<!-- czech phrasebook -->
Essential Czech phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in czech
Dobrý den — DOH-bree den — is how you say hello in Czech. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Děkuji (DYEH-koo-yee) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals; stress is always the first syllable — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Czechia — around 10 million speakers, and largely mutually intelligible with Slovak, which Czechs and Slovaks use with each other daily. Also searched as Czech Republic, Czechia, Prague.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dobrý denDOH-bree denFormal and correct with strangers. Ahoj (AH-hoy) is for friends only. |
| Goodbye | Na shledanouNAH-skleh-dah-noh |
| Please | ProsímPROH-seemAlso "you’re welcome", "pardon?" and "go ahead". Enormously useful. |
| Thank you | DěkujiDYEH-koo-yeeDíky (DEE-kee) is the casual version. |
| Yes / No | Ano / NeAH-noh / nehAno is often shortened to "no" in speech, which means yes. Watch for it. |
| Excuse me / Sorry | PromiňtePROH-min-teh |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Mluvíte anglicky?MLOO-vee-teh AHN-glits-kee |
| I don't understand | NerozumímNEH-roh-zoo-meem |
| Could you repeat that? | Můžete to zopakovat?MOO-zheh-teh toh ZOH-pah-koh-vaht |
| Please speak slowly | Mluvte pomalu, prosímMLOOV-teh POH-mah-loo |
| My name is… | Jmenuji se…MEH-noo-yee sehThe initial J is barely there. |
| Nice to meet you | Těší měTYEH-shee myeh |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | Kde je…?gdeh yeh |
| How do I get to…? | Jak se dostanu do…?yahk seh DOH-stah-noo doh |
| Where is the toilet? | Kde je záchod?gdeh yeh ZAH-khod |
| Left / Right | Vlevo / VpravoVLEH-voh / VPRAH-voh |
| Straight ahead | RovněROHV-nyeh |
| Is it far? | Je to daleko?yeh toh DAH-leh-koh |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Stůl pro dva, prosímstool proh dvah |
| The menu, please | Jídelní lístek, prosímYEE-del-nee LEES-tek |
| I would like… | Dal bych si…dahl bikh seeA woman says Dala bych si (DAH-lah bikh see). |
| Water, please | Vodu, prosímVOH-doo PROH-seem |
| I am allergic to… | Mám alergii na…mahm AH-ler-gee-ee nah |
| The bill, please | Účet, prosímOO-chet PROH-seem |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | Kolik to stojí?KOH-lik toh STOH-yee |
| That's too expensive | To je moc drahétoh yeh mots DRAH-heh |
| Do you take cards? | Berete karty?BEH-reh-teh KAR-tee |
| I am just looking | Jen se dívámyen seh DEE-vahm |
| Do you have…? | Máte…?MAH-teh |
| A receipt, please | Účtenku, prosímOOCH-ten-koo |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Czech |
|---|---|
| Help! | Pomoc!POH-mots |
| Call the police | Zavolejte policiiZAH-voh-lay-teh POH-lee-tsee-eeEmergency number is 112. |
| Call an ambulance | Zavolejte záchrankuZAH-voh-lay-teh ZAH-khrahn-koo |
| I need a doctor | Potřebuji lékařePOH-trzheh-boo-yee LEH-kah-rzheh |
| I am lost | Ztratil jsem seZTRAH-til sem sehA woman says Ztratila jsem se (ZTRAH-tee-lah sem seh). |
| Where is the hospital? | Kde je nemocnice?gdeh yeh NEH-mots-nee-tseh |
<!-- saying it right -->
Four things that fix
most of the accent
Stress is always on the first syllable
Every word, however long, however many suffixes. Nerozumím is "NEH-roh-zoo-meem". There is no exception worth learning, which makes Czech far easier to read aloud than its spelling suggests.
The háček turns a consonant into its "sh" cousin
c is "ts" but č is "ch"; s is "s" but š is "sh"; z is "z" but ž is "zh". Once you see the little hook as a rule rather than decoration, most words become readable.
ř is the hard one, and nobody expects you to manage it
A rolled r and "zh" at the same time, in one sound. It appears in Dvořák and in "doctor" (lékaře). Say "rzh" and every Czech will understand you and be quietly impressed you tried.
There are no articles at all
No "a", no "the". Czech puts that information into word endings instead, which is why the same noun appears in several shapes across these phrases.
Spotted a mistake in the Czech? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Czech for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.