Czech is spoken by 11 million people in the Czech Republic. A West Slavic language written in a Latin alphabet enriched with hacek (carons), it precisely distinguishes formal and informal address. From Prague to the Giant Mountains, this kit gives you the bare minimum to find your way in the country of Kafka and Kundera.
Czech (cestina) is the official language of the Czech Republic, spoken by around 11 million people. A West Slavic language belonging to the same branch as Polish and Slovak, Czech is so close to Slovak that the two languages remain largely mutually intelligible. Czech is written in a Latin alphabet enhanced with specific diacritics: the small v-shaped hacek (š, č, ž, ř) that modify pronunciation, and the acute accents that mark long vowels. The letter ř, unique in the world, combines a rolled r and a fricative and remains one of the most difficult sounds for non-natives. Czech grammar uses seven cases and three genders, which makes it a rich but demanding language. But for the traveller, the essentials come down to a few polite formulas, mastering the pair 'Dobry den' (formal hello) and 'Na shledanou' (formal goodbye). Czech culture is marked by absurdist humour, a dense literature (Kafka, Hasek, Kundera, Havel), a recognized cinema (the Czech New Wave of the 1960s) and a thousand-year brewing tradition that places the Czech Republic at the top of world per-capita beer consumers. Prague, Brno, Cesky Krumlov and spa towns like Karlovy Vary attract millions of travellers every year. This kit gathers the bare essentials to handle an arrival in Prague, a tram ride, an order in a traditional hospoda, a medical emergency and a smooth departure. Memorize these expressions before leaving and you will gain confidence from the very first hours on site.
Here is how these phrases play out in real life. Each scene sets the stage and gathers the useful expressions.
You land at Prague Vaclav Havel airport in mid-morning. The agent at the counter greets you with a polite 'Dobry den'. You return his formal greeting and thank him on the way out ('Dekuji') before heading to the exit.
You get into an official taxi to reach your hotel in Stare Mesto. The driver asks who you are (kdo), where you are going (kde) and at what time (kdy) you wish to arrive. You show him the address on your phone.
You enter a traditional hospoda in the early evening to taste a Pilsen beer. You greet with a 'Dobry vecer' and the waitress seats you. At the end of the meal, you stand up wishing her 'Dobrou noc' and take leave with 'Na shledanou'.
You feel unwell after a long afternoon walking through old Prague. At the pharmacy, you thank with 'Dekuji', repeat 'Diky' with a smile, apologize for your limited Czech ('Prominte') while asking for an appropriate medicine.
At reception on the morning of departure, you ask 'Jak se mate?' to the concierge you got along with. You explain that you don't understand everything ('Nerozumim') then ask if she speaks English ('Mluvite anglicky?'). She accepts with a smiling 'Ano'.
What you need to know before travelling to a tchèque-speaking country.
Czech strictly distinguishes informal 'tykani' from formal 'vykani'. With a stranger, a shopkeeper or an older person, always use the polite 'vy' form and wait to be invited to switch to 'ty'.
Greeting when entering a shop, an elevator or a waiting room is expected. A simple 'Dobry den' is enough. Not greeting comes across as rudeness, not shyness.
At restaurants, a 10 percent tip is standard and given by rounding up. Announce the total amount to the waiter when they come to collect, rather than leaving coins on the table.
Beer is part of daily culture. The Czech Republic is the world's top per-capita beer consumer. Ordering a 'pivo' with a meal is almost automatic, even at lunchtime on a weekday.
Czechs value punctuality. Arriving exactly on time for an appointment, dinner or visit is the norm. Five minutes early beats one minute late.
Never confuse Czech and Russian. The country lived through the Soviet occupation of 1968 and remains sensitive on the subject. Czech is written in the Latin alphabet, never in Cyrillic.
Hacek (v-shaped diacritics) deeply change pronunciation: š reads 'sh', č reads 'ch', ž reads like French 'j'. Ignoring them makes words unrecognizable.
In Prague, avoid tourist exchange offices with unfavorable rates. ATMs of major banks (CSOB, KB, Ceska sporitelna) offer better rates and accept all European cards.
Preview. The full glossary (30 words) and all the phrases are in the PDF.
Ne
no
já
I, me
ty
you (informal singular)
on
he
ona
she
ono
it
my
we
vy
you (formal or plural)
oni
they (masculine animate)
ony
they (feminine/inanimate)
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Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.
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