Basic Czech Phrases and Pronunciation Guide

Learn a few Czech phrases before you visit Prague and your travel experience will be much richer.

screenshot of phrases to downloadPhrases and pronunciation guide

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.

You can also download these phrases and chart in PDF format.

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 sh in 'she'
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 morning. Dobré ráno.
Good evening. Dobrý večer.
Good night. Dobrou noc.
Good bye. Na shledanou.
Hi. (informal) Ahoj.

Please and Thank you

Thank you. Děkuji vám.
Please. Prosím vás.
You're welcome. Prosím.
Excuse me. Sdovolením.
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 máte?
I am well, thanks. Mám se dobře.

Directions

Do you have a map? Máte mapu?
Where is... Kde je...
Go straight ahead. Jděte rovně.
Turn left / right. Zatočte vlevo / vpravo.
behind / in front of za / před
far / near / across
 daleko / blízko / naproti

Getting Around

Where is the bus stop? Kde je autobusová zastávka?
Where is the tram stop? Kde je tramvajová zastáka?
Where is the metro station? Kde je stanice metra?
Where can I buy tickets? Kde můžu koupit jízdenky?

At the Restaurant

What will you have? Co si dáte?
I will have... Já si dám...
Check please. Záplatím.
Is the tip included?
 Je v tom zahrnuto spropitné?
food / drinks jídlo / napoje
beer / wine pivo / víno

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 lékárna
dentist zubař
hospital nemocnice
Help! Pomoc!

Feel free to download this page (pdf format) and study up before you arrive in Prague. It's a great travel companion!

The language might seem strange at first, but once you have a chance to hold and study the page, you won't feel so intimidated.

So, get out there and say something in Czech... please, thank you... Anything!

We hope these words and Czech phrases are helpful. If you have a suggestion to add to the list we would love to hear it.

Or, if you have a particular concern or question regarding Czech language or pronunciation, please feel free to contact me.

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