Congratulations! You’ve reached the intermediate level in Czech and are now ready to learn some intermediate Czech vocabulary. I bet you feel great about this accomplishment. 

Let me tell you, this is way bigger than it looks. Not a lot of people actually stick with it and keep their motivation high. That means you should give yourself a pat on the back—you’re above average, super committed, and on your way up to fluency.

We have an expression in Czech (it’s actually a compound noun): Věčný začátečník / “The perpetual beginner.” Since you’re reading this article, it’s plain as day that you’re far beyond those murky waters and sticky mud.

According to the Foreign Service Institute, Czech is a Level III language, which means it takes 44 weeks or 1100 hours to get past the basics and reach the intermediate (conversational) level. You made it!

I hope you popped a bottle of champagne (or at least bragged to your friends on Messenger). Now, let’s get back to work, my friend.

It’s well known among avid language students that once you reach the coveted intermediate level, things slow down. Your progress isn’t nearly as linear and fast as it was at the beginning. Please don’t get discouraged. The path from intermediate to fluency is pretty steep and slippery, but once you get there, your legs (and your language skills) will be much stronger.

How do I know? Been there, done that. Twice. Speaking from my personal experience here, I recommend you take it easy; throw away your expectations and sky-high standards. Focus on progress, not speed or perfection. 

The intermediate level is where the magic happens: 

• Your vocabulary unfolds like a beautiful flower.
• You build complex sentences effortlessly and naturally.
• You might even start to think and dream in Czech, too!
• You notice that you often understand new words just based on the context.
• You inadvertently overhear many Czech conversations. (Let’s hope you won’t wish you could unhear them.)

In this article, you’ll find 300 intermediate Czech words that will help you get to the next level. Let us know in the comments if you knew any of these words already, or if they’re all new to you!

Practice makes perfect.

Table of Contents

1. Larger Numbers
2. One Intermediate Noun is Worth More Than 1000 Filler Words: Nouns
3. Limitless Action: Intermediate Czech Verbs
4. Adjectives: Make Your Czech Lively and Juicy
5. Dangerously Necessary: Intermediate Czech Adverbs
6. Tiny but Important: Intermediate Czech Prepositions
7. No Sentence is Complete without Them: Conjunctions
8. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Wa

1. Larger Numbers

First up on our intermediate Czech wordlist: numbers! 

Counting in Czech is an amazing skill that will come in handy time and again. (Třicet korun, prosím. – “Thirty crowns, please.”) It’ll allow you to count sheep in Czech on one of those sleepless nights, too.

For those of you who find it hard to do even the simplest math equations or memorize numbers in a foreign language (this is actually very common), try to practice numbers daily:

➢ Whenever you see/hear a number in your first language, try to translate it into Czech. It’s a fun little game that makes learning figures (and actually remembering them) much easier.

➢ “Using” words in your natural habitat and in real-life situations makes the learning process wonderfully natural—this is how little kids learn to speak. It works for them, so it’ll work for you too.

Teens

	Cardinal	Ordinal (11th, 12th, etc.)
11	Jedenáct	Jedenáctý/Jedenáctá/Jedenácté
12	Dvanáct	Dvanáctý/-tá/-té
13	Třináct	Třináctý/-tá/-té
14	Čtrnáct	Čtrnáctý/-tá/-té
15	Patnáct	Patnáctý/-tá/-té
16	Šestnáct	Šestnáctý/-tá/-té
17	Sedmnáct	Sedmnáctý/-tá/-té
18	Osmnáct	Osmnáctý/-tá/-té
19	Devatenáct	Devatenáctý/-tá/-té

Tens

	Cardinal	Ordinal (20th, 30th, etc.)
20	Dvacet	Dvacátý/-átá/-áté
30	Třicet	Třicátý/-átá/-áté
40	Čtyřicet	Čtyřicátý/-átá/-áté
50	Padesát	Padesátý/-átá/-áté
60	Šedesát	Šedesátý/-átá/-áté
70	Sedmdesát	Sedmdesátý/-átá/-áté
80	Osmdesát	Osmdesátý/-átá/-áté
90	Devadesát	Devadesátý/-átá/-áté

• 100 – Sto
• 1 000 – Tisíc
• 1 000 000 – Milion
• 1 000 000 000 – Miliarda

Now, how do we make bigger words? It’s very simple:

➢ Line the number up just like you would in English.
➢ Notice there are no periods or commas between the figures; in Czech, you use a space instead.
➢ There are no conjunctions.

Examples:

• 50,789 excuses
  Padesát tisíc sedm set osmdesát devět výmluv

• 23 eggs
  Dvacet tři vajec

• $12,234.567
  Dvanáct milionů dvě stě třicet čtyři tisíc pět set šedesát sedm dolarů

Easy, right? You can find the pronunciation here.

Months

English	Czech
January	Leden
February	Únor
March	Březen
April	Duben
May	Květen
June	Červen
July	Červenec
August	Srpen
September	Září
October	Říjen
November	Listopad
December	Prosinec

You can learn more about the months in Czech here.

Days

English	Czech
Monday	Pondělí
Tuesday	Úterý
Wednesday	Středa
Thursday	Čtvrtek
Friday	Pátek
Saturday	Sobota
Sunday	Neděle

You can find the pronunciation here.

Počítání. – “Counting”

2. One Intermediate Noun is Worth More Than 1000 Filler Words: Nouns

Don’t forget to look up the grammatical gender and declension when learning new nouns.

Time

English	Czech
“century”	století
“period”	období
“semester”	semestr (only used for colleges in Czechia)
“semester” / “term”	pololetí (elementary schools and high schools)

Free Time

English	Czech
“vacation“	dovolená
“school break”	prázdniny
“relax” / “rest”	odpočinek
“relaxation”	relaxace
“fun”	zábava
“party”	večírek
“movie theater”	kino
“theater”	divadlo
“hobbies”	záliby
“experience”	zážitek
“free time”	volný čas
“adventure”	dobrodružství
“sunrise”	východ slunce
“sunset”	západ slunce

Emotions

English	Czech
“love”	láska
“friendship”	přátelství
“creativity”	tvořivost
“need”	potřeba
“desire”	touha
“joy”	radost
“grief”	zármutek
“beauty”	krása
“emotion”	emoce
“feelings”	pocity
“decision”	rozhodnutí
“choice”	volba
“possibility”	možnost
“opportunity”	příležitost
“feeling” / “emotion”	cit

Emotions are an important topic, wouldn’t you agree? Learn how to describe your positive and negative emotions and how to express your feelings in Czech.

Láska a přátelství.

Finance

English	Czech
“loan”	půjčka
“mortgage”	hypotéka
“interest”	úrok
“debt”	dluh
“wealth”	bohatství
“poverty”	chudoba
“lease”	leasing
“funds”	finance

Travel

English	Czech
“airport”	letiště
“bus station” / “train station”	nádraží
“stop”	zastávka
“turn”	zatáčka
“crossroads”	křižovatka (road or highway) / rozcestí (sidewalk)

Learn how to ask for directions in Czech.

Rozcestí.

Computer

English	Czech
“website”	webová stránka
“file”	složka
“folder”	soubor
“confirmation”	potvrzení
“charger”	nabíječka
“account”	účet
“user”	uživatel
“password”	heslo
“keyboard”	klávesnice

House

English	Czech
“room”	pokoj / místnost
“kitchen”	kuchyně
“master bedroom”	ložnice
“living room”	obývací pokoj / obývák
“nursery” / “kid’s room” (the word “bedroom” is only used for what’s called “master bedroom” in English)	dětský pokoj
“hallway”	chodba
“terrace”	terasa
“balcony”	balkon
“staircase”	schodiště
“cellar”	sklep
“basement”	suterén

Still searching for a solid intermediate Czech course? Then devour our lessons for intermediate students! 

3. Limitless Action: Intermediate Czech Verbs

English	Czech
“to say”	říct
“to handle”	zvládnout
“to close”	zavřít
“to touch”	dotknout se
“to raise”	zvednout se
“to win”	vyhrát
“to lose (a game)”	prohrát
“to demonstrate” / “to accomplish”	dokázat
“to raise”	zvednout
“to wish”	přát si
“to refuse” / “to reject”	odmítnout
“to accept”	přijmout
“to ask”	zeptat se
“to ship” / “to mail”	odeslat
“to receive”	dostat
“to give”	dát
“to bring”	přinést
“to get”	získat
“to take”	vzít
“to put down”	položit
“to take away”	odnést
“to order”	objednat
“to perform”	provést
“to remind”	připomenout
“to imagine”	představit si
“to behave”	jednat
“to act” (as an actor)	hrát
“to pick out”	vybrat si
“to choose”	zvolit
“to hand in” / “to submit”	odevzdat
“to listen”	poslouchat
“to hear”	slyšet
“to see”	vidět
“to leave” (walk away)	odejít
“to leave” (drive away)	odjet
“to decide”	rozhodnout se
“to ponder”	zamýšlet se
“to encounter” / “to come across”	setkat se / narazit
“to create”	tvořit
“to destroy”	zničit
“to ruin”	pokazit
“to offer”	nabídnout
“to use”	používat
“to add”	přidat
“to pay”	platit
“to make something on time”	stihnout
“to run late”	mít zpoždění
“to be on time”	přijít včas
“to pass an exam” / “to fail an exam”	udělat zkoušku / neudělat zkoušku
“to get a job”	dostat práci
“to succeed”	uspět
“to fail”	neuspět
“to experience”	zažít
“to have experience”	mít zkušenosti
“to travel”	cestovat
“to purchase”	kupovat
“to lend”	půjčit
“to borrow”	půjčit si
“to suggest”	navrhnout
“to dare”	odvážit se
“to comment”	poznamenat
“to have fun”	bavit se
“to entertain”	bavit
“to earn” / “to make money”	vydělávat
“to miss”	chybět
“to be missing someone” (literally “after someone”)	stýskat se

4. Adjectives: Make Your Czech Lively and Juicy

English	Czech
“gorgeous”	překrásný / nádherný
“beautiful”	krásný
“pretty” / “handsome”	hezký
“sweet” / “nice”	milý
“funny”	zábavný
“friendly”	přátelský
“chatty”	upovídaný
“quiet”	tichý
“calm”	klidný
“sad”	smutný
“joyous”	veselý
“happy”	šťastný
“smiley”	usměvavý
“popular”	oblíbený
“brooding”	zamyšlený
“anxious”	úzkostný
“huge”	obrovský
“unusual”	neobvyklý
“complicated”	komplikovaný
“simple”	jednoduchý
“easy”	snadný
“usual”	obvyklý
“under average”	podprůměrný
“frequent”	častý
“distinct”	výrazný
“dull” / “insipid”	fádní
“fabulous”	báječný
“narrow”	úzký
“wide”	široký
“deep”	hluboký
“shallow”	mělký
“skinny”	hubený
“chubby”	podsaditý
“soft”	hebký
“coarse”	drsný
“gaudy”	křiklavý
“exaggerated”	přehnaný
“hard”	tvrdý
“soft”	měkký
“rich”	bohatý
“boring”	nudný
“creepy”	děsivý
“spooky”	strašidelný
“straight”	rovný
“wavy”	vlnitý
“curly”	kudrnatý
“round”	kulatý
“angular”	hranatý
“triumphant”	vítězoslavný
“defeated”	poražený

I’m sure you’ve heard that reading is the best way to expand your vocabulary. Explore our reading lessons!

5. Dangerously Necessary: Intermediate Czech Adverbs

English	Czech
“next week / month / year”	příští týden / měsíc / rok
“yet” / “already”	již / už
“recently”	nedávno
“soon”	brzy
“immediately”	ihned
“still” / “yet”	ještě / už
“so far”	zatím
“in front of”	před
“here”	zde
“there”	tam
“over there”	támhle
“everywhere”	všude
“anywhere”	kdekoliv
“nowhere”	nikde
“away”	pryč
“very”	velmi
“pretty”/ “quite”	docela
“to an extent”	do jisté míry
“really”	opravdu
“quickly”	rychle
“well”	dobře
“sternly”	tvrdě
“slowly”	pomalu
“carefully”	opatrně
“sometimes”	někdy
“barely”	stěží
“barely”	sotva
“mostly”	většinou
“almost”	téměř
“absolutely”	absolutně
“together”	společně
“alone”	sám
“always”	vždy
“often”	často
“usually”	obvykle
“occasionally”	příležitostně
“rarely”	zřídka
“never”	nikdy

6. Tiny but Important: Intermediate Czech Prepositions

There’s one tricky thing about Czech prepositions: You need to work with the cases. 

Make sure you know this:

➢ Nominative + Vocative – always without a preposition

➢ Genitive – with or without a preposition 
    bez, blízko, do, od, okolo/kolem, u, vedle, z
    (“without, near, to, from, around, by, next to, from”)

➢ Dative – with or without a preposition
    k, kvůli, navzdory, proti, vůči
    (“to, because of, despite of, against, against”)

➢ Accusative – with or without a preposition
    na, o, pro, přes, za
    (“on, about, over, behind”)

➢ Locative – with or without a preposition
    na, o, po, v
    (“onto, about, after, in”)

➢ Instrumental – with or without a preposition
    mezi, nad, pod, před, s, za
    (“between, above, under, in front of, with, behind”)

7. No Sentence is Complete without Them: Conjunctions

• ačkoli(v): “although” / “even though” 
• aniž (by): “without” / “without even”
• až (+ future tense): “when”
• buď…nebo…: “either…or…”
• či: “or”
• dokud: “while” / “as long as”
• dokud ne-: “until” / “unless”
• i když: “even though” / “even if”
• jak: “as” / “how”
• jakmile: “as soon as” / “once”
• jako by: “as if” / “like”
• jenomže: “yet” / “except” / “only”
• jestli(že): “if” / “whether”
• kdežto: “whereas” / “but”
• kdykoli(v): “whenever”
• mezitímco: “while”
• neboť: “because” / “for”
• pokud: “as far as” / “as long as” / “insofar as” (if) / “provided that” / “to the extent that”
• přitom: “at the same time” / “in so doing” / “and”
• teprve když: “only if” / “only when”
• zatímco: “while”

Good luck!

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Sign up now—it’s free!

Raise your hand if you like animals! Zvířata (“animals”) are awesome and necessary for so many reasons. 

You’ll soon find out that if you want to speak Czech, you’re going to need to learn Czech animal names—even if you’re not a fur/feather/fish lover, you don’t intend to marry a Czech farmer, or you don’t want to talk about your mom’s private minizoo. 

Why? 

Let’s see: There is a mouse in my room! I am allergic to dogs. I hate fish; I only eat chicken. No, I can’t have that; there’s cow’s milk in it.

One of the first things Czech babies learn is animal sounds. Jak dělá kráva? Bů! (“What does a cow say? Moo!”). And since you should approach learning a new language just like that—as if you didn’t know any other language—let’s explore the Czech fauna together!

Table of Contents

1. Pets – Mazlíčci
2. On the Farm – Domácí zvířata
3. Wild Animals – Divoká zvířata
4. Aquatic / Marine Animals – Sladkovodní a mořské ryby
5. Bugs and Insects – Hmyz
6. Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians – Ptáci, plazi, a obojživelníci
7. Talking About Animals
8. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions
9. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. Pets – Mazlíčci

More than 58% of us share our home with a pet, and this number is still growing. Have you been to the Czech Republic? If your answer is yes, I’m sure you’ve seen many sleepy figures out in the streets clad in PJs early in the morning or around nine p.m…walking their dogs. Roughly 40% of Czechs have a dog (or dogs), while 23% own a cat. We might seem tough, but we sure love our furry friends!

Let’s look at the most common pets in the Czech Republic:

English	Czech
Cat	Kočka
Kitten	Kotě / Koťátko
Dog	Pes
Puppy	Štěně / Štěňátko
Hamster	Křeček
Guinea pig	Morče
Rat	Potkan
Mouse	Myš
Spider	Pavouk
Tarantula	Sklípkan
Chameleon	Chameleon
Parakeet	Andulka
Cockatiel	Korela
Parrot	Papoušek
Gerbil	Pískomil
Bunny	Králík / Králíček
Degu	Osmák degu
Fish	Rybička (literally: “tiny fish”)
Aquarium	Akvárium
Goldfish	Zlatá rybička
Tortoise	Želva
Turtle	Vodní želva
Snake	Had

Cats and dogs are the most common Czech pets.

2. On the Farm – Domácí zvířata

I grew up in a small village. Everybody had chickens, geese, ducks, and other animals. I used to love collecting fresh, warm eggs, and I got bit by an angry goose (geese are very aggressive, beware!) several times. We had fresh cow milk from our neighbors, and I was always wondering why my grandpa’s bunnies kept disappearing (bless my ten-year-old heart).

Things are much different now. The typical Czech would rather go to the supermarket once a week and watch TV the rest of the time. Some people still have chickens, rabbits, or even a pig, but it’s rare.

One thing I’d like to point out: Many Czechs who speak basic English often confuse a “hen” and a “chicken.” Keep that in mind. Don’t be surprised if you get weird looks when you say, “My chickens lay four eggs a day.” Folks around here think that a “chicken” is either the cute little ball of yellow feathers or a neat package from the supermarket. 

Also, there might be “hen soup” on the menu (delicious)—this is correct. Slepičí polévka or slepičí vývar (“hen soup/broth”) and kuřecí polévka or kuřecí vývar (“chicken soup/broth”) are two different things.

If you want to explore more, feel free to check out our lesson on farm animals.

English	Czech
Cow	Kráva
Calf	Tele / Telátko
Goat	Koza
Kid	Kůzle
Pig	Prase
Piglet	Sele / Selátko
Rabbit	Králík
Duck	Kachna
Duckling	Káčátko
Goose	Husa
Gosling	House / Housátko
Horse	Kůň
Stallion	Hřebec
Mare	Kobyla
Foal	Hříbě / Hříbátko
Pony	Poník
Donkey	Osel
Sheep	Ovce
Ram	Beran
Lamb	Jehně / Jehňátko
Hen (Chicken)	Slepice
Rooster	Kohout
Chick	Kuře
Pigeon	Holub

You can find the correct pronunciations, more vocab, and sample sentences on CzechClass101.com.

Sheep are quite common farm animals in the Czech Republic.

3. Wild Animals – Divoká zvířata

Although there are many gorgeous creatures roaming the Czech woods (I’m still talking about animals, not fairies), you’ll find some wilderness in the city as well. Sort of. You’ll definitely have a fair share of encounters with squirrels and pigeons.

I remember my first visit to London. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and my friend and I were walking through a park. I was 25 years old when I discovered that not all squirrels are red. In fact, none of the British ones were red. Czech squirrels, on the contrary, are mostly red.

Here’s a quick list of popular wild animals in the Czech language:

English	Czech
Tiger	Tygr
Tigress	Tygřice
Lion	Lev
Lioness	Lvice
Lion cub	Lvíče
Elephant	Slon
Monkey	Opice
Gorilla	Gorila
Hippopotamus	Hroch
Rhinoceros	Nosorožec
Giraffe	Žirafa
Antelope	Antilopa
Penguin	Tučňák
Polar bear	Lední medvěd (literally: “ice bear”)
Fox	Liška
Wolf	Vlk
Bear	Medvěd
Wild boar	Divoké prase (literally: “wild pig”)
Deer	Jelen
Hare	Zajíc
Squirrel	Veverka
Beaver	Bobr
Weasel	Lasička
Otter	Vydra

Wolves in the Czech Republic are endangered.

4. Aquatic / Marine Animals – Sladkovodní a mořské ryby

Since the Czech Republic isn’t a tropical paradise or a Scandinavian kingdom, the aquatic population of this lovely little patch in the heart of Europe isn’t very exciting. 

The most common Czech fish is the carp, which also happens to be the traditional Czech Christmas food.

In case you’re struggling with pronunciation, you’ll find help here.

English	Czech
Fish	Ryba
Freshwater fish	Sladkovodní ryba (literally: “sweetwater fish”)
Deep-sea fish	Mořská ryba
Salmon	Losos
Lobster	Humr
Shrimp	Kreveta
Seahorse	Mořský koník
Shark	Žralok
Dolphin	Delfín
Whale	Velryba
Orca	Kosatka
Pike	Štika
Catfish	Sumec
Carp	Kapr
Trout	Pstruh
Mackerel	Makrela
Starfish	Mořská hvězdice
Shellfish	Mušle
Oyster	Ústřice
Roe	Jikry

5. Bugs and Insects – Hmyz

Here’s the good news: This country isn’t humid, plus it’s not Australia. If you’re not interested in meeting a giant spider or a bug that’s the size of your uncle Bob’s palm, you’ll love it here.

However, this country is not bug-free. Make sure you check out the list of six- (or more-) legged creatures below.

By the way, writing all these animal names in Czech made me realize something quite adorable:

“Nightmares” are called “night moths” in Czech (“nightmare” – noční můra).

English	Czech
Bug	Brouk
Spider	Pavouk
Bee	Včela
Bumblebee	Čmelák
Wasp	Vosa
Ladybug	Beruška
Fly	Moucha
Firefly	Světluška
Moth	Můra
Butterfly	Motýl
Mosquito	Komár
Ant	Mravenec
Flea	Blecha
Cockroach	Šváb

6. Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians – Ptáci, plazi, a obojživelníci

I feel like the title suggests this is a list of prehistoric animals. No. It contains words that represent beautiful creatures that chirp, look cute, and defy gravity on a daily basis, and some other creatures that…well…are our friends, too.

Did you know that there’s only one venomous snake in the Czech Republic? An adder. The bite wouldn’t, like, kill you (unless you’re a baby, which, I suppose, you’re not), and adders are endangered and extremely timid. The only thing that could possibly scare you on your hike in the Czech Republic is the lack of trash cans.

Now, here are the most common birds, reptiles, amphibians, and similar members of the animal kingdom.  

English	Czech
Bird	Pták
Reptile	Plaz
Lizard	Ještěr
Swan	Labuť
Hummingbird	Kolibřík
Seagull	Racek
Dove	Hrdlička
Pigeon	Holub
Crow	Vrána
Raven	Krkavec
Eagle	Orel
Hawk	Sokol
Buzzard	Káně
Stork	Čáp
Peacock	Páv
Owl	Sova
Sparrow	Vrabec
Blackbird	Kos
Frog	Žába
Toad	Ropucha
Snail	Hlemýžď (terminus technicus) / Šnek (a colloquial word that most people use when talking about these slimy creatures with “a house”—domeček, which literally means “tiny house”)
Slug	Slimák
Crocodile	Krokodýl
Alligator	Aligátor

Peacocks can be seen in most parks surrounding chateaus all over the country.

7. Talking About Animals

Now that you know the names of animals in Czech, let’s learn a few more useful animal words…

Animal Body Parts

English	Czech
Beak	Zobák
Tail	Ocas
Horn	Roh
Antlers	Parohy
Fur	Srst
Feathers	Peří
Hooves	Kopyta
Mane	Hříva
Claws	Drápy

Animal-related Verbs

English	Czech
To scratch	Škrábat se
To bark	Štěkat
To meow	Mňoukat
To sing (chirp)	Zpívat
To bite	Kousat / Štípat
To peck	Zobat / Klovat
To dig	Hrabat

Pes u veterináře. – “A dog at the vet.”

8. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions

The Czech language is very playful, and animal idioms are particularly popular. They’re fun, but let’s be honest: Any idiom might cause a lot of confusion, and possibly even an embarrassing situation.

Here’s a list of the most common ones.

Mít motýlky v břiše – “To have butterflies in your stomach”

Mít mravence v noze. – When your arm/leg “falls asleep” (literally: “to have ants in your arm/leg”)

Hladový jako vlk – “Hungry like a wolf”

Volný jako pták – “Free like a bird”

Utahaný/unavený jako kotě – “Tired like a kitten”

Mokrý jako myš – “Wet as a mouse”

Jako zpráskaný pes – “Like a wounded dog” (used when someone is sad or defeated)

Rvát se jako koně – “To fight like horses”

Mazaný jako liška – “Sly as a fox”

Dva kohouti na jednom smetišti – “Two roosters at one junkyard” (two rivals fighting for power or a woman)

Dojná kráva – “Milking cow” (giving without receiving anything in return)

Pyšný jako páv – “Vain like a peacock”

Mlčet jako ryba – “Silent like a fish” (very quiet or secretive)

Tichý jako myška – “Quiet as a small mouse”

9. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

Stop trying to learn Czech. Learn Czech. Get smarter tools, study smarter, and believe in yourself. The sky’s the limit!

I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new! In case this wasn’t enough for you, please check out our Basic Bootcamp—the very basic grammar and vocab you’ll need in five compact lessons. 

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient). Learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!

CzechClass101.com makes learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way—with us, you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now; it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments what your favorite animal is! Do you remember its name in Czech?

Since we live in this awesome era of technological miracles, we get to enjoy all sorts of smart, advanced, and helpful marvels on a daily basis. Which device do you use the most? I’m guessing it would be your phone.

While most people prefer texting or video calls, knowing how to make a proper phone call is a crucial skill. You probably won’t text your doc to make an appointment, the police probably won’t be up for a Zoom session, and sometimes you don’t have time to wait for your buddy’s reply—you need to speak to them pronto.

Learning Czech phone call phrases, then, is a logical next step in your language learning journey. 

But…taking or making a phone call in a foreign language might be a little stressful. 

At the beginning of my career (when I thought it would be a good idea to be someone’s assistant instead of working on my own thing), I had to make phone calls in English on a daily basis. Back then, people actually used their phones to call a cab, book a hotel, or even discuss work stuff. (Can you believe that? Could have been an email.) 

I was nervous and it often didn’t go well because not seeing the other person makes it a little more difficult to understand what they’re saying. Plus, I had to deal with (often very heavy) accents, and one time I even asked a French guy if we could speak English. There was a long pause on the other end of the line, followed by: “I AM speaking English.”

You don’t need to worry about this, though. I’m guessing you’ll be speaking mostly with native speakers and your embarrassment hazard will be much lower. Thanks to this article, your telephone conversations in Czech will be a breeze.

There are a few rules you should follow and a few phrases to remember. Nothing complicated. You’ll be done in 20 minutes. Let’s learn these Czech phone call phrases together.

Phones are one of the most important devices in our modern lives.

Table of Contents

1. Basic Phone Call Vocabulary
2. Answering the Phone: Greetings in Czech
3. How to Introduce Yourself Over the Phone in Czech
4. Czech Phone Call Phrases: I Just Called to Say…
5. May I Speak to…
6. Please Hold
7. Not Available? Leave a Message!
8. Didn’t Catch That? (Asking for Clarification)
9. Ending a Phone Call in Czech
10. How it Goes in Real Life: A Telephone Conversation in Czech
11. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. Basic Phone Call Vocabulary

I figured we should start at the beginning. Here are the most common words that you might find useful.

English	Czech
Phone call	Telefonovat
To make a call / To call	Zavolat
To answer a phone	Přijmout hovor (“To accept a phone call”)
To dial	Vytočit
Phone number	Telefonní číslo / Telefon
Would you give me your phone number?	Dáš mi na sebe telefon?
To call back	Zavolat zpátky
To hang up	Zavěsit
Ringtone	Vyzváněcí tón
A text	Esemeska / SMS / Zpráva (“Message”)

Zavěsit – “To hang up”

2. Answering the Phone: Greetings in Czech 

Alright, I know that a lot of us don’t like talking on the phone. And (honestly) how many times have you waited for your phone to STOP ringing so that you could go back to scrolling/gaming/shopping?

I’m guilty of this too.

Answering your phone in a foreign language might seem scary…but it’s not.

Simply say:

• Haló? or Prosím? (“Hello?” or “Please?”)
• Prosím is definitely more common, and yes, it’s a very versatile word. Haló is a lot more old-timey.
• Ano? (“Yes?”) is also an option.

Remember that Czech greetings are more specific than those in English—you’ll need to use a different one when speaking to your friend versus speaking to your boss. You can find more greetings in Czech here. In case you struggle with saying hello in real life, check out this article.

3. How to Introduce Yourself Over the Phone in Czech

English	Czech
This is [name] from [company].	Tady [name] z [company] / volám z [company].
This is [name].	Tady [name].
Good day, this is [name].	Dobrý den, tady [name].

Vytočit číslo – “To dial a number”

4. Czech Phone Call Phrases: I Just Called to Say…

I assume most of your calls will be related to appointments and reservations. 

If you need to make a doctor’s appointment, make sure you know the appropriate vocab. You’ll find more useful Czech phrases here. 

In case you’re in perfect health but hungry, Czech out this lesson about making dinner reservations in Czech.

English	Czech
I’m calling to ask about…	Volám, abych se zeptal/a na…
I’d like to speak with someone about…	Chci s někým mluvit o…
I want to ask about…	Chci se zeptat na…
I want to confirm…	Chci potvrdit…
I want to make a reservation.	Chci udělat rezervaci…
I want to make an appointment.	Chci se objednat.
I’d like to make a check-up appointment.	Chtěla bych se objednat na prohlídku.
I had a missed call from this number.	Mám od vás zmeškaný hovor.
Who is this?	Kdo je to?
Who is calling?	Kdo volá?

5. May I Speak to…

Now that you’re actually speaking to a real native Czech speaker, you need to let them help you.

Who are you calling?

English	Czech
May I speak to [name]?	Můžu mluvit s [name]?
I want to speak to [name].	Chci mluvit s [name].
I’d like to speak to [name].	Rád/a bych mluvil/a s [name].
I’m calling for [name].	Volám [name].
Is [name] there?	Je tam [name]?
I am calling because of…	Volám kvůli…

6. Please Hold

You might find yourself in a situation where a short wait will be necessary, which will likely happen in a professional setting or if you need to check your schedule while making an appointment. 

English	Czech
I’ll put you on hold for a second.	Počkejte okamžik, prosím.
Just a moment, let me check.	Moment, zjistím to.
Let me put you through to his/her office.	Přepojím vás do jeho/její kanceláře.
Stay on the line, please.	Nezavěšujte, prosím.
Wait a moment, please.	Prosím počkejte.
I’ll check my schedule.	Podívám se do diáře.

Kdo volá? – “Who is this?”

7. Not Available? Leave a Message!

In case the person you’re calling is not available at the moment, you might consider leaving a message.

These are the most common formal Czech telephone phrases for doing so:

English	Czech
Please let him know that…	Vyřiďte mu/jí prosím, že…
Can I leave a message?	Můžu nechat vzkaz?
Can he/she call me back at [phone number]?	Mohl/a by mi zavolat zpátky na číslo [phone number]?
Could you tell him/her that…	Mohl/a byste mu/jí vyřídit, že…

8. Didn’t Catch That? (Asking for Clarification)

This can (and likely will) happen during a phone call in Czech. Whether it be due to a poor connection or the other person’s accent, you’ll be able to muddle through with these phrases:

English	Czech
Sorry, could you say that again?	Můžete to zopakovat, prosím?
I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time hearing you. I think there’s a bad connection.	Pardon, neslyším vás. Asi je špatný signál.
Could you spell your name for me, please?	Můžete mi vyhláskovat vaše jméno, prosím?
So…	Takže…
Just to double check…	Pro ověření…

9. Ending a Phone Call in Czech

Congratulations, you’ve made a phone call and finally booked a table, made a dentist’s appointment, or reached out to an old friend… Now it’s time to end the call.

English	Czech
Can I do anything else for you?	Můžu pro vás ještě něco udělat?
You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.	Moc jste mi pomohl/a. Děkuju.
See you at ___ on ___.	Uvidíme se v…
Have a great day.	Hezký den.
Will that be all?	Bude to všechno?
Until later! (as in, “See you later” / “Talk to you later”) [informal]	Zatím!
Until we meet again [informal]	Nashledanou / Nashle
Bye	Ahoj / Čau / Měj se (literally: “have a good one”)

10. How it Goes in Real Life: A Telephone Conversation in Czech

That’s just about it, but before you go, here are two sample phone calls in Czech. 

An Informal Phone Conversation in Czech

Let’s say you want to meet up with your friend for brunch. You (person A) call them (person B) to figure out the details.

• Notice the greetings and the use of informal speech.

A: Ahoj, chci se zeptat, jestli nechceš v sobotu zajít na brunch. 
(“Hi, I wanted to ask if you’d like to do brunch this weekend.”)

B: To by bylo super. V kolik?
(“Sounds awesome. What time?”)

A: V 10?
(“10 a.m.?”)

B: Dobře, budu se těšit.
(“Okay, looking forward to it.”)

A: Dobře, uvidíme se v sobotu v 10. Měj se.
(“Okay, see you on Saturday. Have a good one.”)

B: Ty taky, čau.
(“You too. Bye.”)

A Formal Phone Conversation in Czech

Great, your friend agreed and now you need to make a reservation at your favorite restaurant.

• You’re going to use formal speech and formal greetings.

A: Dobrý den, tady XY. Chci udělat rezervaci na 10 hodin, tuto sobotu.
(“Hello, I’d like to book a table for this Saturday, 10 a.m.”)

B: Dobrý den, kolik vás bude, prosím?
(“Good day, how many guests, please?”)

A: Dva.
(“Two.”)

B: Vaše jméno prosím?
(“Your name, please?”)

A: Angelina Jolie.

B: Děkuji. Máte rezervaci na sobotu 10:00 pro dva lidi. Bude to všechno?
(“Thank you, your table for two will be ready on Saturday, 10 a.m.”)

A: Ano, děkuju.
(“Yes, thank you.”)

B: Budeme se těšit. Nashledanou.
(“We’re looking forward to your visit.”)

A: Nashledanou.
(“Bye.”)

Budu se těšit. – “Looking forward to seeing you.”

11. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new! In case this wasn’t enough for you, check out our basic phone conversation phrases vocab list.

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!

CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way—with us, you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you. Do you feel ready to tackle your first Czech phone call?

You know, people often underestimate the power of choosing the right words. 

In Czech, there’s a cute little word—slovíčkaření—which is the combination of slovíčka (“little words”) and -ření (indicating an action or activity). This word could be loosely translated as “unnecessary playing with words.”

However, playing with words is actually quite necessary, especially when learning a new language. Once you’ve engaged in such a rewarding and exciting process, you’ll want to make sure you’re as efficient as possible, right? Hence, you’ll want to learn the right Czech beginner words (a.k.a words that are actually helpful and can be used in real-life conversations).

Also, did you know that you only need to learn 1000 of a language’s most frequently used words to understand 75% of any conversation? (Unless, of course, you find yourself in the middle of a quantum physics seminar, and the only thing you know about physics is that in 5th grade, you got a C on a test, which made you cry in front of the whole class.) I highly recommend that you check out this awesome book if you’re interested in efficient study methods and fun stuff like that.

In this article, you’ll learn basic Czech words for beginners that will make a great base for your Czech vocab. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Table of Contents

1. Czech Pronouns for Beginners
2. Czech Numbers
3. Czech Nouns
4. Czech Verbs
5. Czech Adjectives
6. Czech Conjunctions
7. What Else You Should Know
8. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. Czech Pronouns for Beginners

Czech doesn’t use personal pronouns nearly as much as English does, thanks to declension, verb conjugation, and grammatical gender. It kind of reminds me of a quote from a Czech movie about teenagers: “It might be the longer route, but…it’s also the more difficult one.”

Bottom line: Even though you won’t be using personal pronouns too often, you still need to know them.

A- Personal Pronouns 

➢ Personal pronouns are mostly used for emphasis or when further clarification is needed.

This means that if someone says…

Nemám to ráda. – “I don’t like it.”

…it’s not the same as:

Já to nemám ráda. – “I don’t like it.” (I don’t, but everyone else in my family loves it; thank you for your kind offer, but I shall graciously decline.)

1st Person

	Nominative	Genitive	Dative	Accusative	Vocative	Locative	Instrumental
Singular	já	mne/mě	mně/mi	mne/mě	–	mně	mnou
Plural	my	nás	nám	nás	–	nás	námi

2nd Person

	Nominative	Genitive	Dative	Accusative	Vocative	Locative	Instrumental
Singular	ty	tebe	tobě/ti	tebe	–	tobě	tebou
Plural	vy	vás	vám	vás	–	vás	vámi

3rd Person Singular

	Nominative	Genitive	Dative	Accusative	Vocative	Locative	Instrumental
Feminine	ona	ní	jí	ji	–	ní	ní
Masculine	on	něj/něho	jemu	jeho/jej/něho/něj	–	něm	ním
Neuter	ono	něj/něho	jemu	jeho/jej/něho/něj	–	něm	ním

3rd Person Plural

	Nominative	Genitive	Dative	Accusative	Vocative	Locative	Instrumental
Feminine	ony	jich/nich	jich/nich	je/ně	–	nich	jimi/nimi
Masculine	oni	jich/nich	jich/nich	je/ně	–	nich	jimi/nimi
Neuter	ona	jich/nich	jich/nich	je/ně	–	nich	jimi/nimi

B- Possessive Pronouns

1st Person

Gender s/p Case	Feminine singular	Masculinesingular	Neutersingular	Feminineplural	Masculineplural	Neuterplural
Nominative	má/moje	mlj	mé/moje	mé/moje	mí/moji	mé/moje
Genitive	mé/mojí	mého	mého	mých	mých	mých
Dative	mé/mojí	mému	mému	mým	mým	mým
Accusative	mé/mojí	mého/můj	mé/moje	mé/moje	mé/moje	má/moje
Vocative	má/moje	můj	mé/moje	mé/moje	moji/moje	má/moje
Locative	mé/mojí	mém	mém	mých	mých	mých
Instrumental	mou/mojí	mým	mým	mými	mými	mými

2nd Person

Gender s/p Case	Feminine singular	Masculinesingular	Neutersingular	Feminineplural	Masculineplural	Neuterplural
Nominative	tvá/tvoje	tvůj	tvé/tvoje	tvé/tvoje	tví/tvoji/tvé	tvá/tvoje
Genitive	tvé/tvojí	tvého	tvého	tvých/tvojích	tvých	tvých/tvojích
Dative	tvé/tvojí	tvému	tvému	tvým	tvým	tvým
Accusative	tvou	tvému	tvé/tvoje	tvé/tvoje	tvé/tvoje	tvá/tvoje
Vocative	tvá/tvoje	tvůj	tvé/tvoje	tvé/tvoje	tví/tvoji/tvoje	tvá/tvoje
Locative	tvé/tvojí	tvém	tvém	tvých	tvých	tvých
Instrumental	tvou/tvojí	tvým	tvým	tvými	tvými	tvými

Okay, guys, I know it’s a lot. But once you memorize this, things will get easier.

Besides, the 3rd person possessive pronouns are easy-peasy!

3rd Person

Gender s/p Case	Feminine singular	Masculinesingular	Neutersingular	Feminineplural	Masculineplural	Neuterplural
Nominative	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Genitive	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Dative	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Accusative	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Vocative	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Locative	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich
Instrumental	jeho	její	jeho	jejich	jejich	jejich

C- Demonstrative Pronouns

	Feminine singular	Masculine singular	Neuter singular
“This”	Tato	Tento	Toto
“That” or “The”	Ta	Ten	To
	Feminine plural	Masculine plural	Neuter plural
“These”	Tyto	Tito	Tato
“Those” or “The”	Ty	Ti/Ty	Ta

D- Interrogative Pronouns and Question Words

• co – “what”
• kdo – “who”
• kdý – “when”
• kolik – “how many” / “how much”
• kde – “where”
• který/jenž – “which”
• čí – “whose”
• jaký – “what kind”
• jak – “how”
• proč – “why”
• kdy – “when”

I strongly recommend you check out this list of the most useful Czech pronouns and this lesson on how to use various pronouns.

2. Czech Numbers

Okay, now you know how to say “my” and “yours.” Now we can move on to another topic—numbers and counting. 

➢ You WILL have to apply gender and declension to SOME cardinal numbers (there’s a difference between “one chicken,” “one man,” and “one woman”) and ALL ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.). This only applies to cardinal 2 and ordinal 2nd.

➢ To make ordinals, add -tý (for M), -tá (for F), and -té (for N). The example below shows the masculine version.

➢ Cardinal numbers are identified by a period: 3rd = 3. / 5th = 5. / etc.

➢ Teens are made of a version of the cardinal number plus -náct (no exceptions).

➢ Tens are made of the cardinal number plus -cet (up until 40) and -sát (50 to 90).

➢ You must always apply declension. (Again, there’s a difference between “He’s coming on the 3rd of August” and “He’s her third son”).

	Cardinal	Ordinal
1	Jeden/Jedna/Jedno (M/F/N)	První
2	Dvě/Dva/Dvě	Druhý/Druhá/Druhé (M/F/N)
3	Tři	Třetí
4	Čtyři	Čtvrtý/Čtvrtá/Čtvrté
5	Pět	Pátý/Pátá/Páté
6	Šest	Šestý/Šestá/Šesté
7	Sedm	Sedmý/Sedmá/Sedmé
8	Osm	Osmý/Osmá/Osmé
9	Devět	Devátý/Devátá/Deváté
10	Deset	Desátý/Desátá/Desáté
11	Jedenáct	Jedenáctý/Jedenáctá/Jedenácté
12	Dvanáct	Dvanáctý/-tá/-té
13	Třináct	Dvanáctý/-tá/-té
14	Čtrnáct	Čtrnáctý/-tá/-té
15	Patnáct	Patnáctý/-tá/-té
16	Šestnáct	Šestnáctý/-tá/-té
17	Sedmnáct	Sedmnáctý/-tá/-té
18	Osmnáct	Osmnáctý/-tá/-té
19	Devatenáct	Devatenáctý/-tá/-té

Tens

➢ To make ordinals, add -átý/-átá/-áté for M/F/N singular. For plural, it’s -átí/-áté/-átá.

	Cardinal	Ordinal
20	Dvacet	Dvacátý/-átá/-áté
30	Třicet	Třicátý/-átá/-áté
40	Čtyřicet	Čtyřicátý/-átá/-áté
50	Padesát	Padesátý/-átá/-áté
60	Šedesát	Šedesátý/-átá/-áté
70	Sedmdesát	Sedmdesátý/-átá/-áté
80	Osmdesát	Osmdesátý/-átá/-áté
90	Devadesát	Devadesátý/-átá/-áté

Here’s how you write higher numbers (yup, no periods or commas):

• 100 – Sto
• 1 000 – Tisíc
• 1 000 000 – Milion
• 1 000 000 000 – Miliarda

This list of Czech numbers includes pronunciation and will make your studying way faster. If you want to go into more detail, we’ve got you covered.

3. Czech Nouns

Nouns should make up a large chunk of your Czech beginner vocabulary. And do you know how most language textbooks start? There’s usually a drawing of people gathered around a table (or a Christmas tree) and the headline reads: My Family.

A- Family – Rodina

Woman	Žena
Man	Muž
Boy	Chlapec / Kluk
Girl	Děvče / Dívka
Child	Dítě
Baby	Miminko
Mother / Mom	Matka / Máma
Father / Dad	Otec / Táta
Brother	Bratr
Sister	Sestra
Sibling / Siblings	Sourozenec / Sourozenci
Grandfather	Děda
Grandmother	Babička
Aunt	Teta
Uncle	Strýc
Cousin	Bratranec (M) / Sestřenice (F)
Big family / Small family	Velká rodina / Malá rodina
Relatives	Příbuzní
Home	Domov
House	Dům
Apartment	Byt
Pet	Mazlíček
Dog	Pes
Cat	Kočka
Animal	Zvíře
Love	Láska

Rodina v supermarketu. – “A family in a supermarket.”

B- Work and School – Práce a škola

Office	Kancelář
College	Vysolá škola
High school	Střední škola
Career	Kariéra
Coworker	Kolega
Computer / Laptop	Počítač
Pen	Pero
Pencil	Tužka
Meeting	Schůzka / Meeting
Notebook	Diář
Interview	Pohovor
Exam	Zkouška
Salary	Plat
Superior	Nadřízený
Subordinate	Podřízený
Manager	Manager
Student	Student
Boss	Šéf
Work	Práce

Ta žena telefonuje. – “The woman is making a phone call.”

You might also want to see our lists titled 20 Common Czech Words for Occupations and Talking About the Workplace in Czech! 

C- Time – Čas

Second	Vteřina
Minute	Minuta
Hour	Hodina
Day	Den
Week	Týden
Month	Měsíc
Year	Rok
A half hour	Půlhodina
A quarter hour	Čtvrthodina

➢ Please remember: The date format used in the Czech Republic is DD.MM.YYYY. This could cause A LOT of confusion.

D- Body Parts – Části lidského těla

Body	Tělo
Muscle	Sval
Bone	Kost
Head	Hlava
Neck	Krk
Shoulders	Ramena
Hands	Ruce
Arms	Paže
Chest	Hrudník
Waist	Pas
Stomach	Břicho
Thighs	Stehna
Knees	Kolena
Calves	Lýtka
Legs	Nohy
Feet	Chodidla
Fingers / Toes	Prsty
Hair	Vlasy
Face	Obličej
Forehead	Čelo
Nose	Nos
Chin	Brada
Eyes	Oči
Mouth / Lips	Ústa / Rty
Ears	Uši
Cheek bones	Lícní kosti
Cheeks	Tváře
Eyelashes	Řasy
Eyebrows	Obočí

Here’s a great list with examples for you.

E- Food and Drinks – Jídlo a pití

Breakfast	Snídaně
Lunch	Oběd
Dinner	Večeře
Snack	Svačina
Dessert	Dezert
Cake	Dort
Entrée	Hlavní chod
Egg	Vejce
Milk	Mléko
Coffee	Káva
Wine	Víno
Meat	Maso
Cheese	Sýr
Chocolate	Čokoláda
Fruit	Ovoce
Vegetables	Zelenina
Fish	Ryba
Chicken	Kuře
Bread	Chleba
Pasta	Těstoviny
Soup	Polévka
Water	Voda
Salad	Salát
Hunger	Hlad
Thirst	Žízeň
Food	Jídlo
Groceries	Potraviny
Drink	Pití

Muž a žena nakupují potraviny. – “A man and a woman are shopping for groceries.”

F- Places Around Town – Místa ve městě

Restaurant	Restaurace
Movie theater	Kino
Theater	Divadlo
Gallery	Galerie
Museum	Muzeum
Café	Kavárna
School	Škola
Hospital	Nemocnice
Downtown	Centrum
Park	Park
Street	Ulice
Train station	Vlakové nádraží
Stop	Zastávka
Store	Obchod
Supermarket	Supermarket

G- Weather Words

Sun	Slunce
Wind	Vítr
Rain	Déšť
Snow	Sníh

4. Czech Verbs

Basic verbs are an essential set of Czech beginner words that you should learn early on, whether you want to describe your morning routine, make plans for the day, or engage in small talk about your hobbies. Feel free to look for your favorite activities on this list, as well.

Ta žena vaří. – “The woman is cooking.”

A- Daily Routine Verbs – Denní rituály

To do	Dělat
To be	Být
To go	Jít
To get up	Vstávat
To work	Pracovat
To study	Studovat
To cook	Vařit
To take a shower	Sprchovat se
To commute	Dojíždět
To drive	Jet autem
To take a train / bus / tram	Jet vlakem / autobusem / tramvají
To read	Číst
To study	Učit se
To go shopping	Jít nakupovat
To make a phone call / To call	Telefonovat / Zavolat
To type / To write	Psát
To wait	Čekat
To schedule / To plan	Naplánovat
To cancel	Zrušit
To exercise	Cvičit
To eat	Jíst
To drink	Pít
To come	Přijít
To arrive	Dorazit
To leave	Odejít
To go to bed	Jít spát
To sleep	Spát
To feel	Cítit se
To ask	Ptát se
To thank	Poděkovat
To think / To think about	Myslet / Přemýšlet o
To answer	Odpovědět
To check	Kontrolovat
Can	Moci / Umět
To open	Otevřít
To close	Zavřít

B- Other Common Verbs – Další obvyklá slovesa

To draw	Kreslit
To paint	Malovat
To run	Běhat
To do yoga	Cvičit jógu
To go to the gym	Jít do posilovny
To swim	Plavat
To go for a walk	Jít na procházku
To rest / To relax	Odpočívat / Relaxovat
To sing	Zpívat
To learn a foreign language	Učit se cizí jazyk
To listen to a podcast / music / audio book	Poslouchat podcast / hudbu / audioknihu
To watch a movie	Dívat se na film
To watch a TV show	Sledovat seriál
To drive a car	Řídit auto
To ride a bike	Jet na kole
To bake desserts	Péct dezerty
To spend time with friends	Trávit čas s přáteli
To clean (e.g. your house)	Uklízet
To explain	Vysvětlovat
To teach	Učit
To get / To receive	Dostat
To play an instrument	Hrát na hudební nástroj
To dance	Tančit
To collect	Sbírat
To enjoy	Mít rád / Rád dělat / Užívat si

Ten muž řídí. – “The man is driving.”

5. Czech Adjectives

A key set of words in Czech for beginners are adjectives. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to express yourself fully and your speech/writing would fall flat. 

Please note that the examples below are all in masculine singular form. For feminine, the ending would be -á; for neuter, it would be -é.

A- Describing Objects

Small / Little	Malý
Big / Large	Velký
Strong / Powerful	Silný
Weak	Slabý
Interesting	Zajímavý
Boring	Nudný
Ordinary	Obyčejný
Different	Jiný
Regular	Obvyklý / Normální
Special / Exceptional	Výjimečný

B- Describing People

Tall	Vysoký
Short	Malý
Attractive	Pohledný / Atraktivní
Sweet	Milý
Smart	Chytrý
Funny	Vtipný
Old	Starý
Young	Mladý
Middle-aged	Ve středním věku
Ugly	Ošklivý

C- Describing Emotions

Happy	Veselý / Šťastný
Sad	Smutný
Angry	Vzteklý
Annoyed	Otrávený
Excited / Enthusiastic	Nadšený
Tired	Unavený
Energized	Plný energie
Inquisitive	Zvědavý
Apathetic	Apatický
Irritated	Podrážděný

D- Describing Weather

Sunny	Slunečno
Rainy	Deštivo
Windy	Větrno
Cold / Chilly	Chladno
Hot	Horko
Nice weather	Pěkné počasí
Bad weather	Špatné počasí

You can find more weather-related vocabulary and useful phrases here.

6. Czech Conjunctions

And	A / I
To / In order to / So that	Aby
But	Ale
That	Že
Because	Protože
When	Když
As late as / Not before	Až
If / In case	Jestli / Kdyby
Or	Nebo
Either, or	Buď, nebo
Although	Přestože / I když
Who / Which / That	Který
Not only, but also	Nejen
Than	Než

7. What Else You Should Know

Finally, here’s a brief beginner Czech wordlist of other essential words you need to know. 

Maybe	Možná
Never	Nikdy
Sometimes	Někdy
Always	Vždycky
Usually	Obvykle
Occasionally	Občas
Yes	Ano
Yeah	Jo
No	Ne
Thanks	Děkuji
Please / You’re welcome	Prosím

8. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new! In case this wasn’t enough for you, please check out our Basic Bootcamp—all the basic grammar and vocab you need in five compact lessons. 

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!

CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way—with us, you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you. Were most of these words new to you? Let’s get in touch!

Filler words. The elusive umbrella term for all sorts of mysterious sounds, phrases, and individual words that no textbook in the world could prepare you for.

It feels like politicians all over the world love to indulge in this kind of endeavor, but regular mortals do so with equal vigor…and less class.

Nevertheless, you should get familiar with Czech filler words even if your personal goal doesn’t involve diving into the pool of Czech politics. Regular peeps love them as well, and you might sometimes feel that they’re a part of every single Czech sentence. Or that you’re in the famous show The Office (I’ve never heard so many “okays” in such a short span of time).

My personal motto is: Instead of using this verbal “cotton fluff,” just pause and smile for a second.

Ready? 

In this article, I’ll walk you through the most common Czech filler words and give you some advice to help you navigate through the confusing valley of Czech conversation fillers. So, basically… We can begin, like…now?

Ummm…

Table of Contents

1. What are filler words and why do we use them?
2. Czech Fluff That Will Buy You Some Time When You’re Speechless
3. Pros and Cons of Using Filler Words: Look for the Silver Lining
4. CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech Fast

1. What are filler words and why do we use them?

➢ A filler word can be described as a word without meaning that is used to slow down, pause, or hesitate.
➢ Fillers have very little lexical value.

You know, all those “um, uh, er, ah, like, okay, right, and you knows” that buy you some time when you’re clueless or weren’t really paying attention when Grandma was telling you about the latest (nerve-wrecking) twist in her favorite soap opera and shrieked, “What would you do if you were in Esmeralda’s shoes?” And now she’s looking at you expectantly, waiting for you to chime in.

With filler words, you can buy more time to think about what to say. Choose wisely. Sometimes, it’s better to pause for a second or to say that you don’t understand. (Not sure how to do it? We’ve got you covered: how to say “I don’t understand,” in Czech.)

What would your answer be?

Ummm… Right?

➢ Czech filler words play a strategic syntactic role. Their function is (sometimes) to focus the listener’s attention on what’s to follow.
➢ They can also function as a pause vowel (“ummm”) or a holophrasis, which is a single-word phrase that expresses a complete thought (such as oukej – “okay”).

Beware: Pause vowels and some of the Czech conversation fillers are perceived as a sign of nervousness. You should be cautious and avoid them if you want to appear confident at a job interview, for example.

If you find yourself using filler words way too often, it might be a good idea to work on your vocabulary and practice Czech conversational phrases. (Check out this list.) If you struggle with real-life conversations, you’ll find some useful tips here.

2. Czech Fluff That Will Buy You Some Time When You’re Speechless

In the Czech language, fillers are often used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. 

Let’s look at the most common ones.

1.Tak / Takže – “So”

This cute little word is pronounced like no English word and just like the Norwegian “takk” – “thank you.” It’s one of the most commonly used Czech fillers, having countless meanings and functions.

➢ While tak is used almost exclusively at the beginning of a sentence, takže usually goes last and indicates an open ending of a statement peppered with uncertainty.

Example:
Q: Kdy se budete brát? – “When will you get married?”
A1: Tak… říkali jsme si za 7 let nebo tak… – “So, we were thinking in 7 years or so…”
A2: Říkali jsme si za 7 let, takže… – “We were thinking in 7 years, so…”

Not all filler words have a negative impact on the convo.

2. No – “Well”

This might be the uncrowned king of all Czech filler words. It’s pronounced almost like the English “no,” which tends to drive native English speakers crazy. Remember, no indicates hesitation; the Czech word for “no” (ne) sounds completely different.

Example:
Q: Neříkala náhodou, že už to neudělá? – “Didn’t she say she wouldn’t do that again?”
A: No, asi si to rozmyslela, takže… – “Well, I guess she changed her mind, so…”

3. Prostě – “Just” / “Simply”

The meaning of the Czech “just” actually leans toward that of the English filler “like,” and as such, it’s used in similar contexts/situations. It either opens or closes the statement.

Example:
Q: Proč jsi mi to neřekl? – “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A: Prostě… Nechtěl jsem, abys to věděla. – “I just…didn’t want you to know.”

4. Jako – “Like”

There’s nothing like a bowl of “like” during small talk, am I right? The Czech jako (“like”) is often used at the very beginning of the sentence as an (angry) opener.

Example:
Jako… Je mi to úplně jedno, víš? – “Like, whatever, you know?”
Jako, co jsi čekala? – “Like, what did you expect?”

5. Vlastně – “Actually”

This one is every politician’s/teacher’s/student’s favorite. It’s a little less casual and it’s often used in tandem with takže (“so”) as takže vlastně. This is an especially powerful combo when: “It’s on the tip of my tongue, just a sec, please, I really need to pass this exam.”

➢ When you’re at wit’s end and you’ve already said everything you know about the topic BUT you want to make it look like there’s so much more knowledge in you, give yourself a moment to channel it by saying takže vlastně.

Example:
Q: “If Albert Einstein drove his black BMW into town on Monday and then stayed for half a dozen blue moons, what flavor was the ice-cream he ate the night he got back?
“A: Vlastně… Musím si rozmyslet, jak to říct jednoduše. – “Actually, I need to think about how to put it simply.”

You know, I actually wanted to marry your brother.

6. Víš – “You know”

This is everyone’s and their mom’s favorite cross-cultural gem, widely loved by all drama queens and people who love attention and/or want to seem like they’re really trying hard to explain things to you in an assertive yet understanding manner.

Also, it’s a great buffer for not-so-pleasant news announcements. It’s way more elegant than “ummmm.”

Example:

Q: “Can I have the diamond earrings you borrowed a year ago back?”

A: Víš, prodala jsem je. Potřebovala jsem je na kabelku Chanel. – “You know, I sold them. I needed the money to buy a Chanel purse.”

7. Vole / Ty vole – “You bull”

Please, do not use this Czech filler in formal/professional or otherwise respectable settings.

• This very common, temperamental word can be used in situations where a native English speaker would utter “oh my god,” “sh*t,” or worse, as well as the aforementioned angry jako (“like”) or in place of a joyous shriek. Also, it indicates surprise or shock in some situations.
• It’s used as an interjection.

As you can see, it’s a pretty versatile champ.

Ty vole!

Example:

Ty vole, ty šaty stojí majlant! – “Oh my gosh, the dress costs a fortune!”

Ty vole, to se mi nepovedlo. – “Darn, I messed up.”

Ty vole, já jsem jí to říkala stokrát a ona mě neposlechla! – “Like, I told her like 100 times, and she wouldn’t listen!”

Q: Jaké bylo to rande? – “How was the date?”

A: Ty vole. Hrůza. – “Oh my god. Disastrous.”

8. Hele – “Look”

This is a very commonly used sentence opener that works just like its English counterpart. It’s kind of similar to the English “hey,” as well.

Example:

Q: Proč mi lžeš? – “Why are you lying to me?”

A: Hele, já jsem ti nikdy nic nesliboval, takže… – “Look, I never promised you anything, so…”

Hele, to bude v pohodě. – “Hey, it’s gonna be alright.”

9. V podstatě – “Basically”

This is another “smart” Czech filler word that might help you think about what you want to say without coming across as rude.

Example:

Q: Mohl bys mi to vysvětlit? – “Could you explain it to me?”

A: V podstatě o nic nejde. – “Basically, it’s not a big deal.”

10. Teda – “Then” / “Thus” / “Therefore”

Teda can be used as an interjection at the beginning of a sentence anytime you’d say something like “oh my gosh” in English. Many people use it as the English “like” and say it anywhere, anytime, first thing in the morning, last thing before bed.

Example:

Teda mami, ta večeře je vynikající! – “Oh my gosh, mom, the dinner is delicious!”

3. Pros and Cons of Using Filler Words: Look for the Silver Lining

You know, a healthy amount of fillers is like a tiny dab of perfume on your wrist. 

Like a pinch of cayenne in your signature soup recipe. 

Like the way you carry yourself around your town so confidently that all lost tourists know you’re a local and that you most definitely can help them find their way back to the hotel.

However, they can make you look ignorant, too anxious, or off-puttingly into yourself.

My advice: If you want to use the filler word solely to buy more time, don’t use it at all. Pause for a few seconds. Just stop and think silently without any “uuuhs” or “erms” that could deter your speech. That’s how professional speakers roll, too! If your filler word abuse stems from your lack of comprehension (you have no idea what the Czech person is saying), maybe you should boost your listening skills!

Instead of drowning your thoughts in filler words, pause for a few seconds.

Now… The pros and cons of using Czech filler words. 

Pros:

• They’re game changers. People don’t really notice them, but using fillers makes you sound authentic, like you’re really comfortable speaking the language and actually speak it all the time. You know what I mean?

• Using fillers in a foreign language is almost like swearing or dreaming in a foreign language—it’s a sign that speaking (and more importantly, thinking) in that language is becoming second nature. 

• They help the conversation flow smoothly without awkward silence.

Cons:

• You might sound too hesitant.

• Filler word overuse might make you seem self-conscious and less confident than you actually are.

4. CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech Fast

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new!

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!

CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way—with us, you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine. You’ll utilize your time and effort to their full potential, and enjoy the process.

What will you find here? 

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• 1-on-1 tutoring
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you. Oh, and which filler words are you most guilty of using in your native language?

Falling in love is always good news, whether it’s with a person, a language, a new activity, or a car.

I recently started learning a new language and I was very surprised when I finished a lesson called The Most Important Norwegian Phrases, yet still didn’t know how to say “Hey, handsome,” or “Your place or mine?” That’s one of the reasons I’m excited to be writing this article. Love is awesome in any language, plus you’ll likely meet interesting people while traveling or moving to another country. It’s a good idea to cover all the bases!

Things like flirting or saying “I love you,” in Czech might be tricky for you as a foreigner, but I’m here to help! Expressing love is just as delightful as feeling it, so I’ll be sure to clue you in on everything you need to make the most of your moment. 

Remember: In Czech, the verb “to love” isn’t as commonly used as it is in English, and people might be taken aback by your passionate love proclamation.

Generally speaking, Czechs aren’t the most lovey-dovey, cutesy nation in the world. Saying “I love you” is considered special, rare, and meant only for the right people and situations. The difference between “like” and “love” is as vast as the Grand Canyon.

So, how should you express your love in the Czech language or ask someone out? 

Let’s look at Czech love phrases.

Table of Contents

1. It All Starts with a Pick-up Line
2. Serious Stuff: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level
3. Endearment Terms
4. Czech Love Quotes
5. How CzechClass101.com Can Help You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. It All Starts with a Pick-up Line

I distinctly remember that fateful summer night in 1999. While camping with my class, we found out there was a group of German boys staying at the campsite. We were 14 or 15 and eager to get to know each other.

Mind you, I went to a “good” school, and we had all been learning German and English since we were eight. Most of us were able to talk about our summer plans, introduce ourselves and our family, and apologize for not doing our homework in these languages. Yet, that night, something mind-blowing happened.

During an encounter with the boys, who looked so much more manly and interesting than our classmates (six insecure boys overwhelmed by a group of 25 young women with ambition), we realized our knowledge of German and English was horrifyingly insufficient.

The best I could do that night might well be one of the most interesting things I’ve ever said: “Your hand is like a baby’s…popo.” Popo means “butt.” I was trying to tell him that his hands were very smooth. Young love conquers even the toughest of language barriers though, and he kissed me anyway. Had my German been better, he might have actually talked to me and we could be married today. Who knows.

TLDR: Learn Czech pick-up lines, and don’t risk missing out on getting to know someone special!

Now, let’s get to business!

A- How to Start a Conversation in a Non-creepy Way

Ke mně, nebo k tobě? (“Your place or mine?”)

Let’s say you’re sitting in a café, plowing through work emails or reading a book…and the most beautiful creature enters the room. It doesn’t really matter where you are, the point is—you’re intrigued. What do you do?

Introducing yourself (preferably in Czech) seems like the most logical first step, right? In this article, you’ll find the necessary vocab and phrases for doing so. If you’re still struggling or short on time, memorize these lines.

After that, you’re ready to bond:

Czech (M/F)	English
Chodíš sem často?	“Do you come here often?”
Dáš si drink?	“Would you like a drink?”
Zatancujeme si?	“Would you like to dance?”
Líbí se ti tady?	“Do you like it here?”
Bavíš se?	“Are you having fun?”
Jsi tu sám/sama?	“Are you alone here?” / “Did you come alone?”
Nenudíš se trochu?	“Aren’t you a bit bored?”
Můžu se k tobě přidat?	“Can I join you?”
Nemůžu z tebe spustit oči.	“I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

One of these should work in any setting or situation, except for business meetings, doctors’ offices, and funeral homes. 

Hodně štěstí! (“Good luck!”)

Note for men: Remember that Czech women aren’t as assertive/aggressive as you might expect, and it’s very likely that you’ll have to approach her, not the other way around.

B- Compliments

Alright. Everyone loves them, most of us don’t know how to accept them properly, and they work like a charm. Just don’t overdo it. 

Czech (M/F)	English
Jsi moc hezký/hezká.	“You’re very pretty.”
Jsi krásný/krásná.	“You’re beautiful.”
Moc se mi líbíš.	“I like you a lot.”
Jsi moc zajímavý/zajímavá.	“You’re very interesting.”

And so on. Get creative and spontaneous. If you need inspiration, check out our list of compliments here and make sure you read our article on compliments as well. You might also find this list of 15 love phrases helpful.

C- When You Really Like Them and Want to See Them Again

Okay. You now know their name, you really like them, and a bunch of hyperactive butterflies are fluttering in your stomach. You might even suspect that never seeing this person again would make you think, “Man, what could have happened had I asked them out?” for the rest of your life. Remember Robert Redford in Indecent Proposal, and his story about a girl on a train? Don’t be like Robert. Ask them out.

Here’s what to say if you’d like to slide into their DM and/or explore the depths of their soul:

Czech (M/F)	English
Můžu tě pozvat na večeři?	“Can I invite you to dinner?”
Nezajdeme někdy na drink?	“How about grabbing a drink someday?”
Dáš mi na sebe číslo?	“Can I have your phone number?”
Můžu ti zavolat?	“Can I call you?”
Zavolej mi. / Napiš mi.	“Call me.” / “Text me.”
Jsi single?	“Are you single?”
Jsi ženatý/vdaná?	“Are you married?”
Chodíš s někým?	“Are you dating anyone?”
Mám přítele/přítelkyni.	“I have a boyfriend/girlfriend.”
Šel/šla bys se mnou na rande?	“Would you go out with me?”
Moc rád/ráda bych tě znovu viděl/viděla.	“I’d like to see you again.”
Můžeme se někdy sejít?	“Can we meet up someday?”
Nemůžu se dočkat, až tě znovu uvidím.	“I can’t wait to see you again.”

By the way, are you ready for a date in a restaurant? You might want to check out this list of lessons and learn how to order, ask for the bill, and impress your date with your slick language skills.

If you’re going to the movies, then study this list of movie-related Czech vocab beforehand. Also, make sure you know the necessary Czech vocab for making plans.

D- When You Want to Get Straight to the Point

Sometimes, you just know what you want when you see it, and there’s no point in sugarcoating it.

Czech (M/F)	English
Čau krasavče/krásko.	“Hey handsome/beautiful.”
Nechceš jít na vzduch?	“Do you want to get some fresh air?”
Chci s tebou být sám/sama.	“I want to be alone with you.”
Můžu tě doprovodit domů?	“Can I take you home?”
Doprovodíš mě domů?	“Would you walk me/take me home?”
Chci tě.	“I want you.”
Můžu tě políbit?	“Can I kiss you?”
Přitahuješ mě.	“I am attracted to you.”
Jdeme ke mně, nebo k tobě?	“Your place or mine?”

When You’re Not Feeling It (And Just Want to Get Out)

Okay, what if everything goes smoothly, but the date is underwhelming and you know you don’t want to take it any further?

Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, and sometimes it doesn’t work out so badly that you need to leave immediately.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Vypadni. (“Get out.”)

When it’s time to face the music:

Czech	English
Nefungovalo by to.	“It wouldn’t work.”
Hledám něco jiného.	“I am looking for something else.”
Nejsi můj typ.	“You’re not my type.”
Nemám zájem.	“I’m not interested.”
Nehodíme se k sobě.	“We’re not a good match.”

2. Serious Stuff: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level

Alright. Let’s say you’ve gotten to know each other better, you’ve grown close, and your affection is much deeper than the initial (and mind-blowingly blissful) sexual fascination. You’re in love.

It’s time to say those elusive, magical words.

Do You Like Them or Love Them?

In Czech, we don’t use the word “love” very often, and we certainly don’t shout “luv ya” over the shoulder when leaving for work or at the end of every single phone call. And it’s totally normal (yes, this is the norm) to never hear it from your parents, grandparents, or kids.

And this doesn’t apply only to relationships.

In Czech, you don’t say: Miluju tvoje šaty. (“I love your dress.”) You say: Líbí se mi tvoje šaty. (“I like your dress.”)

When expressing affection, we commonly use these words instead of milovat (“to love”).

1. Líbit se (“to like”)
2. Mít rád (“to be fond of”)

• The Czech phrase Miluju tě (“I love you”) is only used in romantic relationships and it’s not something you throw around like confetti. 

Now, let’s look at some Czech love phrases:

Czech (F/M)	English
Miluju tě.	“I love you.”
Mám tě rád/ráda.	“I am fond of you.”
Zbožňuju tě.	“I adore you.”
Nemůžu bez tebe žít.	“I can’t live without you.”
Chci si tě vzít.	“I want to marry you.”
Vezmeš si mě?	“Will you marry me?”
Chci s tebou strávit zbytek života.	“I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Jsi láska mého života.	“You’re the love of my life.”
Jsem do tebe blázen.	“I’m crazy about you.”

Novomanželé. (“Newlyweds”.)

3. Endearment Terms

Czech is a fun and very flexible language that allows for the creation of cute words.

We use zdrobněliny (diminutive forms of a person’s formal name) and various pet names that might sound surprisingly obscene to the untrained ear.

• The most common ones are zlato, miláčku, and lásko.

We also love cukrbliky (“batting one’s eyelashes in a cute, flirty way”). Cukr means “sugar” and bliky means “blinks.”

I’ve included a list of Czech endearment terms in the 5th case—declined and ready to use.

Czech	English
Prdelko	“Little butt”
Lásko	“Love”
Kočičko	“Kitty”
Zlato	“Baby”
Broučku	“Little bug”
Zlatíčko	“Sweetheart”
Miláčku	“Darling”
Drahoušku	“Darling”

Jsi moje prdelka. (“You’re my little butt.”)

4. Czech Love Quotes

Alright friends, it’s time for a healthy amount of pathos! Here are two of the most common Czech love quotes/proverbs that capture the Czech nature perfectly.

Láska prochází žaludkem.	“Love goes through your stomach.”
This is similar to the English phrase, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

Snesl bych ti modré z nebe.	“I would bring you the blue from the sky.”
This is like saying, “I would do anything for you.”

We’re tough cookies who like food and are capable of big things when we’re in love. See for yourself!

Also, if you’re feeling super-romantic, you’re going to fall in love with this list of Czech quotes about love.

5. How CzechClass101.com Can Help You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new!

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you could grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!

CzechClass101.com makes learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way—with us, you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments which of these love phrases in Czech was your favorite!

Saying NO is important in many situations:

No, I don’t eat mussels.
No, I can’t help you.
No, I won’t marry you.

It’s equally important in Czech, of course. Czech grammar is quite simple and straightforward, and negatives are no exception.

If Czech negation were a guy/girl, you’d get slightly bored of them in the middle of your first date, and later you would describe them to your friend as simple, predictable, linear, and straightforward.

It will take you 15 seconds to master this topic, so go ahead and make plans for tonight. I’m not going to keep you for long.

Let’s learn about negation in the Czech language!

Just…no.

Table of Contents

1. How to Make a Statement Negative in Czech
2. Giving a Negative Answer
3. Czech Negation Words and Phrases
4. Double and Triple Negatives in Czech
5. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. How to Make a Statement Negative in Czech

I’ve already hinted at what Czech negation is like, and I promise it’s definitely one of the easiest bits of Czech grammar.

So how do you make a negative statement in Czech?

➢ Add the prefix NE- to a verb

Let’s look at some examples so that you know I’m not making this up:

Statement	Negative Statement
Zítra jdu do školy. – “I’m going to school tomorrow.”	Zítra nejdu do školy. – “I’m not going to school tomorrow.”
Máš ráda ovoce. – “I like fruit.”	Nemáš ráda ovoce. – “I do not like fruit.”
Jsem nemocná. – “I am sick.”	Nejsem nemocná. – “I am not sick.”
Chce si číst. – “He/She wants to read.”	Nehce si číst. – “He/She doesn’t want to read.”
Oni se učí česky. – “They are learning Czech.”	Oni se neučí česky. – “They are not learning Czech.”

If you want to master Czech negation, you need to learn how to spell and conjugate Czech verbs properly. This list of the 50 most commonly used Czech verbs is a great start. If you’re short on time, pave your way to Czech basics with this list of 25 Czech verbs.

The Verb být (“to be”) in Negative Form

Být (“to be”) is the only exception in Czech negation, but 

• only in the third person singular.

Let’s look at the conjugation:

Person	Singular	Negative Singular
1st	jsem – “am”	nejsem – “am not”
2nd	jsi – “are”	nejsi – “are not”
3rd	je – “is”	není – “is not”

Person	Plural	Negative Plural
1st	jsme – “are”	nejsme – “are not”
2nd	jste – “are”	nejste – “are not”
3rd	jsou – “are”	nejsou – “are not”

Apart from this little thing, it’s easy-peasy!

That was easy!

2. Giving a Negative Answer

As you can tell, negation in Czech is just as simple and straightforward as it gets—kind of like ordering your favorite meal at the restaurant where you’ve been a regular since 5th grade.

1. Create a negative form of the respective verb.
2. Put together a sentence according to the Czech word order rules.

And since one table is worth a million words…

Question	Negative Answer
Mluvíš česky? – “Do you speak Czech?”Nemluvíš česky? – “Do you not speak Czech?”	Ne, nemluvím Česky. – “No, I don’t speak Czech.”
Žije tvoje přítelkyně v Praze? – “Does your girlfriend live in Prague?” Nežije tvoje přítelkyně v Praze? – “Doesn’t your girlfriend live in Prague?”	Ne, moje přítelkyně nežije v Praze. – “No, my girlfriend doesn’t live in Prague.”
Chcete si už objednat? – “Would you like to order?” Nechcete si už objednat? – “Would you not like to order?”	Ne, nechceme si objednat. – “No, we are not ready to order.”
Máme dost vody? – “Do we have enough water?” Nemáme dost vody? – “Do we not have enough water?”	Ne, nemáme dost vody. – “No, we don’t have enough water.”
Je tu wi-fi zdarma? – “Is the wifi free here?” Není tu wi-fi zdarma? – “Isn’t the wifi free here?”	Ne, wi-fi tu není zdarma. – “No, the wifi isn’t free.”

There’s a slight difference between the negative and regular questions, though.

➢ When asking a negative question (very common in spoken Czech), you might be implying, assuming, making sure, or already know the answer.

For example: 

Nežije tvoje přítelkyně v Praze? – “Doesn’t your girlfriend live in Prague?”

This question could be followed by something like: “I thought I was seeing her in the park every weekend. I guess it’s not her.”

But if you genuinely have no idea where his girl lives, you would ask: 

Žije tvoje přítelkyně v Praze? – “Does your girlfriend live in Prague?” 

P.S.: If you’re lost, just shake your head.

Czech negation is very simple.

When you need to be polite…

Saying no is quite simple. However, in most situations (such as at work, while talking to a friend, etc.), you might want to choose your words carefully so that you don’t come across as a heartless and crude monster with no manners.

Also, these are the phrases you should use when you feel like you have to/should say yes, but you want to set boundaries or suggest a different solution.

Let’s say someone you barely know asks you to do their work:

• Je mi líto, ale nejde to. – “I am sorry, but it’s not possible/can’t be done.”

• Omlouvám se, ale ne. – “I am sorry, but no.” (This one sounds quite funny in English, but it’s actually one of the most common negative answers in Czech. I mean, besides: Už ti nenaliju, jsi na plech. – I won’t get you another drink, you’re hammered.”)

Maybe you would love to help, but you’re late on your projects:

• Promiň, mám moc práce, ale vím, kdo by ti mohl pomoct. – “I am sorry, I am busy, but I know who could help you.”

When someone invites you someplace, but you want to stay home with your cat and drink tea…

• Nezlob se, mám jiný program. – “I am sorry, I have other plans.”

When you don’t want to break their heart:

• Dneska nemůžu, můžeme jít jindy? – “I can’t today, can we go another time?”

When the person is really cute or the plans sound awesome and you genuinely want to do it:

• To bych moc rád(a), ale dneska se mi to nehodí. Mám čas příští týden. – “I would love to, but I can’t today. I am free next week.”

When you just don’t know…

• Já nevím, promiň. – “Sorry, I don’t know.”

When you want to be direct:

• Nemůžu. – “I can’t.”
• Nechci. – “I don’t want to.”
• Ne, díky. – “No, thanks.”
• Ani ne, díky. – “Not really, thanks.”

More on this topic here. Have fun!

Nechci! – I don’t want to.

3. Czech Negation Words and Phrases

Here are a few more words and phrases you can use to make a sentence negative in Czech. 

• ne – “no”

• nikdy – “never” 
  • Nikdy sem nechodí. – “He never comes here.”

• nikdo – “nobody” / “anyone” 
  • Nikdo je nemá rád. – “Nobody likes them.”

• nikde – “nowhere” / “anywhere” 
  • Nikde jinde to nenajdeme. – “We won’t find it anywhere else.”

• zádný/žádná/žádné (m/f/n) – “none” / “no” / “any” / “neither” 
  • Na stole nebyla žádná knížka. – “There wasn’t any book on the table.”

• ani jeden – “not even a one” or “none of these” / “neither” 
  • Ani jeden z jejích bratrů nemá černé vlasy. – “None of her brothers has black hair.”

• ani – “nor” / “not” 
  • Nikdo si nepamatuje moje narozeniny, dokonce ani moje máma. – “Nobody remembers my birthday, not even my mom.”

• skoro vůbec – “barely” / “hardly” 
  • Konečně jsme spolu a ty skoro vůbec nemluvíš! – “We’re finally together and you’re barely speaking!”

• už ne – “no longer” / “not anymore” 
  • Už nemá dost energie. – “He no longer has enough energy.” 
  • Q: Ty ji nechceš? A: Už ne. – Q: “Don’t you want her?” A: “Not anymore.”

• vůbec – “at all” / “whatsoever” 
  • Nemám vůbec hlad. – “I’m not hungry at all.”

In case you’re in the mood for more negativity, check out our list of the top 21 words for negative emotions.

4. Double and Triple Negatives in Czech

You’ve probably noticed that the Czech language is pretty playful in nature, which means there’s always an extra spark even in the simplest of matters.

In the context of Czech negation, it’s double (and even triple) negatives.

Here’s the most important info about the difference between negation in English and Czech:

➢ It’s almost a rule to have a double or triple negative in Czech, although sentences with only one negative are not uncommon.

If you remember elementary school math, and you’re tempted to apply the “negative + negative = positive” rule here, just don’t.

Let’s look at examples of two or more Czech negatives resulting in a negative:

Czech	English
Už nikdy tam nepůjdeš!	“You will never not go there again.” / “You won’t ever go there again.”
Nemám vůbec nic.	“I don’t have nothing at all.” / “I don’t have anything at all.”
Už nemá hlad.	“She isn’t hungry anymore.”
Dneska jsme nikam nešli.	“We didn’t go nowhere today.” / “We didn’t go anywhere today.”
Vůbec nic o tom neví.	“He doesn’t know nothing at all about it.” / “He doesn’t know anything about it.”
Ani jeden žák tu knihu nečetl.	“Not even one student didn’t read the book.” / “Not one student read the book.”
Nikdo tu není.	“There isn’t nobody in here.” / “There is nobody in here.”
Nemám rád cestování, nikdy jsem nikde nebyl.	“I don’t like traveling, I have never been nowhere.” / “I don’t like traveling, I have never been anywhere.”
V práci skoro vůbec nic nedělá.	“He doesn’t do barely anything at work.” / “He does barely anything at work.”
Nic nechci.	“I don’t want nothing.” / “I don’t want anything.”

Double and triple negatives result in a negative in the Czech language.

5. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new. You should now be ready to knock Czech negation out of the park!

I’m glad you chose Czech, and I hope you know that, in this wonderful era of advanced technology, learning languages is easy, effective, and can be done anywhere (= way less boring).

CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech with us and make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you. Let’s get in touch!

Everybody gets a little tense when it comes to tenses. However, I have GREAT news for you. If you’re a native English speaker (or a native speaker of any Germanic language), you’ll find Czech tenses super-easy to learn and understand.

The (otherwise complicated) Czech language uses only three tenses: past, present, and future. That’s it.

You still have to be aware of grammatical gender, declension, and conjugation of course, but applying the tenses correctly is actually a breeze.

This is going to be short and sweet. Let’s learn about Czech verb tenses!

Table of Contents

1. The Present Tense in Czech
2. The Past Tense in Czech
3. The Future Tense in Czech
4. Verb Conjugation and Auxiliary Verbs
5. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. The Present Tense in Czech

The rules for using the present tense in Czech are very simple.

Is it happening right now? Does it happen regularly? Then use the present tense.

➢ Přítomný čas (“present tense”) is used to describe ongoing actions.
➢ Grammatical gender, declension, and conjugation rules apply when using all tenses.
➢ The ending of the verb changes for every gender, person, and case.
➢ Minulý čas (“past tense”) is used to denote past actions without a time reference—actions that happened in the past and might happen in the future.

Before you decide whether it’s correct to use the present tense, you’ll need to figure out which conjugation type the verb falls under. 

You can simply memorize all the possible endings. I promise that, eventually, you’ll not only remember but also be able to “feel” what’s correct (I suggest you read a lot in Czech). In case your vocabulary needs a boost, check out our list of the 50 most commonly used verbs.

Verb endings:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st (já / my) – “I” / “we”	-u / -i / -m	-eme / -íme / -áme
2nd (ty / vy) – “you” / “you”	-eš / -íš / -áš	-ete / -íte / -áte
3rd (on, ona, ono/oni) – “he, she, it/they”	-e / -í / -á	-ejí / -ějí / -í / -ou / -ají

Let’s look at some examples:

English Tense	English	Czech
Present Simple	“I brush my teeth twice a day.” “Do you sew your own clothes?” “I don’t sew my own clothes.” “He doesn’t know about it.”	Čistím si zuby dvakrát denně. Šiješ si svoje vlastní šaty? Nešiju si svoje vlastní šaty. Neví o tom.
Present Perfect	“We have been to Italy several times.” “I have seen it before.” (feminine)	Několikrát jsme byli v Itálii.Už jsem to viděla. Exception: We need to use the past tense here, as explained above.
Present Continuous	“You are sitting in my chair.” “We aren’t doing anything right now.” “We are reading an article.”	Sedíš na mojí židli. My právě teď nic neděláme. Čteme je článek.
Present Perfect Continuous	“They have been living here since last year.” “I have been reading the book for months now.” “We have always been doing it this way.”	Bydlí tu od loňského roku. Já tu knihu čtu už celé měsíce. Vždycky to takhle děláme.

When to use přítomný čas in Czech (summary)

You use the přítomný čas when describing:

1. Habitual or routine actions
2. General (timeless) facts
3. Actions that are happening right now
4. Actions that started in the past and continue into the present (and may continue into the future)

Holky se smějí. – “The girls are laughing.”

2. The Past Tense in Czech

➢ The past tense in Czech is formed with the past participle in the proper gender form combined with an auxiliary verb, which indicates the person and number of the verb’s subject with a past form of the main verb.
➢ It replaces every past tense in English.
➢ The most common ending is -l + -a/-o/-i/-y (feminine, neuter, and plural).
➢ There is no tense shifting in reported speech.

Examples:

English Tense	English	Czech
Past Simple	“He cooked dinner last night.” “We arrived two days ago.” “It didn’t happen like that!”	Včera večer uvařil večeři. Přijeli jsme před dvěma dny. Takhle se to nestalo!
Past Continuous	“We were watching TV when it happened.” “She was driving when he called her.” “Her animals looked healthy and happy.”	Dívali jsme se na televizi, když se to stalo. Řídila, když jí zavolal. Její zvířata vypadala šťastně a zdravě.
Past Perfect	“I didn’t watch the movie; I had seen it last week.” (feminine) “The girls were hungry because they hadn’t eaten all day.”	Nedívala jsem se na film, viděla jsem ho minulý týden. Holky měly hlad, protože celý den nic nejedly.
Reported Speech	“He said he loved her.” “She texted me that the report was ready.”	Řekl, že ji miluje. Napsala mi, že je ta zpráva hotová. Past simple + present simple

When to use minulý čas in Czech (summary)

You use minulý čas when describing:

1. Actions that are finished
2. Actions and situations finished in the past
3. Finished actions that started in the past

This tense is also used in combination with the present simple in reported speech (řekl, že to udělá).

Někdo snědl kus dortu! – “Someone ate a piece of cake!”

3. The Future Tense in Czech

The future tense in Czech is probably the trickiest one, but if you’re able to navigate through the maze of the 12 tenses in English (let’s not even mention French and its 17 tenses), this will be a piece of cake for you.

There are a few possible ways to form this Czech-language tense: 

1. You can change the verb by modifying the stem and adding a prefix.
2. For some verbs of motion, the future tense can be formed by adding po-/pů- to the present form of the verb.
3. For imperfective verbs, we use být (“to be”) in the future tense, correct gender and person + the infinitive.

➢ It is possible to use the present simple or continuous when referring to scheduled actions and plans.

Examples:

English Tense	English	Czech
Present Simple	“It’s my birthday tomorrow.” “We have a class on Thursday.”	Zítra mám narozeniny. Ve čtvrtek máme hodinu.
Present Continuous	“I’m swimming tomorrow morning.” “They’re throwing a party next month.”	Zítra ráno jdu plavat. Příští měsíc pořádají večírek.
Will	“He will pick you up at six.” “I will show you how to do it.” “I will carry you, you can’t walk.”	Vyzvedne tě v šest. Ukážu ti, jak se to dělá. Ponesu tě, nemůžeš chodit.
Going to	“It’s going to rain, the clouds are really dark.” “I’m going to go, it’s late.”	Bude pršet, mraky jsou opravdu tmavé. Půjdu, je pozdě.

When to use budoucí čas in Czech (summary)

1. When expressing beliefs about the future
2. When we want or are willing to do something
3. Offers and promises
4. When we’re dead-set on doing something—we’re going to do it
5. Predictions based on evidence

Budou se brát. – “They will be getting married.”

4. Verb Conjugation and Auxiliary Verbs 

The past and future tenses in Czech are formed using verbs that provide additional conjugations for other verbs, which is their only role in the sentence. They’re called pomocná slovesa, or “helping verbs.”

➢ In Czech, only the verb být (“to be”) is used as an auxiliary verb to form the past and future tenses.

Být – To Be – To Exist

This short and simple word, embellished by a special character called čárka, plays a very important role in the Czech language.

Let’s look at the many uses of být:

1.	To be	Ona je krásná.	“She is beautiful.”
2.	To exist	V tom pokoji byla dvě okna.	“There were two windows in that room.”
3.	Auxiliary used to form the past tense with verbs in the past participle form	Šla jsem domů.	“I went home.”
4.	Auxiliary used to form the future tense with verbs in the infinitive	Budu ti číst.	“I will read to you.”
5.	Auxiliary used to form the conditional mood with verbs in the past participle form	Nekupoval bych to.	“I wouldn’t buy it.”
6.	Auxiliary used to form the passive voice with verbs in the past participle	Byla překvapená.	“She was surprised.”
7.	Auxiliary used to form the conditional forms of verbs with past and passive participles	Kdybych věděla, že jsi tu, počkala bych v autě.	“Had I known you were here, I would have waited in the car.”

It’s important that you learn all of the forms for this word (a.k.a. conjugation). You pretty much wouldn’t be able to form any tense in Czech without it. I hope I didn’t scare you.

Present Conjugation

Person	Singular/Plural – Czech	Singular/Plural – English
1st (já / my) – “I” / “we”	jsem/jsme	am/are
2nd (ty / vy) – “you” / “you”	jsi/jste	are/are
3rd (on, ona, ono/oni) – “he, she, it/they”	je/jsou	is/are

Past Participle

➢ When referring to a singular subject, you need to know the grammatical gender of the subject.

	Masculine Animate	Masculine Inanimate	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	byl	byl	byla	bylo
Plural	byli	byly	byly	byla

Future Tense

➢ In the future tense, být works like the English future auxiliary verb “will.”

	Masculine Animate	Masculine Inanimate	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	bude	bude	bude	bude
Plural	budou	budou	budou	budou

	1st Person	2nd Person	3rd person
Singular	budu	budeš	bude
Plural	budeme	budete	budou

Conditional

➢ When forming the conditional, you’ll use the verb být the same way as “would” is used in English.

	1st Person	2nd Person	3rd person
Singular	bych	bys	by
Plural	bychom	byste	by

Start now!

5. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article on Czech verb tenses and learned something new!

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you could grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient).

CzechClass101.com makes learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech with us and make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you, and share your favorite learning tips. Let’s get in touch!

Learning a new language is kind of like losing or gaining weight: we want to see results ASAP. Even better—we want to see results now. Yesterday was too late.

That, my dear friend, won’t happen. Not even if you pull three all-nighters in a row in an attempt to learn 1000 new words in three days. Not even if you refuse to speak other languages and expose yourself to an ungodly amount of Czech TV and YouTube videos.

So how long does it take to learn Czech?

Let me put it this way: It depends on what your goal is.

Duh, obvi, right?

Do you want to be able to order the right food on the menu or ask about specific ingredients? (Very important if you have food allergies or an intolerance…or if you really, REALLY can’t stand mushrooms, and spotting them on your plate would ruin your whole trip to Prague.)

Do you just need to get by and understand some basic, everyday phrases? Is your biggest fear using the wrong tense or saying “Goodnight” at ten in the morning?

Are you actually taking this VERY seriously and want to become fluent? Sky’s the limit!

Finally, are there any tips and tricks on how to learn Czech faster?

That (and more) is the topic of this article!

Table of Contents

1. Beginner Level
2. Intermediate Level
3. Advanced Level
4. Do You Want to Learn Czech Fast? Start Here.
5. Learn Czech Faster: Practical Tips and Tricks
6. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

Beginner Level

I know I’m going to sound super-annoying, but…there’s no straight answer to this (very frequently) asked question.

Think about it this way: How long did it take you to learn your mother tongue? You probably weren’t flaunting it within a couple of weeks, right? I’ve got great news for you, though: It’s not going to take years to learn Czech. And you can make the process fun by using the right methods and resources.

Read on.

The right learning method will speed up your progress.

Beginner Level: What Exactly Does That Mean?

• You can ask a few basic questions, such as what time it is or where the restroom is located. 
• You know how to greet people appropriately.
• You can introduce yourself (your name, age, job, etc.).
• You know how to use tenses. (Past, present, and future—see? This is MUCH easier than in English.)
• Your vocabulary is limited, but you’re able to participate in conversations.
• You typically make quite a lot of mistakes (and that’s okay, take them as an opportunity to learn and grow).
• By international standards, this level is called A1 or A2.

How Many Hours Does it Take to Achieve a Beginner Level in Czech?

Generally speaking, you’re going to spend around 480 hours playing with flashcards, studying grammar, and memorizing vocabulary.

If you have the time and can treat yourself to full-time study, you will learn Czech in about 12 weeks.

Use different learning techniques and don’t underestimate the power of Netflix and YouTube!

Intermediate Level

You should reach the intermediate level in about 720 hours or 24 weeks. However, if you’re not a complete beginner, you’ll probably make progress much faster. It all depends on your dedication. 

As a B1-B2 Czech speaker:

• You understand the main topics of a conversation, given the vocabulary and grammar aren’t overly complicated or specific (and that you’re familiar with the topic).
• Daily interactions in Czech are a breeze. You order food and engage in conversations about the weather, your family, hobbies, or work with ease.
• You’re aware that it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to start writing your first novel in Czech, but you can compose an email just fine, even if it’s a work thing that has to sound professional.

Advanced Level 

This level will take around 44 weeks or 1100 hours to achieve. Whoa! This is C1-C2, guys!

At this level:

• You’re pretty much fluent. You’re confident and use the language freely, without major errors.
• Your vocabulary and grammar skills are strong.
• You have complete control over the language.

Diligence is the mother of success!

Do You Want to Learn Czech Fast? Start Here.

How long it takes to learn Czech depends on a number of factors, such as your learning methods and your dedication. 

First of all, you should consider how much time you can allocate to studying Czech. Don’t push yourself too hard, and set realistic goals. Huge expectations might lead to disappointment. Remember: Slow and steady wins the race, and sometimes it’s better to relax instead of pushing harder.

Studying at the same time every day will help you make it a habit.

➢ Set realistic expectations. One hour a day is plenty.

What’s your motivation? Are you learning the language just for fun or do you have an actual goal that you want to reach? You know, motivation actually dries out, no matter how strong it is at first. Habits last forever.

➢ Make studying Czech a habit.

Set a reminder on your phone if needed. Train your language learning muscles. It’s all about your commitment, not your motivation.

➢ What’s your first language? Do you speak any other Slavic languages?

English and Czech have literally nothing in common. Czech is a phonetic language—it’s pronounced the way it’s written. English is not. Also, Czech rules for word order are very loose and rely on context, voice, and declension. That brings us to…

➢ Do not compare English and Czech.

I’ve witnessed this many times, and I guess it’s pretty understandable, but also useless. When you’re learning Czech grammar or trying to pronounce a new word, forget that English even exists. Learn like little kids do—without bias or expectations.

➢ What’s your preferred way of learning?

Are you highly competitive or do you just enjoy company? Do you prefer to study early in the morning or at night? Your learning method will play an important role in your progress. Choose your favorite one, stick to it, and mix it up from time to time.

It would be a good idea to attend a class at least once a week (Zoom classes work too!), and use a free online resource daily—this could be an app or an online class. And no, you don’t have to travel all the way to the Czech Republic to learn the language. You can learn Czech online effectively and fast.

Are you a visual, auditory, or linguistic learner? The right learning method will help you make progress faster.

Learn Czech Faster: Practical Tips and Tricks

Tips for visual learners:

• You’re a visual learner if you doodle while studying, you recall pictures and diagrams easily, and you often close your eyes and “visualize” information rather than trying to remember it.

• Definitely use vocabulary flashcards and put pictures on them. I swear this works like magic. Trust me, you don’t have to be a graphic designer with a degree in Fine Arts to put together a decent-looking flashcard using an online tool. Use colors, fonts, and pics that work for you, spike your imagination, and are pleasing to look at (for you).

• Pairing words with moving images or gestures works great, too. I highly recommend watching educational shows for kids – you’ll benefit from the colorful schemes and lots of pictures, as well as the simple vocabulary.

Tips for auditory learners:

• If you like to repeat what you’ve just read or pick up new words from songs or podcasts without even trying, there’s a good chance you’re an auditory learner.

• You’ll benefit from audio lessons and podcasts the most. Check out this comprehensive list of audio lessons for beginners and see if they work for you (they should).

• Don’t be afraid to talk to native speakers and participate in conversations as much as you can.

Tips for linguistic learners:

• If you like to read, easily remember information you’ve seen on paper/screen, often take detailed notes, and perhaps like to write essays and other assignments, you might be a linguistic learner.

• Read comic books in Czech. The vocabulary will be pretty easy and you’ll get your word fix as well.

• Switch on the subtitles while watching Netflix or YouTube videos in Czech. Trust me, this makes a world of a difference.

Tips for everyone:

• Google Play and Apple Store will shower you with a variety of apps. Don’t underestimate their power. Even the laziest learners might get bored on the train or while waiting in a deserted café for it to stop raining. Plus, they’re fun, and some of them will work on your phone AND Kindle!

• Take online Czech classes. They’re great for busy people! You can study in your bed and they never dry up. You can learn Czech fast and free with CzechClass101. It’s a gorgeous playground full of extensive vocabulary lists, lists of Czech phrases, audio and video lessons with transcripts, and flashcards—we even have a YouTube channel. If you want to study offline, no problem. You can download our lessons and use them on a plane or in the middle of the woods. Look at this online lesson for beginners; it has all you need to start learning Czech—audio, transcript, and vocabulary—and the tenses and grammar are explained in detail!

• Watch Czech TV shows or YouTube channels, preferably with subtitles on, so that you can work on your spelling.

• Get yourself a nice Czech girlfriend or boyfriend. Okay, “just” a friend (or a pen pal). This could help you improve your written Czech and writing skills in general.

How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new!

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient).

CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech with us and make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now, it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you, and share your favorite learning tips. Let’s get in touch!

Ahhh, proverbs…those charming pieces of wisdom that add a nice ring (or a pitch of pathos) to any speech or article, and make you ultimately irritated in certain situations. Like right after you failed your adventurous challenge. 

However, they’re also comforting. Knowing that people in the past have gone through the same stuff we’re dealing with now is encouraging. And that’s exactly how we should see proverbs: as little “hellos” from our ancestors, who created them as reflections of who we are and how we see the world, life, love, success…you name it.

This article about Czech proverbs and sayings will give you insight into not only the Czech language, but also the culture and mindset behind it. You might be surprised at how much proverbs vary from one country or culture to another. 

Have you ever read or heard a Czech proverb? No? That’s okay…žádný učený z nebe nespadl (“no expert has ever fallen from the skies”). I hope that you’re a little confused and very curious now (and no, I did not get a stroke just now). I’m just giving you a little example. 

In this article, I’ll explain the most common Czech proverbs in English. Let’s dive right into it!

Lépe pozdě než nikdy. / “Better late than never.”

Table of Contents

1. Czech Proverbs About Money
2. Motivational Czech Proverbs
3. Czech Proverbs About Time
4. Czech Proverbs About Attitude
5. Czech Proverbs About Life
6. Cool Czech Proverbs in English That Even Many Natives Don’t Understand
7. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

1. Czech Proverbs About Money

Believe it or not, there are plenty of Czech sayings out there on the topic of money. Here are just a few… 

Odvážnému štěstí přeje.

• “Luck favors the brave ones.” / “Fortune sides with him who dares.” 

This one is pretty straightforward, right?

Fun fact #1: This quote is actually from Virgil (the author of the Aeneid), but my nation seems to like it a lot.

Fun fact #2: Czechs aren’t the most courageous people in the world. 

During the communist era (I’m going to repeat this a lot, bear with me), which ended “only” thirty years ago, it was much safer to keep quiet and remain unseen. Today’s kids are a whole different story, though: adventurous, ambitious, wordly.

Bez práce nejsou koláče. 

• “Without work, there are no kolaches.”

No pain, no gain, guys. This one pairs great with…

Pečení holubi nelítají do pusy. 

• “Baked pigeons don’t fly into your mouth.”

The Czech believe that if you want to achieve something, you have to hustle and work extra-hard. Every success has to be hard-earned. There have to be blood stains all over you. 

Making money doing what you love? Pffft. 

Making two dimes a week as a miner working twenty-hour shifts? Well done, buddy!

Czechs love their food, so don’t be surprised when you see them come up often in proverbs. Speaking of, what’s your favorite Czech food? And do you know how to order in a Czech restaurant?

Čas jsou peníze. 

• “Time is money.”

The meaning of this one is pretty obvious: Don’t wait around if you could be making money instead.

Oh, just don’t talk about money in the Czech Republic. No figures. People might look at you funny if you ask them about their income, mortgage, debt, child support…just kidding. 

However, there are some basic money-related Czech phrases that you’ll need for your everyday interactions. Check them out: 

★ Money-Related Expressions
★ Money

Zadarmo ani kuře nehrabe. 

• “Chickens don’t dig for free.” 

Knowing your worth and value sure is important. But this Czech proverb is more about…not doing stuff just out of the goodness of your heart.

Kdo šetří, má za tři. 

• “Who keeps saving has more than three people combined.”

Okay, guys. I do agree it’s important to save some bucks for a rainy day, but saving can get out of hand too! Don’t forget that your happiness and well-being are way more important, so don’t deny yourself the opportunity to use your own money on stuff that makes you happy!

This proverb doesn’t apply to money exclusively, and it comes from the old dark times when people ate artificial “honey” and didn’t know when the local store would restock on toilet paper, so…they stocked up on it, and saved it. (True story.)

Sometimes, money CAN buy happiness.

2. Motivational Czech Proverbs

We could all use some motivation now and then, whether to lift our spirits…or to lift our bums off the sofa. Here are a few of the best Czech proverbs to do just that! 

Co můžeš udělat dnes, neodkládej na zítřek. 

• “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”

If you want to do something, do it right away. Like… The last piece of cake in your fridge might as well be eaten tonight, don’t you think?

Malé ryby taky ryby. 

• “Even small fish are fish.”

Here we go again: the communist era (you can learn more about the Czech history after WWII here). Here’s what I genuinely enjoy about my people—we can appreciate the little things in life. Even small victories count, you know?

Opakování matka moudrosti. 

• “Repetition is the mother of wisdom.”

A.k.a. “Repetition is the mother of all learning.” If you want to create new neural paths, repeat the thing you want to learn until it becomes second nature.

S poctivostí nejdál dojdeš. 

• “Honesty is the best policy.”

Being truthful is a virtue. Just don’t overdo it, please. 

Last weekend, my grandma was being very honest and shrieked: “You look pregnant!”

I’m not pregnant.

Naděje umírá poslední. 

• “Hope dies last.”

…for hope to even possibly die is for there to be nothing else left.

3. Czech Proverbs About Time

Time affects literally every aspect of our lives, so it should come as no surprise that there are a number of proverbs on the topic…

Nač stahovat kalhoty, když brod je ještě daleko? 

• “Why put your pants down while the ford is still far away?”

As in: Everything in due time. Also, the proverb’s delicately hinting that you’re going to “use the bathroom” someplace safe near the ford. 

By the way, before your trip to CZ, make sure you know how to ask where the nearest bathroom is—not a lot of people speak English!

Co se v mládí naučíš, ve stáří jako když najdeš. 

• “What you have learned young you’ll find useful in the old.”

My grandma was probably taught to be extremely honest. Don’t be like grandma, and focus instead on learning skills that don’t traumatize other people, please.

Ráno moudřejší večera. 

• “The morning is wiser than the evening.”

You know how sometimes you can’t sleep because your mind is racing, you get anxious, and everything seems so difficult and hopeless…and then in the morning you feel much better even though nothing has changed?

Or! Have you ever made a decision too fast and regretted it later?

These are great examples of what this proverb is referring to.

Don’t rush yourself. Sleep on it (literally or figuratively). Give yourself time to think things through. You’ll be wiser in the morning.

Ranní ptáče dál doskáče. 

• “The early bird will hop further (gets the worm).”

No wonder all the billionaires and CEOs get up at four a.m., right?

It’s totally okay to sleep in, but if you get a head-start, you’ll get more done!

Starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš. 

• “You can’t teach an old dog to perform new tricks.”

My friend recently said this to me with a frustrated sigh and then took a sip of her wine.

Meaning: People who have been doing something a certain way for a very long time, most likely won’t change their routine just because you want to get married and move in together. Oh, the second part is totally just an example.

Trpělivost růže přináší. 

• “Patience brings roses.”

And maybe, if you’re patient enough, he’ll finally produce a ring. Eventually. If you’re patient enough.

Okay, seriously. This proverb carries a message about “everything in due time.” So don’t try to rush things. Trust it will happen, and it’s yours.

4. Czech Proverbs About Attitude

They say that attitude is everything. But what exactly does that mean? 

Zlost je špatný rádce. / Mluviti stříbro, mlčeti zlato. 

• “Anger is a bad advisor.” / “Speaking is silver, silence is gold.”

These two proverbs urge us to be careful about what we say in anger, because people can’t unsee or unhear things. Next time you’re tempted to scream your lungs out or say something nasty, take a deep breath first.

Dobrá rada nad zlato. 

• “Good advice is more valuable than gold.”

IMO, sometimes good advice even YIELDS gold.

Kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá. 

• “He who digs a hole for someone will fall in it himself.”

Karma’s a b*tch! Be nice and nice things will come to you. Dig holes and you’ll end up with both legs broken.

Darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej. 

• “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Accept gifts graciously, and don’t question their value. I mean…who doesn’t like free stuff, right?

→ Attitude and personality often go hand-in-hand. If you would like to learn how to describe your personality in Czech, see our list of adjectives and go through this lesson! 

Darovanému koni na zuby nehleď.

5. Czech Proverbs About Life

We all want to live the best life possible, right? But it’s not always that easy. Here are some Czech proverbs that might help you, though! 

Nehas, co tě nepálí. 

• “Don’t fight a fire that’s not burning you.”

Mind your business. Did you know that Czechs are known for not giving an F? That’s why we often seem disinterested, cold, or rude (even though we’re dying to engage on the inside).

Sytý hladovému nevěří. 

• “The sated/full doesn’t believe the hungry.”

If I told you that Czech is totally easy, and that if you’d started studying it a couple weeks ago, you should be fluent by now…would you believe me?

And if you told me that Czech is so hard, almost impossible to learn…would I believe you?

Now who’s the sated one?

Dvakrát měř, jednou řež. 

• “Measure twice, cut once.” 

The meaning of this one is obvious. Be careful and do all the preparations carefully. (Sometimes it’s called procrastination.)

Co zaseješ, to sklidíš. 

• “You reap what you sow.”

Ever heard about karma?

Pes, který štěká, nekouše. 

• “A dog that barks doesn’t bite.” / “Someone who makes threats all the time seldom carries out the threats.”

Except for the angry, tiny dogs—those always bite!

The actual meaning of this proverb is: Even if something seems intimidating/scary/too much/too loud, don’t get put off or scared. It’s likely just a facade.

Kdo uteče, vyhraje. 

• “He who runs away, wins.”

Sometimes, it’s wiser to give up and walk away from a situation if you think you can’t win.

Kdo uteče, vyhraje.

6. Cool Czech Proverbs in English That Even Many Natives Don’t Understand

…but really, who understands all the proverbs in their language? 

Jednou za Uherský rok. 

• “Once in a Hungarian moon.”

This is equivalent to “once in a blue moon” or “very rarely.” Nobody knows what Hungary has to do with it.

Házet flintu do žita. 

• “Throwing your rifle in the rye.” 

To throw in the towel, especially after a long fight that seemed to be going nowhere.

Má máslo na hlavě. 

• “He has butter on his head.”

This refers to when someone is hiding a lot of secrets (very obvious things) that everybody knows about (a.k.a. “has skeletons in his closet”).

Why butter? Who knows! We like butter. Butter is life. Butter is the Czech cream cheese and peanut butter in one.

V noci je každá kočka černá. 

• “Every cat is black at night.”

When you can’t see things clearly, everything might seem the same to you.

Nedráždi hada bosou nohou. 

• “Don’t pat a snake with bare feet.”

A.k.a. “walking into the lion’s den.” It’s a fun phrase, considering there are basically no venomous snakes in the country.

Don’t pat a snake with bare feet!

7. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way

I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new! Which of these Czech proverbs can you most relate to? 

If you’re taking your Czech studies seriously, you basically have two options: grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (the latter of which is way more convenient).

CzechClass101.com makes learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech with us and make progress faster than you could imagine!

What can you find here?

• English-to-Czech translation and pronunciation tips/tricks
• Over 630 audio and video lessons
• Vocabulary learning tools
• Spaced repetition flashcards
• Detailed PDF lesson notes

Sign up now—it’s free!

One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you. Let’s get in touch!