → wasyou / we / they → were

Přítomný čas (am, is, are) a celé časování najdeš u slovesa to be.

The present (am, is, are) and all the forms are on the verb to be page.

Was, nebo were? I was, you wereWas or were? I was, you were

Česky má každá osoba svůj tvar (byl jsem, byl jsi, byli jsme…), anglicky stačí dva. Rozhoduje, kdo je podmět: jeden člověk nebo věc → was, víc lidí nebo věcí → were. A you má vždycky were, i když mluvíš s jedním člověkem.

There are just two forms. The subject decides: one person or thing → was, more people or things → were. And you always takes were, even when you talk to one person.

kdosubjectpříkladyexamples
jeden člověkone personmy uncle was, Lucy was, the teacher was
jedna věcone thingthe soup was, my phone was, it was
víc lidímore peoplemy uncles were, Lucy and Tom were, the teachers were
víc věcímore thingsthe shoes were, my keys were, they were
já a někdosomeone and ITom and I were = we were
everybody / everyoneeverybody was (jako jedensingular)
You = vždycky wereYou = always were

You were great, Anna! — ne You was great.You were great, Anna! — not You was great.

Tom and I = weTom and I = we

Tom and I were at school. — ne Tom and I was.Tom and I were at school. — not Tom and I was.

Zápor: wasn't a weren't — bez didn'tThe negative: wasn't and weren't — no didn't

Sloveso be si zápor udělá samo: za was / were přidáš not. Stažené tvary jsou wasn't a weren't. Didn't sem nepatří — to je zápor pro ostatní slovesa (I didn't go, she didn't eat).

The verb be makes its own negative: add not after was / were. The short forms are wasn't and weren't. Didn't doesn't belong here — it is the negative for other verbs (I didn't go, she didn't eat).

stažený tvarshort formdlouhý tvarlong formchybamistake
I / he / she / itI wasn't readyI was not readyI didn't was ready
you / we / theywe weren't readywe were not readywe didn't be ready

Otázky s was / were a krátké odpovědiQuestions with was / were and short answers

V otázce se was / were přesune před podmět: She was late. → Was she late? Tázací slovo (where, why, how, who, what) jde ještě před něj: Why was she late? Did se nepoužívá. Česky pozná otázku jen hlas (Byl jsi doma?), anglicky pořadí slov.

In a question was / were moves before the subject: She was late. → Was she late? A question word (where, why, how, who, what) goes before that: Why was she late? No did.

Were you…? Was she…?Where were you? How was it?nenot Where you were? Did you were?

Krátké odpovědi: Yes, I was. No, they weren't.Short answers: Yes, I was. No, they weren't.

Na otázku s was / were se neodpovídá jen Yes nebo No — zopakuje se podmět a was / were. Na Were you…? odpovídáš za sebe: I was.

A short answer repeats the subject and was / were. A Were you…? question gets an answer about yourself: I was.

otázkaquestionanoyesneno
Were you at home?Yes, I was.No, I wasn't.
Was Martin at home?Yes, he was.No, he wasn't.
Was the room clean?Yes, it was.No, it wasn't.
Were the kids at home?Yes, they were.No, they weren't.

Měl jsem hlad, byla mi zima, bylo mi 20: anglicky beHungry, cold, 20 years old: English uses be

Kde čeština říká mít (hlad, žízeň, strach, pravdu, štěstí, zpoždění) nebo je mi (zima, horko, dvacet), angličtina používá be. V minulosti tedy was / were — nikdy had.

With hunger, thirst, fear, being right, luck, being late, feeling cold or hot and with age, English uses be. In the past that means was / were — never had.

českyanglickyEnglishvzorecpattern
Měl jsem hlad.I was hungry.be + hungry
Měla žízeň.She was thirsty.be + thirsty
Byla mi zima. / Bylo mi horko.I was cold. / I was hot.be + cold, hot
Bylo mu dvacet (let).He was twenty. / He was twenty years old.be + 20 (years old)
Měli jsme zpoždění.We were late.be + late
Měl jsi pravdu.You were right.be + right
Bála se. / Měla strach.She was afraid.be + afraid
Měli jsme štěstí.We were lucky.be + lucky
Spěchal jsem.I was in a hurry.be + in a hurry
Narodila se v Brně.She was born in Brno.be + born
VěkAge

I was 20. nebo I was 20 years old. — ne I had 20 years, ne I was 20 years.I was 20. or I was 20 years old. — not I had 20 years, not I was 20 years.

Zima člověku × zima venkuFeeling cold × cold weather

Byla mi zima = I was cold. Venku byla zima = It was cold.I felt cold = I was cold. The weather was cold = It was cold.

There was, nebo there were? „Bylo tam…“ anglickyThere was or there were?

Když říkáš, že něco někde bylo (existovalo), anglicky je to there was pro jednu věc a there were pro víc věcí. Česká věta „Bylo tam hodně lidí“ není It was many people, ale There were a lot of people.

To say that something existed somewhere, use there was for one thing and there were for more than one: There were a lot of people, not It was many people.

kdywhenpříkladexample
there wasjedna věc, nepočitatelnéone thing, uncountableThere was a cat on the wall. There was some milk.
there werevíc věcí nebo lidímore things or peopleThere were ten people in the room.
there wasn't / weren'tzápornegativeThere wasn't any coffee. There weren't any chairs.
Was there…? / Were there…?otázkaquestionWas there a lift? Were there any taxis?

Was / were + -ing: to už je jiný časWas / were + -ing is a different tense

I was cooking, they were playing — was / were se slovesem na -ing tvoří past continuous (minulý čas průběhový), ne prostý minulý čas slovesa být. Kdy ho použít a proč ne vždycky, se dozvíš na stránce past simple, nebo past continuous?

I was cooking, they were playing — was / were with an -ing verb is the past continuous, a different tense. When to use it is on the past simple or past continuous? page.

Minulý čas ostatních sloves (worked, went, didn't go, Did you…?) najdeš v lekci past simple — minulý čas v angličtině.

The past of other verbs (worked, went, didn't go, Did you…?) is in the past simple lesson.

Was / were v překladu: z češtiny do angličtiny

Než přeložíš, najdi podmět: I, he, she, it → was, you, we, they → were. Pak se zeptej: je to zápor (wasn't / weren't), otázka (was / were dopředu), nebo „bylo tam“ (there was / were)?

českyanglicky
Byl jsem doma.I was at home.
Nebyli jsme unavení.We weren't tired.
Byla jsi tam?Were you there?
Měl jsem zpoždění.I was late.
Bylo tam hodně aut.There were a lot of cars.

Chyby, které dělají Češi s was / wereCommon mistakes with was / were

Was místo were a naopakWas instead of were, and the other way round
  • I were at home. → I was at home.
  • You was right. → You were right.
  • My parents was there. → My parents were there.
Did navícAn extra did
  • I didn't was there. → I wasn't there.
  • Did you were there? → Were you there?
Pořadí v otázceWord order in questions
  • Was you at work? → Were you at work?
  • Where you were? → Where were you?
Had místo be, years bez oldHad instead of be, years without old
  • I had hunger. → I was hungry.
  • I had 20 years. / I was 20 years. → I was 20 (years old).
It was místo there wasIt was instead of there was
  • It was a lot of people there. → There were a lot of people.
  • There were a problem. → There was a problem.
Krátká odpověďShort answers
  • Were you there? — Yes, I were. → Yes, I was.
  • Was it good? — No, it didn't. → No, it wasn't.

Was / were cvičení: závěrečný testWas / were exercises: final test

Was / were — cvičení s řešenímWas / were — answer key

Klíč ke všem 120 úlohám na stránce. Když chceš cvičit, řešení si otevři až potom.

Answers to all 110 exercises on this page. If you want to practise, open them only afterwards.

Was, nebo were?Was or were? · 12
  1. was — my aunt, it, our teacher, this street, Grandma, I
  2. were — the twins, you, Lucy and Ben, her new boots, we, the neighbours
Doplň was, nebo wereFill in was or were · 12
  1. Lucy was in the garden all afternoon.
  2. Ben and his dad were in the queue for an hour.
  3. You were brilliant in the school play, Anna!
  4. The pizza was cold when it arrived.
  5. Her grandparents were farmers in the south.
  6. I was the only girl in the chess club.
  7. My keys were in my jacket the whole time.
  8. Mr Black was our neighbour for ten years.
  9. We were so tired after the long drive.
  10. The museum tickets were free on Sunday.
  11. Kate's brother was very shy as a child.
  12. Everyone in the room was quiet.
Wasn't, weren't, nebo didn't?Wasn't, weren't or didn't? · 10
  1. Tom wasn't at football practice on Tuesday.
  2. The trains weren't on time this morning.
  3. She didn't eat her breakfast today.
  4. My friends weren't very interested in the match.
  5. I wasn't sure about the answer.
  6. We didn't know the name of the hotel.
  7. The test wasn't as hard as I expected.
  8. You weren't in class yesterday, Mark.
  9. Dad didn't have his glasses with him.
  10. Those jeans weren't my size.
Wasn't, nebo weren't?Wasn't or weren't? · 10
  1. Sorry, Emma wasn't at her desk when you rang.
  2. The shops weren't busy on Monday morning.
  3. I wasn't hungry, so I skipped lunch.
  4. My sisters weren't pleased with their exam results.
  5. The bus wasn't full, so we sat together.
  6. You weren't late — the film started at eight.
  7. Jack wasn't in a good mood after the game.
  8. Our seats weren't very comfortable.
  9. It wasn't my idea to go camping.
  10. Mia and Leo weren't at school last Thursday.
Slož otázkuBuild the question · 10
  1. Were you at the doctor's this morning? Byl jsi dnes ráno u doktora?
  2. Was your sister at home on Sunday? Byla tvoje sestra v neděli doma?
  3. Where were the kids at lunchtime? Kde byly děti v poledne?
  4. Was the concert worth the money? Stál ten koncert za ty peníze?
  5. Why were you so angry? Proč jsi byla tak naštvaná?
  6. How was your trip to Vienna? Jaký byl tvůj výlet do Vídně?
  7. Were there many people at the market? Bylo na trhu hodně lidí?
  8. Who was your first teacher? Kdo byl tvůj první učitel?
  9. Was Peter with you last night? Byl s tebou včera večer Petr?
  10. What was the weather like in Italy? Jaké bylo počasí v Itálii?
Krátké odpovědi: Yes, I was. No, they weren't.Short answers: Yes, I was. No, they weren't. · 10
  1. Was Helen at the party? — Yes, she was.
  2. Were the tickets expensive? — No, they weren't.
  3. Was the lesson interesting? — Yes, it was.
  4. Were you and Sam in the same team? — Yes, we were.
  5. Was your grandfather a pilot? — No, he wasn't.
  6. Were you tired after the trip, Lily? — No, I wasn't.
  7. Was I right? — Yes, you were.
  8. Were your neighbours noisy last night? — Yes, they were.
  9. Was the hotel near the beach? — No, it wasn't.
  10. Were Mum and Dad at home? — No, they weren't.
Měl jsem hlad = I was hungryHungry, cold, late: use be · 10
  1. After the swim, Clara was very hungry.
  2. I was cold, so I put on my scarf.
  3. My son was seven when he started school.
  4. Paul, you were right — the shop was closed.
  5. We were late for the train because of the snow.
  6. The children were afraid of the big dog.
  7. I was lucky — I found a parking space right away.
  8. Grandma was thirsty, so I made her some tea.
  9. How old were you in this photo?
  10. Sorry, I was in a hurry this morning.
There was, there were, nebo it was?There was, there were or it was? · 10
  1. There was a strange smell in the kitchen.
  2. There were two cats on the roof.
  3. It was very windy yesterday.
  4. There were lots of children at the zoo.
  5. There was no bread left in the shop.
  6. We saw the new Bond film. It was really good.
  7. There were three new students in our class.
  8. There was an accident on the motorway this morning.
  9. There were too many cars in the centre.
  10. There was a long queue at the post office.
Z češtiny do angličtinyFrom Czech into English · 10
  1. Byli jsme na pláži celý den. → We were on the beach all day.
  2. Nebyla jsem nervózní. → I wasn't nervous before the interview.
  3. Po škole jsme měli hlad. → We were hungry after school.
  4. Bylo mu třicet, když se přestěhoval do Kanady. → He was thirty when he moved to Canada.
  5. Byl tvůj bratr na svatbě? → Was your brother at the wedding?
  6. Kde byli tví kamarádi o prázdninách? → Where were your friends during the summer holidays?
  7. Na stole byla krabice. → There was a box on the table.
  8. V parku bylo pět psů. → There were five dogs in the park.
  9. Bála se tmy. → She was afraid of the dark.
  10. Ten dort nebyl sladký. → The cake wasn't sweet.
Správně, nebo špatně?Right or wrong? · 14
  1. I were at my cousin's house on Saturday. → I was at my cousin's house on Saturday.
  2. Was you happy with the result? → Were you happy with the result?
  3. Lisa was 25 when she got married. ✓
  4. My grandpa was 80 years. → My grandpa was 80. / My grandpa was 80 years old.
  5. We had hungry after the match. → We were hungry after the match.
  6. There were a cat under the car. → There was a cat under the car.
  7. It was many cars in the street. → There were many cars in the street.
  8. Where were you on your birthday? ✓
  9. Did your boss was in the office today? → Was your boss in the office today?
  10. Were the girls ready? — Yes, they was. → Were the girls ready? — Yes, they were.
  11. The boys weren't in the park when I got there. ✓
  12. My mum didn't be at work yesterday. → My mum wasn't at work yesterday.
  13. Where you were last weekend? → Where were you last weekend?
  14. Daniel was cold, so he closed the window. ✓
Závěrečný testFinal test · 12
  1. My parents were in Spain last summer.
  2. Was your brother at the match yesterday?
  3. I didn't laugh once — the film wasn't funny at all.
  4. Olivia was twelve when she learned to swim.
  5. There was a lot of snow last winter.
  6. Were you at the library yesterday? — No, I wasn't.
  7. We were cold in the tent at night.
  8. Why were the shops closed on Monday?
  9. Eva and I were good friends at school.
  10. My phone wasn't in my bag — it was on the kitchen table.
  11. Was it sunny in Croatia?
  12. I was worried about you all day!

Chceš víc? V aplikaci VocabMint si procvičíš gramatiku i vlastní slovíčka s opakováním v čase — na webu i v telefonu.Want more? Practise grammar and your own vocabulary with spaced repetition in the VocabMint app — on the web and on your phone.

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Was / were (minulý čas slovesa být) — časté otázkyWas / were — frequently asked questions

Kdy se píše was a kdy were?When do you use was and when were?

was patří k I, he, she, it a k jednomu člověku nebo věci (my dad was, the film was). were patří k you, we, they a k víc lidem nebo věcem (my parents were, the shops were). Jiné tvary minulý čas slovesa být nemá.

was goes with I, he, she, it and one person or thing (my dad was, the film was). were goes with you, we, they and more people or things (my parents were, the shops were). The past of be has no other forms.

Proč se říká you were, i když mluvím s jedním člověkem?Why is it you were, even for one person?

Anglické you je pro jednoho i pro víc lidí a sloveso má vždycky jako množné číslo: you are, you were. Tvar you was je chyba, i když česky řekneš „byl jsi“.

English you is the same for one person and for many, and the verb is always plural: you are, you were. You was is a mistake.

Jak se tvoří zápor was a were?How do you make was and were negative?

Za was / were se přidá not: I wasn't (was not), they weren't (were not). Žádné did: ne I didn't was, ne I didn't be. Didn't patří jen k jiným slovesům: I didn't go.

Add not after was / were: I wasn't (was not), they weren't (were not). No did: not I didn't was, not I didn't be. Didn't goes only with other verbs: I didn't go.

Jak se ptát s was a were?How do you ask questions with was and were?

Was / were jde před podmět: You were at home. → Were you at home? S tázacím slovem: Where were you? Why was she late? Ne Where you were? a ne Did you were…?

Was / were goes before the subject: You were at home. → Were you at home? With a question word: Where were you? Why was she late? Not Where you were? and not Did you were…?

Jak odpovědět krátce na otázku s was / were?How do you give a short answer with was / were?

Zopakuje se jen was / were: Were you tired? — Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't. Was the film good? — Yes, it was. Na otázku Were you…? odpovídáš za sebe: I was.

Repeat only was / were: Were you tired? — Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't. Was the film good? — Yes, it was. A Were you…? question gets an answer about yourself: I was.

Jak se řekne „měl jsem hlad“ nebo „byla mi zima“?How do you say you were hungry or cold?

Anglicky je to sloveso be: I was hungry (měl jsem hlad), I was cold (byla mi zima), I was late (měl jsem zpoždění), You were right (měl jsi pravdu), She was afraid (bála se). Ne I had hunger, ne It was cold to me.

English uses be: I was hungry, I was cold, I was late, You were right, She was afraid. Not I had hunger, not It was cold to me.

Jak se řekne „bylo mi 20 let“?How do you say your age in the past?

I was 20, nebo I was 20 years old. Ne I had 20 years a ne I was 20 years — samotné years bez old nestačí.

I was 20, or I was 20 years old. Not I had 20 years and not I was 20 years — years without old is wrong.

Jaký je rozdíl mezi there was a there were?What is the difference between there was and there were?

There was = byl / byla / bylo tam něco jednoho (nebo nepočitatelného): There was a dog in the garden. There was a lot of snow. There were = bylo tam víc věcí nebo lidí: There were five dogs. Česká věta „Bylo tam hodně lidí“ není It was many people, ale There were a lot of people.

There was = one thing (or something uncountable) existed: There was a dog in the garden. There was a lot of snow. There were = more than one: There were five dogs. Not It was many people, but There were a lot of people.

Co znamená was / were + -ing?What does was / were + -ing mean?

To je jiný čas — past continuous (minulý čas průběhový): I was cooking when the phone rang. Kdy ho použít místo past simple, je na stránce past simple, nebo past continuous?

That is a different tense — the past continuous: I was cooking when the phone rang. When to use it instead of the past simple is on the past simple or past continuous? page.

Další lekce angličtinyMore English lessons

Všechny lekce gramatiky najdeš v přehledu angličtina — lekce a cvičení.

All grammar lessons are in the English lessons and exercises overview.

Sloveso to beThe verb to be

Am, is, are, was, were — celé časování na jednom místě.Am, is, are, was, were — all the forms in one place.

She isn't at home.OtevřítOpen →

Past simple × past continuous

Was / were + -ing: I cooked, nebo I was cooking?Was / were + -ing: I cooked or I was cooking?

I was cooking when…OtevřítOpen →

Nepravidelná slovesaIrregular verbs

Went, had, saw… minulý čas dalších sloves.Went, had, saw… the past of other verbs.

be · was / were · beenOtevřítOpen →

Další lekce angličtiny

Všechny lekce angličtiny →
Přítomný čas

Present simple

She works. He doesn't work.

Tvary, -s a -es, don't / doesn't, always a never — a 127 cvičení.

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A1A2B1B2C1
16. 10. 2026
Přítomný čas

Otázky v present simple

Does she work here?

Do, nebo does, slovosled, tázací slova a krátké odpovědi: Yes, I do.

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30. 9. 2026
Minulé časyNové

Past simple

I worked. She didn't go. Did you see it?

Minulý čas prostý: -ed, nepravidelná slovesa, didn't, did a two days ago.

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22. 10. 2026