Dialogue

Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Jennifer: Welcome to 3-Minute Czech Season 1, Lesson 4 - Asking How Someone Is. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask and answer the question How are you? in Czech.
Body
Jennifer: Here's the informal way to ask 'How are you?' in Czech.
Martin: [Normal] Jak se máš?
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'how'
Martin: [Normal] jak [Slow] jak
Jennifer: Last is the phrase meaning 'you are'
Martin: [Normal] se máš [Slow] se máš
Jennifer: Note the rising intonation. Listen again to the informal question meaning 'How are you?'
Martin: [Slow] Jak se máš? [Normal] Jak se máš?
Jennifer: Now, imagine you're speaking to a stranger. Here's the formal way to ask, 'How are you?'
Martin: [Normal] Jak se máte?
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'how'
Martin: [Normal] jak [Slow] jak
Jennifer: Last is the phrase meaning 'you are (polite)'
Martin: [Normal] se máte [Slow] se máte
Jennifer: Note again the rising intonation. Listen again to the formal question meaning 'How are you?'
Martin: [Slow] Jak se máte? [Normal] Jak se máte?
Jennifer: Here's a response meaning 'I'm fine. Thanks.'
Martin: [Normal] Dobře. Dík.
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'well'
Martin: [Normal] dobře [Slow] dobře
Jennifer: Last is the word meaning 'thank'
Martin: [Normal] dík [Slow] dík
Jennifer: Listen again to the response meaning 'I'm fine. Thanks.'
Martin: [Slow] Dobře. Dík. [Normal] Dobře. Dík.
Jennifer: Here's a response meaning, 'Not so well.'
Martin: [Normal] Jakž, takž.
Jennifer: First is a word meaning 'so'
Martin: [Normal] jakž [Slow] jakž
Jennifer: Last is the word meaning 'so'
Martin: [Normal] takž [Slow] takž
Jennifer: Listen again to the response meaning 'Not so well.'
Martin: [Slow] Jakž, takž. [Normal] Jakž, takž.
Cultural Insight
Jennifer: Now it's time for a quick cultural insight.
Martin: Asking how someone is shows you are a well-mannered and polite person. If you are talking to the person for the first time or if it is an official meeting, it is usual to get just a brief answer, describing their condition better than it might really be. In the case of friends the question can also result in a detailed description of all their current life difficulties and may last hours!

Outro

Jennifer: And that’s all for this lesson. Don’t forget to check out the lesson notes, and we’ll see you in the next lesson!
Martin: Čau!

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