Basic Czech Phrases and
Pronunciation Guide
Learn a few Czech phrases before you visit Prague and your
travel
experience will be much richer. And, us locals will admire you all the
more!
This page provides a number of key Czech phrases and a pronunciation
guide to
get you started. Czech language can be incredibly difficult, but a few
phrases won't be too hard on your tongue.
Jump down to phrases.
Pronunciation Guide
If you take your time, Czech pronunciation can be
mastered. Well, okay, maybe that's a stretch. But, it can certainly be
managed. These tricks will help you manage the basics to being
understood.
Vowels
Each vowel can be short or long. The difference is that
the long vowels are sounded 1.5 times longer.
| a |
as the 'u' in but |
| á |
as the 'a' in father |
| e |
as the 'e' in bed |
| é |
as the 'ai' in air |
| ě |
as the 'ye' in yet |
| i and y |
as the 'i' in hit |
| í and ý |
as the 'i' in marine |
| o |
as the 'o' in okay |
| ó |
as
the 'oa' in boat |
| u |
as
the 'oo' in good |
| ú
and ů |
as the 'oo' in pool |
Consonants
Many consonants are similar to their English
counterparts. These are a few exceptions.
| c |
as
the 'ts' in bets |
| č |
as the 'ch' in cheap |
| ch |
as the 'ch' in Scottish loch |
| g |
as the 'g' in go |
| h |
as the 'h' in hard |
| j |
as the 'y' in yes |
| r |
a rolled hard 'r' |
| ř |
no English partner; it's easiest to just use
the 's' as in measure |
| š |
as the 'shine' |
| ž |
as the 's' in measure |
| ď and ť |
no
English partner; softened standard sound
with tongue flattened at roof of mouth |
Basic
Czech Phrases
Greetings are an essential part of culture and language. And, the most
important phrase of the Czech language is
Dobrý den - meaning
'Hello' or 'Good day'. Of all the Czech phrases, learn this one for
sure!
It's the first thing you say to someone - whether you're entering a
store or asking for directions.
Greetings
| Hello.
Good day. |
Dobrý
den. |
| Good
evening. |
Dobrý
večer. |
| Good
night. |
Dobrou
noc. |
| Good
bye. |
Na
shledanou. |
Please
and Thank You
|
Thank
you. |
Děkuji. |
| Please. |
Prosím Vás. |
| You're
welcome. |
Prosím. |
| Excuse
me. |
Pardon. |
| I'm
sorry. |
Promiňte. |
Language
| Do
you speak English? |
Mluvíte
anglicky? |
| I don't
speak Czech. |
Nemluvím
česky. |
| I
don't understand. |
Nerozumím. |
| Could you
write it down please? |
Můžete mi
to napsat, prosím? |
Social
Phrases
| What's
your name? |
Jak
se jmenujete? |
| My name
is... |
Jmenuji
se... |
| It's nice
to meet you. |
Těší mě. |
| How are
you? |
Jak se
mátě? |
| Well,
thanks. |
Děkuji
dobře. |
Directions
| Do
you have a map? |
Máté mapu? |
| Where
is... |
Kde je... |
| Go
straight ahead. |
Jděte
přímo. |
| Turn left
/ right. |
Zatočte
vlevo / vpravo. |
| behind |
za |
| in front
of |
před |
| far /
near / opposite |
daleko /
blízko / naproti |
Getting
Around
| Where
is the bus stop? |
Kde je
autobusová zastávka? |
| Where is
the tram stop? |
Kde je
tramvaj zastáka? |
| Where is
the metro station? |
Kde je
stanice metra? |
| Where can
I buy tickets? |
Kde můzu
koupit jízdenky? |
At
the Restaurant
| What
will you have? |
Co si
dáte? |
| I will
have... |
Ja si
dám... |
| Check
please. |
Záplatím. |
| food /
drinks |
jídlo /
napoje |
| beer /
wine |
pivo /
wine |
At
the Bank
| I
would like to exchange money. |
Chtěl
bych vyměnit peníze. |
| Where is
the bank? |
Kde je
banka? |
| Where is
the cash machine? |
Kde je
bankomat? |
Health
| I'm
sick. |
Jsem
nemocný. |
| I need a
doctor. |
Potřebuji
lékaře. |
| pharmacy |
lékarna |
| dentist |
zubař |
| hospital |
nemocnice |
| Help! |
Pomoc! |
I hope these Czech phrases are helpful. If you have a
suggestion to add to the list I would love to hear it. Or, if you have
a particular concern or Czech language question, please feel free to contact
us.
