If you're planning to study or teach in the Czech Republic, this article is just for you. You might be surprised by the subtle differences between Czech and English communication during classes––be it greetings, or how we address the teachers––I know I was. I first started with English in 3rd grade. I was 8 years old, and learning to say all those new, funny sounds was very exciting and fun. Let me tell you, my 40-something fiancé doesn't find it quite as exciting, and he's constantly asking, "why do y'all say this and not that"? And I would like to address these quirky nuances in this article as well. Because no matter how funny and kind our "Mrs. Teacher" was, most of the things she taught us were just literal translations, and... Show more

Who doesn't love eating out? Especially in foreign countries! If you love exploring exotic cuisines or simply have to eat out while in the Czech Republic, this list of Czech restaurant vocabulary and phrases will come in handy. I have noticed how much people appreciate it when a foreigner tries to speak Czech. It's a tough language (or so I've heard), and locals get genuinely excited when they realize my fiancé is a REAL American who says děkuju (“thank you”) and prosím (“you're welcome'' and “please”). In the Czech Republic, the staff tends to be much nicer. In Barcelona, we were getting free desserts and complementary wine. Austrian baristas smile if I order my coffee in German. Enough about cultural differences; if you want to know... Show more

You probably know that speaking another language means that you just… Speak it. Freely. Without thinking about every word. Without pausing to remember the “correct” word, without translating in your head. The best way to improve your Czech conversation skills: Prepare your “language profile”, learn a few tricks that will make you sound natural and like you speak Czech daily (even when you don't). You can make your language skills and pronunciation seem way more advanced, and amaze yourself, native speakers, and fellow students alike. It doesn't matter how old you are. Again, you can do it at any age. What's the game plan? 1. Learn phrases about your job, hobbies, life, family, etc. 2. Learn phrases about your potential... Show more

No matter how good you are, there's always room for improvement, especially when it comes to learning another language. If you've decided to step up the game and embellish your Czech vocabulary, this article will make it easier for you. In this article, I've listed 40+ useful advanced Czech phrases that you can use in various conversations, while polishing your resumé in Czech, while writing a paper, or while chatting with your Czech friends and colleagues. Czech is a fun, colorful language: We love using idioms and slang, and you know by now that the loose word order allows for some strange Czech sentence structures (i.e., a full sentence can consist of just one word). Remember that building vocabulary is much faster, more... Show more

The leap between the beginner and intermediate levels is exciting. “Suddenly,” you're able to not only order food without sweating but also casually compliment the waiter on the menu selection; you're at ease when a native speaker approaches you unexpectedly; maybe you've even started dreaming in Czech. (This is a big deal and a sign that you're actually THINKING in Czech––the language has become deeply embedded in your brain, and you're on your way to fluency!) Starting something from scratch is always hard, and you've made it! Now, you just need to expand your vocabulary, learn some useful intermediate Czech phrases, speak and listen a lot, and try to think in Czech. From now on, the road is going to be way less bumpy. I promise.... Show more

Congratulations! You’ve worked your way up to an advanced level of the beautiful Czech language.  You've mastered the past, present, and future tenses. You can have a pretty comprehensive conversation about almost anything and write long paragraphs. You can probably watch some movies and TV shows in Czech, and talk about various topics without getting sweaty. Your level is somewhere around B1, and your vocabulary comes up to a whopping 2500 words or so.  In this article, you'll expand your vocab even more with advanced Czech words. Beware though. It is very easy (and common) to get complacent, think you've “seen it all,” and stop working on your skills. I am a living example of how fast laziness can throw you back to “square... Show more

Congratulations! You've reached the intermediate level in Czech and are now ready to learn some intermediate Czech vocabulary. I bet you feel great about this accomplishment.  Let me tell you, this is way bigger than it looks. Not a lot of people actually stick with it and keep their motivation high. That means you should give yourself a pat on the back—you're above average, super committed, and on your way up to fluency. We have an expression in Czech (it's actually a compound noun): Věčný začátečník / "The perpetual beginner." Since you're reading this article, it's plain as day that you're far beyond those murky waters and sticky mud. According to the Foreign Service Institute, Czech is a Level III language, which means it... Show more

Raise your hand if you like animals! Zvířata (“animals”) are awesome and necessary for so many reasons.  You'll soon find out that if you want to speak Czech, you're going to need to learn Czech animal names—even if you're not a fur/feather/fish lover, you don't intend to marry a Czech farmer, or you don't want to talk about your mom's private minizoo.  Why?  Let's see: There is a mouse in my room! I am allergic to dogs. I hate fish; I only eat chicken. No, I can't have that; there's cow’s milk in it. One of the first things Czech babies learn is animal sounds. Jak dělá kráva? Bů! (“What does a cow say? Moo!”). And since you should approach learning a new language just like that—as if you didn't know any other language—let's... Show more

Since we live in this awesome era of technological miracles, we get to enjoy all sorts of smart, advanced, and helpful marvels on a daily basis. Which device do you use the most? I'm guessing it would be your phone. While most people prefer texting or video calls, knowing how to make a proper phone call is a crucial skill. You probably won't text your doc to make an appointment, the police probably won't be up for a Zoom session, and sometimes you don't have time to wait for your buddy's reply—you need to speak to them pronto. Learning Czech phone call phrases, then, is a logical next step in your language learning journey.  But…taking or making a phone call in a foreign language might be a little stressful.  At the beginning... Show more

You know, people often underestimate the power of choosing the right words.  In Czech, there’s a cute little word—slovíčkaření—which is the combination of slovíčka ("little words") and -ření (indicating an action or activity). This word could be loosely translated as "unnecessary playing with words.'' However, playing with words is actually quite necessary, especially when learning a new language. Once you've engaged in such a rewarding and exciting process, you’ll want to make sure you're as efficient as possible, right? Hence, you’ll want to learn the right Czech beginner words (a.k.a words that are actually helpful and can be used in real-life conversations). Also, did you know that you only need to learn 1000 of a language’s... Show more