jsou

Jsou is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Czech verb být, meaning "to be." It is used to state that multiple subjects exist or share a state, identity, or characteristic. In standard Czech, the present tense of být is já jsem, ty jsi, on/ona/ono je, my jsme, vy jste, oni/ony/ona jsou; thus, "jsou" corresponds to the English "they are."

The form is used with all plural subjects, regardless of gender. Its usage appears in predicative constructions such as "Jsou studenti" (They are students), "Jsou unavení" (They are tired), and in clauses describing location or state, for example "Jsou doma" (They are at home). In negation, the same verb form is negated with "ne": "Nejsou tady klíče" (The keys are not here).

Frequency and syntax notes: "jsou" often appears after a subject noun or pronoun and can be preceded by an attribute or adjective. Czech syntax allows flexible word order in declarative statements, but the basic predicative role of "jsou" remains constant. There is also a contracted negative form "nejsou" used to deny existence or state in the plural.

Etymology and related forms: jsou is a core inflected form of the verb být, which denotes existence or identity in the present tense. The verb bývá in other tenses and moods, and the basic meaning of "to be" appears across the language family, with distinct forms in related Slavic languages.