Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

Jennifer: Welcome to 3-Minute Czech Season 1, Lesson 4 - Asking How Someone Is. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask and answer the question How are you? in Czech.
Body
Jennifer: Here's the informal way to ask 'How are you?' in Czech.
Martin: [Normal] Jak se máš?
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'how'
Martin: [Normal] jak [Slow] jak
Jennifer: Last is the phrase meaning 'you are'
Martin: [Normal] se máš [Slow] se máš
Jennifer: Note the rising intonation. Listen again to the informal question meaning 'How are you?'
Martin: [Slow] Jak se máš? [Normal] Jak se máš?
Jennifer: Now, imagine you're speaking to a stranger. Here's the formal way to ask, 'How are you?'
Martin: [Normal] Jak se máte?
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'how'
Martin: [Normal] jak [Slow] jak
Jennifer: Last is the phrase meaning 'you are (polite)'
Martin: [Normal] se máte [Slow] se máte
Jennifer: Note again the rising intonation. Listen again to the formal question meaning 'How are you?'
Martin: [Slow] Jak se máte? [Normal] Jak se máte?
Jennifer: Here's a response meaning 'I'm fine. Thanks.'
Martin: [Normal] Dobře. Dík.
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'well'
Martin: [Normal] dobře [Slow] dobře
Jennifer: Last is the word meaning 'thank'
Martin: [Normal] dík [Slow] dík
Jennifer: Listen again to the response meaning 'I'm fine. Thanks.'
Martin: [Slow] Dobře. Dík. [Normal] Dobře. Dík.
Jennifer: Here's a response meaning, 'Not so well.'
Martin: [Normal] Jakž, takž.
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'so'
Martin: [Normal] jakž [Slow] jakž
Jennifer: Last is the word meaning 'so'
Martin: [Normal] takž [Slow] takž
Jennifer: Listen again to the response meaning 'Not so well.'
Martin: [Slow] Jakž, takž. [Normal] Jakž, takž.
Cultural Insight
Jennifer: Now it's time for a quick cultural insight.
Martin: Asking how someone is shows you are a well-mannered and polite person. If you are talking to the person for the first time or if it is an official meeting, it is usual to get just a brief answer, describing their condition better than it might really be. In the case of friends the question can also result in a detailed description of all their current life difficulties and may last hours!

Outro

Jennifer: And that’s all for this lesson. Don’t forget to check out the lesson notes, and we’ll see you in the next lesson!
Martin: Čau!

Comments

Hide