"I cannot see my parents' car."

Translation: Auto svých rodičů nevidím.

[pro.stup]

proč nejde "nemůžu vidět auto mých rodičů"

[kacenka9]

Protoze ten doslovny preklad neni vyznamem ekvivalentni. Nemuzu videt... cesky znamena, ze mezi vami a autem stoji dum nebo zed a proste je nemozne to auto videt. Cannot see... ale znamena, ze to auto nevidite, protoze zmizelo, blbe koukate nebo neco podobneho, ale pritom ocekavate, ze byste jej videt mel. Anglictina pouziva u slyseni, videni pomocne can, ale pritom to vyznamove neni vlastne dulezite.

[dsarkarati]

"Nevidím" means "I don't see." Why can't we include "I cannot" with "nemůžeme" and respond "nemůžeme vidět"?

[Zygro]

It's first person singular, not plural, so it would be "nemůžu vidět". Not sure if it's accepted though.

[JanLyko]

"Nemůžu vidět" is gramatically correct, but hardly understandable. Czech simply does not use such binding. "Nevidím" is the closest translation.

[QuoErratDemo5tor]

Sorry, "I cannot see" and "I do not see" describe different situations.

And "hardly understandable" probably means "rarely used", n'est-ce pas? But what do you mean with "such binding"? (Does it mean a "u" followed by a "v", like in "mluvit"?)

I see some points:

• if it is correct, gramatically correct answers should be accepted

• if it is incorrect, I need a better explanation and whether it is a general case or where else it applies.

• why does DL provide such a sentence instead of "I do not see my parents' car."

[VladaFu]

Do not use "nemůže vidět". Czech native speakers do not speak like that. Period. It can be used in some very specific circumstances. If there is an obstruction, you normally use "nevidí".

[p8c]

oops- vladafu, small typo 'lie' for 'like' just a slip of the keystroke (do not speak lie that. )

[Anne965407]

Why svých not mých?

[VladaFu]

Mých is possible but svých is preferred when possible, unless you really try to stress they are YOUR parrents, because you probably do see the cars of other parents.

[David-2112]

How come "nemuzu videt" didn't work. Only "nevidim" works

[AgnusOinas]

"nemůžu vidět" is close to "I am unable to see". It's never used when you just don't/can't see something.

[nueby]

Always lots of feedback about not translating the "can" with perception verbs to Czech. The issue is mostly on the English side. From "A Concise Grammar of Contemporary English" by Quirk & Greenbaum (1973):

With some perception verbs (3.35), can V corresponds to the progressive aspect be V-ing with dynamic verbs:

I can hear footsteps; who's coming?

And 3.35 does include "see".