Landing in Prague with zero Czech is completely fine — almost everyone under 40 speaks some English, and menus in the center are often bilingual. But there's a difference between getting by and getting a smile back. Learn these basic Czech phrases and you'll notice it immediately: shopkeepers relax, waiters slow down for you, and strangers stop bracing for a language barrier.
Czech has a reputation as one of the harder Slavic languages to pick up — long consonant clusters, a sound that doesn't exist in English (ř), and grammar that changes word endings constantly. The good news: none of that matters for this lesson. You don't need grammar to say hello, thank you, or "I don't understand" — you just need the words themselves, said with confidence.
Below are two short vocabulary sets — everyday essentials and greetings — followed by real phrases, a short dialogue, and the mistakes beginners make most often. Tap the audio icon next to any word to hear how it's actually pronounced.
Basic Everyday Phrases
Yes
Ano
No
Ne
Please
Prosím
Thank you
Děkuji
You are welcome
Není zač
Excuse me
Promiňte
Sorry
Omlouvám se
I don't understand
Nerozumím
Do you speak English?
Mluvíte anglicky?
Can you help me?
Můžete mi pomoct?
How old are you?
Kolik je vám let?
I am 20.
Je mi dvacet let.
What is your name?
Jak se jmenujete?
My name is Maria.
Jmenuji se Maria.
Where are you from?
Odkud jste?
I am from England.
Jsem z Anglie.
Nice to meet you.
Těší mě.
Is everything okay?
Je všechno v pořádku?
Help!
Pomoc!
Call the police!
Zavolejte policii!
Practice these words
Ano
Quick notes:
- Prosím is doing double duty on this list — it means "please," but Czechs also say it as a polite "here you go" when handing something over, or "pardon?" when they didn't catch what you said.
- Promiňte covers both "excuse me" and a light "sorry." For something more serious, omlouvám se is the stronger apology.
- Notice the endings: -íte and -ujete in questions are the polite "you" form. That's the form to use with strangers — more on that below.
Basic Greetings
Good morning
Dobré ráno
Good afternoon
Dobré odpoledne
Good evening
Dobrý večer
Hello
Dobrý den
Hi
Ahoj
Goodbye
Na shledanou
How are you?
Jak se máte?
I'm good, thank you. And you?
Mám se dobře, děkuji. A vy?
Have a nice day!
Hezký den!
Practice these words
Dobré ráno
Quick notes:
- Dobrý den (literally "good day") is the all-purpose formal hello — use it walking into any shop, restaurant or office, any time after morning.
- Ahoj is casual, for friends and people your own age. Sailors gave Czech this word, and it's now the everyday "hi" and "bye" among people who already know each other.
- Na shledanou is the standard goodbye with strangers or in formal settings. Save ahoj for people you're on first-name terms with.
Mini-Dialogue: Meeting Someone New
Hello! How are you?
Dobrý den! Jak se máte?
I'm doing well, thank you. And you?
Mám se dobře, děkuji. A vy?
Also well, thank you. What's your name?
Také dobře, děkuji. Jak se jmenujete?
My name is Maria. Where are you from?
Jmenuji se Maria. Odkud jste?
I'm from Prague. Nice to meet you!
Jsem z Prahy. Těší mě!
Nice to meet you too!
Těší mě taky!
Practice these words
Dobrý den! Jak se máte?
Watch Out
- Ty vs. vy — Czech has two words for "you," and mixing them up is the most common beginner slip. Use vy with strangers, older people, staff, or anyone you're meeting for the first time. Ty is only for friends, family, and kids. Switching to ty too early can come across as rude.
- The "ř" sound — this letter (in words like dobrý or třeba) is unique to Czech, a rolled r and zh blended into one sound. Don't stress over getting it perfect; Czechs are used to foreigners approximating it.
- Prosím overload — because it means "please," "here you go," and "pardon?" all at once, learners sometimes avoid it out of confusion. Don't — context makes the meaning obvious to a native speaker every time.