Learning Czech: a practical guide
This is a written companion to the free Czech course on LanguagePath: what the language is like, how it sounds, the phrases you will use first, how the course is structured, and what to watch out for. Everything here comes from the same lessons you can practise interactively above.
What Czech is like
Czech is close to phonetic: if you can say each letter you can read any word. Stress is always on the first syllable. Watch the diacritics — they change the sound, not just the look: č = 'ch', š = 'sh', ž = 'zh', ě = 'ye'. The tricky ř combines a trilled r with a soft 'zh'. Nouns have gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), which changes endings — the dictionary form is a good place to start.
Words you may already know
Pronunciation notes
Czech is written with Latin letters and every sound is said out loud — there are no silent letters. Word stress always falls on the FIRST syllable.
- ř — The Czech special — a rolled 'r' blended with a soft 'zh', like a rolled 'r' and your 'sh' at once, as in tři = trzhih · Dvořák.
- č — "ch" as in church, as in čaj = chai · český = CHES-kee.
- š — "sh" as in shoe, as in škola = SHKOH-lah.
- ž — "zh" as in pleasure, as in žena = ZHEH-nah.
- ě — "ye" as in yes — it also softens the consonant in front of it, as in pět = pyet · město = MYES-toh.
- c — "ts" as in cats, as in cena = TSEH-nah · co = tso.
- j — "y" as in yes, as in já = yah · jak = yahk.
- ch — a hard "h" like clearing your throat — as in Scottish "loch", as in chléb = kh-lehb.
First phrases
The pocket phrases below are the ones learners reach for most often. Say each one out loud a few times before moving on.
| Czech | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ahoj | AH-hoy | hi / bye |
| Dobrý den | DOH-bree den | good day |
| Dobré ráno | DOH-breh RAH-noh | good morning |
| Na shledanou | nah SHKLEH-dah-noh | goodbye |
| Jak se máš? | yahk seh MAHSH | how are you? |
| Mám se dobře | mahm seh DOH-brzheh | I'm well |
| Prosím | PROH-seem | please / you're welcome |
| Děkuji | DYEH-koo-yee | thank you |
| Děkuji mockrát | DYEH-koo-yee MOHTS-raht | thanks a lot |
| Promiňte | PROH-meen-tyeh | excuse me |
| Ano | AH-noh | yes |
| Ne | neh | no |
| Jedna | YEHD-nah | 1 |
| Dva | dvah | 2 |
| Tři | trzhih | 3 |
| Čtyři | CHTY-rzhih | 4 |
| Pět | pyet | 5 |
| Voda | VOH-dah | water |
| Káva | KAH-vah | coffee |
| Čaj | chai | tea |
| Pivo | PEE-voh | beer |
| Chléb | kh-lehb | bread |
| Účet, prosím | OO-chet, PROH-seem | the bill, please |
| Kde je...? | kdeh yeh | where is...? |
| Vpravo | VPRAH-voh | to the right |
| Vlevo | VLEH-voh | to the left |
| Rovně | ROHV-nyeh | straight ahead |
| Nádraží | NAH-drah-zhee | the station |
| Kolik to stojí? | KOH-lik toh STOH-yee | how much is it? |
| Mluvíte anglicky? | MLOO-vee-teh AHN-gleet-skee | do you speak English? |
How the Czech course is structured
The course has 12 short lessons that build on each other. Each one introduces a few new pieces and then asks you to construct sentences you have never seen, before revealing the answer:
- Greetings & being polite — Ahoj · Dobrý den · děkuji · prosím
- Numbers 1–10 — jedna · dva · tři · deset
- I want" — chci & chtěl bych — chci · chtěl bych · jestli
- Food & drink — voda · chléb · káva · čaj
- Getting around — Kde je...? · vpravo · vlevo · nádraží
- Questions & "do you have…?" — Máte...? · Kolik · Nerozumím
- Family & people — rodina · matka · otec · sestra
- Time, days & weather — dnes · zítra · pondělí · počasí
- Introducing yourself — Jmenuji se · Těší mě
- Health & emergency — Pomoc! · doktor · nemocnice · Nerozumím
- Describing things — krásný · velký · dobrý · moc
- Tying it together — chci · kde je · kolik · a capstone scene
Inside the lessons
Here is how a few of the lessons explain the language, with worked examples and the word-by-word breakdown the course uses.
Greetings & being polite
Key pieces: Ahoj · Dobrý den · děkuji · prosím
Start with the word you'll use constantly: Ahoj — hello (and also goodbye, to friends). Say it out loud.
- Ahoj (AH-hoy) — hi / bye
- Dobrý den (DOH-bree den) — good day (formal)
- Dobré ráno (DOH-breh RAH-noh) — good morning
- Dobrý večer (DOH-bree VEH-cher) — good evening
- Na shledanou (nah SHKLEH-dah-noh) — goodbye (formal)
To say “Hello, thank you” in Czech: Ahoj, děkuji (AH-hoy, DYEH-koo-yee). Built from ahoj = hi; děkuji = thank you.
The magic politeness pair: děkuji (thank you) and prosím (please / you're welcome).
To say “A coffee, please” in Czech: Jednu kávu, prosím (YEHD-noo KAH-voo, PROH-seem). Built from jednu kávu = a coffee; prosím = please.
To ask how someone is (informal): Jak se máš? Reply Mám se dobře — I'm well.
- Jak se máš? (yahk seh MAHSH) — How are you?
- Mám se dobře (mahm seh DOH-brzheh) — I'm well
- Děkuji, dobře (DYEH-koo-yee, DOH-brzheh) — Thanks, well
To say “Hi, how are you?” in Czech: Ahoj, jak se máš? (AH-hoy, yahk seh MAHSH). Built from ahoj = hi; jak se máš? = how are you?.
Numbers 1–10
Key pieces: jedna · dva · tři · deset
Numbers come up everywhere. Listen and repeat: jedna, dva, tři .
- jedna (YEHD-nah) — 1
- dva (dvah) — 2
- tři (trzhih) — 3
- čtyři (CHTY-rzhih) — 4
- pět (pyet) — 5
- šest (shest) — 6
- sedm (SEH-dim) — 7
- osm (OH-suhm) — 8
- devět (DEH-vyet) — 9
- deset (DEH-set) — 10
To say “Two coffees, please” in Czech: Dvě kávy, prosím (Dvyeh KAH-vee, PROH-seem). Built from dvě = two; kávy = coffees; prosím = please.
To ask a price: Kolik to stojí? — how much does it cost?
To say “How much is it?” in Czech: Kolik to stojí? (KOH-lik toh STOH-yee). Built from kolik = how much; to stojí = does it cost.
To say “It's five crowns” in Czech: Je to pět korun (yeh toh pyet KOH-roon). Built from je to = it is; pět = five; korun = crowns.
I want" — chci & chtěl bych
Key pieces: chci · chtěl bych · jestli
To say you want something: chci — I want. Learn it and you can order almost anything.
More polite is chtěl bych (said by a man) or chtěla bych (said by a woman) — I would like.
- chci (kh-tsee) — I want
- chtěl bych (kh-TYEHL bikh) — I would like (masc)
- chtěla bych (kh-TYEH-lah bikh) — I would like (fem)
- já (yah) — I
- ty (tih) — you (informal)
To say “I would like a coffee” in Czech: Chtěl bych kávu (kh-TYEHL bikh KAH-voo). Built from chtěl bych = I would like; kávu = coffee.
To say “I want a water” in Czech: Chci vodu (kh-tsee VOH-doo). Built from chci = I want; vodu = water.
To say “I would like a beer” in Czech: Chtěl bych pivo (kh-TYEHL bikh PEE-voh). Built from chtěl bych = I would like; pivo = beer.
Food & drink
Key pieces: voda · chléb · káva · čaj
Essential eats: voda (water), chléb (bread), káva (coffee), čaj (tea).
- voda (VOH-dah) — water Memory hook: ≈ Slavic water, Slovak/Slovania.
- chléb (kh-lehb) — bread
- káva (KAH-vah) — coffee Memory hook: ≈ English coffee.
- čaj (chai) — tea Memory hook: ≈ English chai / tea.
- pivo (PEE-voh) — beer Memory hook: ≈ Russian pivo.
- víno (VEE-noh) — wine Memory hook: ≈ English wine.
To say “Water and bread, please” in Czech: Vodu a chléb, prosím (VOH-doo ah kh-lehb, PROH-seem). Built from vodu = water; a = and; chléb = bread.
To say “I would like tea” in Czech: Chtěl bych čaj (kh-TYEHL bikh chai). Built from chtěl bych = I would like; čaj = tea.
To ask for the bill: Účet, prosím . And výborné = delicious.
To say “The bill, please” in Czech: Účet, prosím (OO-chet, PROH-seem). Built from účet = the bill; prosím = please.
Getting around
Key pieces: Kde je...? · vpravo · vlevo · nádraží
The most useful question in any town: Kde je…? — where is…?
- Kde je...? (kdeh yeh) — Where is...?
- vpravo (VPRAH-voh) — to the right
- vlevo (VLEH-voh) — to the left
- rovně (ROHV-nyeh) — straight ahead
- nádraží (NAH-drah-zhee) — the station
- vlak (vlahk) — the train
- letiště (LEH-tih-shtyeh) — the airport
To say “Where is the station?” in Czech: Kde je nádraží? (kdeh yeh NAH-drah-zhee). Built from kde = where; je = is; nádraží = the station.
To say “Where is the airport?” in Czech: Kde je letiště? (kdeh yeh LEH-tih-shtyeh). Built from kde je = where is; letiště = the airport.
Vpravo = right, vlevo = left, rovně = straight. Use these to follow directions.
To say “Where is the bathroom?” in Czech: Kde je záchod? (kdeh yeh ZAH-khot). Built from kde je = where is; záchod = the bathroom.
Questions & "do you have…?"
Key pieces: Máte...? · Kolik · Nerozumím
To ask whether someone has something: Máte…? — do you have…?
To say “Do you have a table?” in Czech: Máte stůl? (MAH-teh stool). Built from máte = do you have; stůl = a table.
Key question words: co (what), kde (where), kdy (when), proč (why), jak (how).
- Co (tso) — what
- Kde (kdeh) — where
- Kdy (gdih) — when
- Proč (proch) — why
- Jak (yahk) — how
If you don't follow: Nerozumím — I don't understand. Then mluvíte anglicky? — do you speak English?
To say “Do you speak English?” in Czech: Mluvíte anglicky? (MLOO-vee-teh AHN-gleet-skee). Built from mluvíte = do you speak; anglicky = English.
To say “I don't understand” in Czech: Nerozumím (NEH-roh-zoo-meem). Built from nerozumím = I don't understand.
Family & people
Key pieces: rodina · matka · otec · sestra
Family words: rodina (family), matka (mother), otec (father).
- rodina (ROH-dee-nah) — family
- matka (MAHT-kah) — mother
- otec (OH-tets) — father
- sestra (SEHS-trah) — sister Memory hook: ≈ Slovak/Russian sestra, Latin soror.
- bratr (BRAH-tr) — brother
- kamarád (KAH-mah-raad) — friend
To say “I have a friend” in Czech: Mám kamaráda (mahm KAH-mah-raa-dah). Built from mám = I have; kamaráda = a friend.
To say you have something: mám — I have. It's the verb for possession.
To say “I have a family” in Czech: Mám rodinu (mahm ROH-dee-noo). Built from mám = I have; rodinu = a family.
To say “I have a brother and a sister” in Czech: Mám bratra a sestru (mahm BRAH-trah ah SEHS-troo). Built from mám = I have; bratra = a brother; a = and.
Time, days & weather
Key pieces: dnes · zítra · pondělí · počasí
Today is dnes , tomorrow is zítra , yesterday is včera .
- dnes (dnes) — today
- zítra (ZEE-trah) — tomorrow
- včera (VCHER-ah) — yesterday
- hodina (HOH-dee-nah) — hour / clock
To say “See you tomorrow” in Czech: Zítra na shledanou (ZEE-trah nah SHKLEH-dah-noh). Built from zítra = tomorrow; na shledanou = goodbye.
Days of the week: pondělí (Monday) to neděle (Sunday).
- pondělí (PON-dyeh-lee) — Monday
- pátek (PAH-tek) — Friday
- sobota (SOH-boh-tah) — Saturday
- neděle (NEH-dyeh-leh) — Sunday
Ask about the weather: Jaké je počasí? — what's the weather like? Prší = it's raining.
To say “It's raining” in Czech: Prší (PR-shee). Built from prší = it rains.
Introducing yourself
Key pieces: Jmenuji se · Těší mě
Introduce yourself: Jmenuji se… = my name is…, and Těší mě = pleased to meet you.
To say “My name is Alex” in Czech: Jmenuji se Alex (y-MEH-noo-yee seh Alex). Built from jmenuji se = my name is; Alex = your name.
To ask someone's name (formal): Jak se jmenujete?
- Jak se jmenujete? (yahk seh y-MEH-noo-yeh-teh) — What's your name?
- Těší mě (TYEH-shee myeh) — Pleased to meet you
- Rád vás poznávám (rahd vahs POHZ-nah-vahm) — Nice to meet you
To say “What's your name?” in Czech: Jak se jmenujete? (yahk seh y-MEH-noo-yeh-teh). Built from jak se = how do you; jmenujete = call yourself.
To say “Pleased to meet you” in Czech: Těší mě (TYEH-shee myeh). Built from těší mě = it pleases me.
Health & emergency
Key pieces: Pomoc! · doktor · nemocnice · Nerozumím
The most important word if you need help: Pomoc! — help!
- Pomoc! (POH-mots) — Help!
- lékař (LEH-kahrzh) — doctor Memory hook: ≈ German Doktor / English doctor.
- nemocnice (NEH-mots-nee-tseh) — hospital
- lékárna (LEH-kahr-nah) — pharmacy
- Nemluvím česky (NEH-mloo-veem CHES-kee) — I don't speak Czech
To say “Help!” in Czech: Pomoc! (POH-mots). Built from pomoc = help.
To say “I don't understand” in Czech: Nerozumím (NEH-roh-zoo-meem). Built from nerozumím = I don't understand.
To say you need a doctor: Potřebuji doktora . To call the police: Zavolejte policii!
To say “I need a doctor” in Czech: Potřebuji doktora (POH-trzheh-boo-yee DOHK-toh-rah). Built from potřebuji = I need; doktora = a doctor.
To say “Call the police!” in Czech: Zavolejte policii! (ZAH-voh-leh-teh poh-LEE-tsee). Built from zavolejte = call; policii = the police.
Describing things
Key pieces: krásný · velký · dobrý · moc
Adjectives are useful everywhere: krásný (beautiful), velký (big), malý (small).
- krásný (KRAHS-nee) — beautiful
- velký (VEL-kee) — big
- malý (MAH-lee) — small
- dobrý (DOH-bree) — good
- drahý (DRAH-hee) — expensive
- levný (LEHV-nee) — cheap
- moc (mots) — very / a lot
To say “Very beautiful” in Czech: Moc krásné (mots KRAHS-neh). Built from moc = very; krásné = beautiful.
Moc = very / a lot — say moc in everything from 'very nice' to 'too much'.
To say “A big coffee” in Czech: Velkou kávu (VEL-koh KAH-voo). Built from velkou = big; kávu = coffee.
To say “It's too expensive” in Czech: Je to moc drahé (yeh toh mots DRAH-heh). Built from je to = it is; moc = too; drahé = expensive.
Tying it together
Key pieces: chci · kde je · kolik · a capstone scene
Great — you've built a real toolbox. This capstone uses only words you've met. Build each line yourself before revealing.
To say “Hello, how are you?” in Czech: Ahoj, jak se máš? (AH-hoy, yahk seh MAHSH). Built from ahoj = hi; jak se máš? = how are you?.
To say “I would like a coffee with milk” in Czech: Chtěl bych kávu s mlékem (kh-TYEHL bikh KAH-voo s MLEH-kem). Built from chtěl bych = I would like; kávu = coffee; s mlékem = with milk.
To say “Where is the station?” in Czech: Kde je nádraží? (kdeh yeh NAH-drah-zhee). Built from kde je = where is; nádraží = the station.
To say “How much is it?” in Czech: Kolik to stojí? (KOH-lik toh STOH-yee). Built from kolik to stojí = how much is it?.
Common mistakes and things to watch out for
- Dobrý den (DOH-bree den): formal.
- Na shledanou (nah SHKLEH-dah-noh): formal.
- ty (tih): informal.
Culture and etiquette
Beer is liquid bread
Czechs drink more beer per person than any country in the world. Pivo is often cheaper than water. Order a pivo and a classic Czech moment is yours — but when someone toasts, look them in the eye and say Na zdraví! (to health).
Prague (Praha)
The capital is one of Europe's most beautiful cities — a fairytale old town, a famous astronomical clock and a castle on the hill. It is compact and walkable, and nearly everyone in tourism speaks English, but a few words of Czech win a warm smile.
Česky — the language
Czech is a West Slavic language, a close cousin to Slovak and Polish. It is written in Latin letters with diacritics, so you can read it aloud if you learn the sounds. Locals are delighted when visitors try, even if it's just děkuji.
Czech comfort food
Hearty and warming: knedlíky (bread or potato dumplings), svíčková (a creamy beef sauce with dumplings) and guláš (goulash). Portions are generous — come hungry.
Trams & getting around
Czech cities have superb, cheap public transport. Buy a ticket from a machine or kiosk, then validate it in a yellow box as you board. A jízdenka (ticket) for the tram, metro and bus is one small slip that gets you everywhere.
The koruna & tipping
The currency is the Czech crown (koruna), not the euro. Round up or add a few crowns for a tip — 10% is generous and always appreciated. Prices in shops are already final, so no surprises at the till.
Example dialogues
At a café (kavárna)
You: Dobrý den! Jednu kávu, prosím. (DOH-bree den, YEHD-noo KAH-voo, PROH-seem) — Good day! One coffee, please.
Barista: Dáte si s mlékem, nebo černou? (DAH-teh see s MLEH-kem, NEH-boh CHER-noh) — Do you want it with milk, or black?
You: S mlékem, prosím. A jedno pivo taky. (s MLEH-kem, PROH-seem, ah YEHD-noh PEE-voh TAH-kee) — With milk, please. And a beer too.
Barista: To je padesát korun, prosím. (toh yeh PAH-deh-saht KOH-roon, PROH-seem) — That's fifty crowns, please.
You: Děkuji! Na shledanou! (DYEH-koo-yee, nah SHKLEH-dah-noh) — Thank you! Goodbye!
Getting around
You: Promiňte, kde je nádraží? (PROH-meen-tyeh, kdeh yeh NAH-drah-zhee) — Excuse me, where is the station?
Local: Je to tamhle, rovně a vpravo. (yeh toh TAHM-hleh, ROHV-nyeh ah VPRAH-voh) — It's over there, straight ahead and right.
You: Děkuji. Jednu jízdenku do Prahy, prosím. (DYEH-koo-yee, YEHD-noo YEEZ-den-koo doh PRAH-hee, PROH-seem) — Thanks. One ticket to Prague, please.
Ticket: Tři sta korun. Vlak jede v osm hodin. (trzhih stah KOH-roon, vlahk YEH-deh v OH-suhm HOH-deen) — Three hundred crowns. The train leaves at eight.
At a restaurant
Waiter: Dobrý večer! Máte rezervaci? (DOH-bree VEH-cher, MAH-teh REH-zehr-vah-tsee) — Good evening! Do you have a reservation?
You: Ano, na dvě osoby. (AH-noh, nah dvyeh OH-soh-bee) — Yes, for two people.
You: Dám si kuře s rýží a jedno pivo. (dahm see KOO-rzheh s REE-zhee ah YEHD-noh PEE-voh) — I'll have the chicken with rice and a beer.
Waiter: Výborná volba! Dobrou chuť. (VEE-bor-nah VOL-bah, DOH-broh khoot) — Excellent choice! Enjoy your meal.
Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.