Hi, I'm Petra from Prague and I would like to teach you a few useful phrases and sentences
in Czech.
Let's start with the greetings: A formal one: "Dobrý den"
and informal one: "Ahoj"
"Dobrý den" means "good day".
The way to pronounce it is: "Dob-rý den" "Dobrý den!"
And the informal one is: "Ahoj".
"Ahoj."
"AHOJ!"
Yes, we're pirates, why do you ask.
And then, if you want to say "goodbye", the easiest way to do it is: "Nashledanou".
That's "nashledanou".
"Nashledanou."
Or the shorter version: "nashle"!
It's a little complicated, the word is "na-shle-da-nou" "NA-SHLE-DA-NOU"
you can use the 'children version' which is "nasKledanou",
"NASKLEDANOU" - which it's actually kind of cute.
It's not correct, but it is cute.
So the shortest and the easiest way to say "goodbye" is just "nashle".
The way we say "thank you" is "děkuji".
"DĚ-KU-JI"- "Děkuji" - "děkuji".
If that is a little complicated for you, just use the simpler version: "díky".
"DÍKY."
"Díky."
It's your choice!
"Děkuji", the more formal one, or "díky", the less formal one.
While you're asking for something it's very nice to say "please".
The way to say "please" in Czech is: "Prosím".
"PROSÍM."
"Prosím."
Funnily enough, the same word is used to say "you're welcome" - so "thanks -you're welcome"
in Czech would be: "díky - prosím".
2 words and 1!
So now how to say "yes" and "no".
"Yes" is "ANO" and "no" is "NE".
So "no" is pretty easy - it's just "ne".
"NE".
"ne."
"Yes", I know, might be a little confusing (because it actually literally includes the
word "no") but it's: "ANO".
"Ano" "ano"
The word you're definitely gonna be needing when you're in the Czech Republic: the BEER
country (try me Germany!) is "cheers".
The way we say "cheers" is: "na zdraví".
"Na zdraví."
It's two words - "na zdraví".
It means "to your health" - "to health".
Actually just "to health".
"NA ZDRAVÍ."
"Na zdraví."
You might think - "oh, I already know that one, that's that "na zdarovye" as it is in...I
want to say Russian?
" It's very similar, but if you do it with the
"ví" (vee) at the end - "na zdravÍ" (nah zdrah-VEE), you get a couple of invisible
points with Czech people.
Because we like when people use our language...
So next time you order beer in Prague all you have to say is: "Na zdraví!"
The last phrase, and an important phrase to use while you're trying to get through a crowd
or you're just trying to excuse yourself, is "excuse me".
What we say is: "promiňte".
"Promiňte."
"PRO-MIŇ-TE."
"Promiňte."
Or a word that actually works and might be easier for you is just "pardon".
"Pardon" "Pardon!"
Like ze French would use it!
So while trying to get through a crowd on the Charles Bridge you say "promiňte, promiňte,
promiňte..." ...although most of those people are not actually
check so... ....but you'll look local!
So, let's go over what we've learned today one more time:
good day - dobrý den hello - ahoj
goodbye - nashledanou We learned how to say thank you - děkuji
and thanks - díky please - in Czech that is prosím
we learned how to say yes and no - ano and ne
and we've also learned the most important phrase in the Czech language: na zdraví
and at the end we've learned how to excuse ourselves - promiňte
If you want to know any more phrases let us know - we might make a follow-up class for
your intermediate travelers and I'll see you in the Czech Republic!
Děkuji a nashledanou!