Travel planning

Language in the Czech Republic

Nadine Dirksen

Czech is a West Slavic language, and is the official language of the country.
Watch for the ř letter; it is pronounced by combining the trilled ‘r’ sound and ‘su’ to make a ‘rrzh.’
Czech people are often bi and tri-lingual; English is widely spoken, as well as German.

Language Lessons

Open: Otevřeno (oh-teh- VRZHEH-noh)
Closed: Zavřeno (zah- VRZHEH-noh)
Entrance: Zchod (fkhot)
Exit: Východ (VEE-khot)
Toilet: Toalety/WC (toa-LEH- tih/VEH TSEH)

Hello: Dobrý den (DOH-bree dehn)
Good morning: Dobrý ráno (RAHH-noh)
Nice to meet you: Těší mě (TYEH-shee myeh)
Please: Prosim (proseem)
Thank you: Děkuji (dyekooyih)
Yes: ano (AH-noh)
No: ne (neh)
Goodbye: Na shledanou (NAHSH-leh-dah-noh)
Do you speak English?: Mluvíte anglicky (Mlooveeteh unglitskee)
Where is the toilet?: Kde je záchod (Gdeh yeh ZAHH- khoht)

Bicycle: Bicykl (BIH-tsyk)
Flat tire: Defekt pneumatiky (deh-FECT punayo ma-TEH- ky)
Water: Voda (VOH-DAH)
I am on a bicycle tour: Jsem na cestě kole (Yeesem-nyachiesTE-se COLA)

Always say hello and goodbye when you enter and leave a small shop. The Czech Republic is in Central Europe, not Eastern Europe; the Czechs are very sensitive to that misappropriation. They also are sensitive to comments about comments insinuating how inexpensive things are in the country; as it reflects poorly on the country’s economic standing.