"Matěj is waiting for food."

Translation: Matěj čeká na jídlo.

[cricketswool]

What would be wrong with "Matěj na jídlo čeká"?

[VladaFu]

Nothing at all. It just stress "čeká" so you are probably wondering that he hasn't left already given the long wait or something. Or you are surprised that he has to wait for food.

This sentence is missing more than just this particular variant.

[VladaFu]

Sorry your question mark inside the quotes misguided me. It is correct, just my explanation above is about a question "Matěj na jídlo čeká?", not about a declaration "Matěj na jídlo čeká.".

[cricketswool]

Thank you.

I apologize for the ambiguity. In American English, the rule is to put the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence inside the quotation marks, even though it can lead to confusion in cases like this. I didn't realize until now that the rest of the English-speaking world adopted a more logical convention over a century ago.

I'll edit my question to make the meaning clearer. Thanks again for your answer.

[Helenagvtierrez]

i don't really quite understand why my answer " Matej na ceka jidlo" was wrong. I read the notes saying "na" often brings a sense of direction to the action described by the verb toward the object.

[BoneheadBass]

It is the construction čekat na that means "to wait for." The thing that is being waited for should follow the preposition na. Just as, in English, you would not say, "Matěj for is waiting food."