Czech Language & Basic Phrases
Czech Language
Czech is one of the West Slavic languages, along with Slovak, Polish, and Lusatian Sorbian. It is spoken by most people in the Czech Republic and by Czechs all over the world (about 12 million native speakers in total). Czech is quite close to and mutually intelligible with Slovak and, to a lesser degree, to Polish or to Sorbian in East Germany. As for the relationship between Czech and Slovak, speakers of these languages usually understand the other language pretty well both in its written form and spoken. Apart from the Czech language, which is the language of 98% of the population
Czechs And Foreign Languages
Czechs can be divided into three groups: The first one, the older generation – above 80 years old, speaks German; the middle group, people between 40 and 80, should be able to talk to Russian as most of them studied it at school. Young people speak English. English is increasingly popular among the older generations, too – it’s the language of the online world and social media, as well as business and trade, and many people attend language courses to catch up with the rest of the world.
Learn Basic Czech Words
It pays to learn a few essential Czech words and phrases; you might get a more warm welcome by local people if you surprise them with Czech words on your lips:
Hi, Hello – (informal) Ahoj
Help – Pomoc
Please – Prosim (PRO-seem)
Thank you – Dekuji (D’-e-kwee-ee)
Yes – Ano (AW-no)
No – (Ne neh)
Hello – (Dobry den DOE-bree-den)
Goodbye – Na shledanou – (NA SKLE-dawn-o)
Do you speak English?- Mluvite anglicky? (MLOO-vee-tay awn-GLITS-kee?)
Good evening – Dobry vecer
Good night – Dobrou noc
One – Jeden (he), Jedna (she), Jedno (it) (YED-en, YED-na, YED-no )
Excuse me – Prominte (Pro-MIN-tay)
Where is …? – Kde je…? (GDAY ye … ?)
Where is the metro? – Kde je metro? (GDAY ye metro?)
Where is the bathroom? – Kde jsou toalety? (GDAY sow TOWA-aletty?)
One beer – Jedno pivo (YED-no pi-vo.)
Please, you are welcome – prosim (PRO-seem)
Another (beer), please – Jeste jedno (pivo), prosim (YESH-ty-e YED-no (pi-vo), PRO-seem)
How much does it cost? – Kolik to stoji? (Koe-LEEK toe STOY yee?)
Washroom, Toilet; – Zachod, WC
Currency exchange – Smenarna
I do not understand – Nerozumim
I need…- Potrebuju…
It is too expensive – To je moc drahe
Police – Policie
Thank you – Dekuju
Web tutorial
– A cleverly illustrated web tutorial is found at www.czechprimer.org.
