You know that old saying that goes: “How many languages you can speak, that many times you’re a human?” It’s a great piece of wisdom, but it doesn’t sound quite right, does it? And that brings us right to the topic of this article: untranslatable Czech phrases and Czech words with no English equivalent.
What is the most important advice you get when you decide to take up a new language (which, by the way, is a great decision, congratulations)? Forget everything you think you know about sentence structure and word order, and ditch literal (aka word-for-word) translation. Trying to switch English words for Czech words just doesn’t work. However, it’s THE most common mistake all students do, and also THE most common reason why you can’t actually speak Czech, even though your vocabulary is great and your pronunciation impressive.
What you should do instead, is to learn chunks of words and phrases without trying to dissect them. I keep saying this, but I’ll say it again for your own good– it’s how little kids learn to speak. They don’t think about why this particular combination of words means this or that. They memorize them, associate them with specific objects, feelings or situations, and remember them for life. I’m sure you’ll agree that they’re instinctive technique works wonders. And that’s exactly what you should do too if you want to actually speak Czech. For some people it is helpful to remember the literal back translation into English though. Try what works best for you, learning a language is a creative process and there’s no one size fits all method.
Let’s look at some of the most frequently used quirky and beautiful untranslatable Czech words and phrases.
Did you know that some Czech words are Czech words you can’t translate into English?
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Table of Contents
- Těším se na to – I am looking forward to it
- S dovolením – Excuse Me
- To je jedno/Je mi to jedno – It Doesn’t Matter/I Don’t Care
- Otužilec – The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
- Chatař – Someone Who Owns a Cottage
- Máte přání? – What Would You Like?
- Prozvonit – To Let the Phone Ring Only Once
- Fakt? – Really?
- Nekecej! – Don’t Lie!
- Mlsat – To Eat Treats
- Tykání and Vykání – To Use Informal and Formal Voice
- Odkoukat – To Learn Something by Watching
- Dám si… – I will have…
- English Phrases You Should Never Translate into Czech
- How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way
1. Těším se na to – I am looking forward to it
Literal translation: I am pleasing myself ahead to it.
Meaning: Těšit means “to please”, and se makes it reflexive (like “myself”, “yourself”, etc. in English).
Example: You will hear this phrase a lot, for example when a friend invites you over for dinner or when your coworker tells you they’re going on vacation soon. Speaking of which, you might find this vocab useful if you’re going to grab a bite in the Czech Republic.
2. S dovolením – Excuse Me
Literal translation: With permission.
Meaning: You’re pretty much asking for permission, literally.
Example: This phrase is widely used as a very polite version of “get out of my way” or “give it to me right now”.
- Are you running late, and the two ladies in front of you are taking a casual stroll while also blocking the entire sidewalk? Yell s dovolením!
- Is your mother-in-law playing with that old mug you’ve had since 1st grade? Smile, say s dovolením, grab it and put it back where it belongs.
S dovolením! – “Excuse me!”
3. To je jedno/Je mi to jedno – It Doesn’t Matter/I Don’t Care
Literal translation: It is one. We often say Je mi to jedno/fuk (“It is one for me.”)
Meaning: It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.
Example: This is a pretty relaxed phrase that is not used in official settings/papers. Fuk is one of the Czech words with no translation in other languages, it has no meaning and is not used in other contexts or phrases.
- Co chceš k večeři? – To je fuk. (“What do you want for dinner?” – “I don’t care.”)
- Vy jste se rozešli? – Jo, ale je mi to jedno. (“Did you guys break up?” – “Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.”)
4. Otužilec – The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
Literal translation: This one is impossible to translate, otužilý is an adjective that is similar to “hardy” or “tough”.
Meaning: Someone who is immune to cold weather or water.
Example:
- Tvůj táta nenosí kabát? – Ne, je to otužilec, zima mu nikdy nevadila. (“Does your dad not wear a coat?”
– “No, he’s an otužilec, cold never bothered him.”)
5. Chatař – Someone Who Owns a Cottage
Literal translation: Chata means “a cottage” or “a cabin”.
Meaning: Chatař is an owner of a cottage or a cabin.
Example: Many Czechs have cottages by forests or lakes outside of cities. We just love leaving the city for the weekend, and spending some time in nature.
- Ten chatař z Prahy si tu koupil další chatu. (“The chatař from Prague bought another cottage here.”)
By the way, do you know how to talk about weekend plans in Czech?
6. Máte přání? – What Would You Like?
Literal translation: Do you have a wish?
Meaning: This is a slightly old fashioned but commonly used way of saying “what would you like?” or “what can I do for you?” or “how can I help you?”.
Example: You might hear this in a restaurant or at a store.
- Máte přání? – Chtěla bych si vyzkoušet ty červené boty. (“How can I help you?” – “I would like to try the red shoes on.”)
Make sure you know the basic vocab before you venture out to enjoy a shopping spree.
7. Prozvonit – To Let the Phone Ring Only Once
Literal translation: Pro means “for” and zvonit means “to ring”.
Meaning: To let the phone ring only once.
Example: This might sound crazy, but when I was a teenager, only the cool kids used to have a cell phone. It was expensive, most of us used prepaid cards (having a plan was ridiculously expensive back then), this was long before social media and messengers were a thing… And we would just “let the phone ring only once” as a way of saying “hey, wassup”.
These days, I use it for practical reasons–when I’m having something delivered and I don’t want to be disturbed. Many people use it as a signal, such as “I’m got home safe” or “I’m here”.
8. Fakt? – Really?
Literal translation: Fact.
Meaning: Really? Seriously?
Example: I never appreciated the charm of this little word until my American friend A. commented on how cute it is.
- Příští týden se jdu očkovat. – Fakt? Ty máš ale štěstí! (“I am getting vaccinated next week.” – “Really? You’re so lucky!”)
Fakt můžu celý den mlsat? – “Can I really eat candy all day?”
9. Nekecej! – Don’t Lie!
Literal translation: Don’t lie!
Meaning: This is a very colloquial word that you only use with friends or family. Kecat is a slang word that means “to chat/babble”, and also “to not speak the truth”.
Example: It’s a very versatile word with lots of slightly different meanings. We used it mostly as a “no way” or “OMG really?”.
- Požádal mě o ruku. – Nekecej! Tak brzo? (“He proposed.” – “No way! So soon?”)
10. Mlsat – To Eat Treats
Literal translation: Mls is an old-timey word for a treat.
Meaning: To eat treats.
Example: This adorable word has a delicious meaning. It is only used in reference to sweet treats.
- Nejí žádnou zeleninu, celé dny mlsá. (“She doesn’t eat any vegetables, she eats treats all the time.”)
Všeho s mírou. – “Everything in moderation.”
11. Tykání and Vykání – To Use Informal and Formal Voice
Literal translation: Ty means “you” (singular) and vy means “you” (plural).
Meaning: Tykat (verb) or tykání (noun) means to address someone in the informal form (your friends, family, pretty much “first name terms”, but not really–you can call someone by their first name and still address them in the formal form). Vykat (verb) or vykání (noun) means to address in the formal form (teachers, officials, people you have just met, older people, etc.–anyone you would call “sir” or “madam” in English)..
Example:
- Máma mého přítele mi nabídla tykání. (“My boyfriend’s mom offered to call her by her first name.”)
- Vykám všem lidem, které neznám, i když jsou stejně staří jako já. (“I address all people I don’t know in the formal form, even when they’re my age.”)
12. Odkoukat – To Learn Something by Watching
Literal translation: Koukat is the slang word that means “to look” or “to watch”. Od means “from”.
Meaning: To learn something simply by watching or to adopt a habit.
Example: It’s a colloquial way of saying someone learned a new thing, mostly when talking about abilities, manners or habits.
- Odkoukal její způsoby, chová se teď úplně jinak. (“He adopted her manners, he’s acting differently now.”)
- Kvalita jeho práce se poslední dobou zlepšila, protože odkoukal novou techniku od kolegy. (“The quality of his work has improved lately because he learned a new technique by watching his colleague.”)
13. Dám si… – I will have…
Literal translation: I will give myself.
Meaning: “I will have” or “I would like”.
Example: This is a typical restaurant/food related phrase. You “will give yourself” breakfast before going to work, she will “give herself” ice-cream, etc…
- Mám obrovský hlad, dám si řízek. (“I am starving, I will have a schnitzel.”)
- Dala si snídani a odešla do školy. (“She had breakfast and left for school.”)
Dám si všechno, co máte. – “I’ll have everything you have.”
14. English Phrases You Should Never Translate into Czech
Unless you like feeling embarrassed or particularly enjoy a blank/incredulous/terrified look on other people’s faces.
- ➢ We don’t “love” stuff. When we talk about things, we use a more subdued version: Líbí se mi… – “I like…”
- ➢ “I’ll do….” when you’re placing an order in a restaurant. Udělat means “to do/make”, and Udělám dort means that you’ll go and bake it.
15. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way
That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new! In case this wasn’t enough for you, please check out our Basic Bootcamp – the very basic grammar and vocab in 5 compact lessons.
If you’re taking learning Czech seriously, and want to learn Czech fast, free and online, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!
CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way – with us you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!
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One last thing: Let us know in the comments if this article helped you, and if you feel inspired to start (or continue) learning Czech now! Which untranslatable words in Czech do you use the most?
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