jste

Jste is the present-tense second-person form of the Czech verb být, meaning to be. It corresponds to the English phrase you are and is used with either the plural you or the formal singular you in Czech.

In Czech, the subject pronoun vy is often omitted in everyday speech, but when it is present, jste agrees with it. The form is used for both plural you and formal singular you. For example: Jste připraveni? (Are you ready?), Vy jste učitelé. (You are teachers / you are the teachers.), or Už jste doma. (You are home already.)

Jste is part of the irregular verb být, which has several unique present-tense forms: jsem, jsi, je, jsme, jste, jsou. This irregularity is a characteristic feature of the verb and the present tense in Czech, affecting how questions, statements, and polite address are formed.

Pronunciation of jste is commonly rendered as [ˈjstɛ]. The word often appears in questions, statements, and formal or polite direct address, and it can stand alone as a predicate in short responses, such as Ano, jsme; Ne, nejsme; or simply Jste? in inquiry.

Overall, jste is a fundamental, high-frequency form used to indicate existence or state directed at the listener(s), reflecting both plural and formal singular address in Czech grammar.