The Czech “ch” is a guttural sound, similar to the “ch” in the Scottish word “loch. " You’ll also be familiar with this sound from the German pronunciation of “ch. " The Czech “c” sounds like the “ts” in the English word “bits. " The Czech letter “j” sounds like the “y” in the English word “yes. " This is similar to the Spanish pronunciation of the letter “j. " In Czech, the letter “g” always produces a hard sound, like the first “g” in the English word “garage” (but never like the second “g” in the same word). The letters “q,” “w,” and “x” appear in foreign words only, and are pronounced as they would be in the origin language. [3] X Research source
The Czech letter “ž” makes a “zh” sound, similar to the “s” in the English word “treasure. " The Czech letter “š” makes an “sh” sound, similar to the “sh” in the English word “ship. " The Czech letter “č” makes a “ch” sound, similar to the “ch” in the English word “chat. " The Czech letter “ř” makes an “rz” sound, similar to the “rg” in the French word “bourgois. " The Czech letter “ď” makes a “dy” sound, similar to the “du” in the English word “duel. " The háček is still there, but blends in with the upper stem of the lower-case “d. " The Czech letter “ť” makes a “ty” sound, similar to the “tu” in the English word “tune. " The hácek blends in with the tall upper stem of the “t,” just as it did with “ď. " The Czech letter “ň” makes a “ny” sound, similar to the “ni” in the English word “onion. "
“Á/á” makes an “ah” sound, similar to the “a” in the English word “father. " “É/é” makes an “ai” sound, similar to the “ai” in the English word “pair. " “Í/í” makes an “ee” sound, similar to the “ee” in the English word “bee. " “Ó/ó” makes an “oh” sound, similar to the “o” in the English word “go. " “Ú/ú/ů” makes an “oo” sound, similar to the “oo” in the English word “fool. " “Ý/ý” makes an “ee” sound, similar to the “ee” in the English word “bee. "
“A/a” makes an “uh” sound, similar to the “u” in the English word “fun. " “E/e” makes an “e” sound, similar to the “e” in the English word “red. " “I/i” makes an “ih” sound, similar to the “i” in the English word “fit. " “O/o” makes an “ah” sound, similar to the “o” in the English word “hot. " “U/u” makes an “uh” sound, similar to the “u” in the English word “push. " “Y/y” makes an “ih” sound, similar to the “i” in the English word fit.
To pronounce the consonant or syllable, think in terms of pronouncing an “ee” sound followed by a “y” (a “j” in the Czech alphabet) after the initial consonant. For example, the Czech word “oběd” (which means “lunch”) would be pronounced “OH-bee-yehd. "
The first syllable always takes the primary stress. With longer words, you may have secondary stress. Only syllables with long vowels ever take secondary stress.
In the morning, try “dobré ráno” for “good morning. " In the afternoon, you could also say “dobré adpoledne” for “good afternoon. " For an evening greeting, use “dobrý večer,” which means “good evening. "
Similar to the Hawaiian greeting “aloha,” this word can be used to mean either “hello” or “goodbye. " Another casual greeting that means both “hello” and “goodbye” is “čau,” pronounced similarly to the Italian “ciao. "
If you’re speaking informally to someone you know relatively well, you might also ask “Jak se máš?” The informal response would be “Mám se dobře, děkuji. " You could also simply say “Dobré. A copak Ty?”
The response to the questions varies depending on which question you asked. If you asked “Jak se jemenujete?” the person would respond “jemenuju se” followed by their name. If you asked “Jaké je vaše jméno?”, on the other hand, they would respond “moje jméno je,” again, followed by their name.
It can also be used to mean “What did you say?” This makes it especially helpful if you are just starting to learn Czech and are chatting with a native speaker who’s speaking a bit too fast. You could also say “prosím mluvte pomaleji” (please speak more slowly) or “prosím, zopakujte to ještě jednou” (please say that again). [14] X Research source
Odpusťte mi to: “Sorry. " This is the formal version. Informally, you would say “promiň. " Czech-speakers also say “pardon,” pronounced in the French way (PAHR-dohn). Děkuji: “Thank you. " To say “thanks” informally, simply shorten it to “dík” or “díky. " “Prosím” is the common response to “thank you. " In this context, it essentially means “don’t mention it. " Promiňte: “Excuse me. " You can also use the various words and phrases for “sorry” in this context.
“Yes” in Czech is “ano” (AH-noh). However, it’s frequently shortened simply to “no” in casual conversation. If you don’t know this, it’s easy to get confused. “No” in Czech is “ne” (NEH). If you think of this in comparison to “nay,” which also means “no,” this is fairly easy to remember. If you want to say “I don’t know,” say “nevím” or “já nevím. "
If you can find Czech reality shows online, these can be good examples of how Czech people normally speak. Scripted dialog is often too formal to sound natural in regular conversations. Turning on subtitles in Czech (rather than your native language) can help you associate the spoken words with their written form. However, keep in mind that subtitles aren’t always exactly word for word.
Sites like YouTube have music videos with Czech lyrics. You might also search for Czech music on your favorite music streaming service. Listen to Czech music during your commute to work or school or while you’re doing chores. Over time, your brain will become more familiar with the sound of the Czech language, even if you don’t necessarily understand all the words yet.
Each time you walk by a labeled object, read the label and say the word out loud. Don’t label too many objects at once. Aim for only one or two in a room. Once you’ve got those words down, you can label different objects.
Children’s books are also often illustrated, so if you encounter a new word, you can figure it out from the context using the illustrations as a clue. Check out the Little Czech Primer at https://www. czechprimer. org/index. html for helpful vocabulary with pictures and stories. The site also includes links to other Czech language learning and reading resources. There are a number of coloring books, worksheets, and reading activities available for free at https://www. detskestranky. cz/. While these are designed for Czech children, they’re also perfect for anyone learning the language to practice their skills. You could also check out Časopis AHOJ, an online magazine for people learning Czech. It uses simple phrases and basic vocabulary and is available for free at https://www. casopis-ahoj. cz/.
There are several websites that serve as a platform to connect language learners, including Conversation Exchange (https://www. conversationexchange. com/) and iTalki (https://www. italki. com/partners). HelloTalk (https://www. hellotalk. com/?lang=en) is a smartphone app available for both iPhones and Android devices that allows you to practice your writing with native speakers.
While you’ll likely find plenty of people in Prague who can speak English, if you venture out into more rural areas, many of the people you meet will only speak the local language. This is a good opportunity to practice your speaking skills as well as your understanding of the spoken and written language.
