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.
Skip 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.
