Travel phrases

Essential Czech travel phrases

Pack the words that matter. These are the 34 Czech phrases that actually come up on a trip, from your first Dobrý den to calling for help, grouped by situation and written with a simple pronunciation guide, and read aloud at the tap of a button. Chosen the way a Czech speaker would choose them, which is why the list ends with the phrases you only hear once you are there.

Quick answer

The most useful Czech travel phrases cover greetings, politeness, directions, food, and emergencies. Learn a handful first: Dobrý den (hello), Prosím (please / you're welcome / go ahead), Děkuji (thank you), and Kde jsou toalety? (where is the toilet?). This free tool groups 34 Czech phrases by situation, each with a plain-English pronunciation and a play button that reads it aloud. They are the phrases Czech speakers really use, not an English list translated into Czech, so the last block is the one a phrasebook never has: what locals say to each other.

Start here

The first 10 Czech phrases to learn

The ones you need on day one. Tap play, say the phrase back until it sounds close, then say it along with the voice: that is shadowing, the drill interpreters train with.

  1. 1 Dobrý den Hello DOB-ree DEN The default with every stranger, in any shop, office, lift or waiting room
  2. 2 Dobrý večer Good evening DOB-ree VEH-cher Takes over from Dobrý den from about six in the evening
  3. 3 Ahoj Hi / Bye (informal) AH-hoy Only with peers and people you are on first name terms with, never in a shop
  4. 4 Na shledanou Goodbye NAH-skhleh-dah-noh What you say leaving any shop, office, lift or waiting room
  5. 5 Mějte se hezky Have a good one MNYEY-teh seh HES-kih Warm parting after a chat or a purchase; friends say Měj se
  6. 6 Ano / Ne Yes / No AH-noh / NEH Casual yes is jo; watch out, the Czech no said alone means yeah, not no
  7. 7 Děkuji Thank you DYEH-koo-yih The everyday spoken form is Děkuju
  8. 8 Prosím Please / you're welcome / go ahead PROH-seem Does all three jobs, and Prosím? on its own also means pardon, I did not hear you
  9. 9 Promiňte Sorry PROH-min-teh When you bump into someone or interrupt
  10. 10 Nerozumím I don't understand NEH-roh-zoo-meem
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All 34 phrases, grouped by situation.

Greetings

Dobrý den Hello DOB-ree DEN The default with every stranger, in any shop, office, lift or waiting room
Dobrý večer Good evening DOB-ree VEH-cher Takes over from Dobrý den from about six in the evening
Ahoj Hi / Bye (informal) AH-hoy Only with peers and people you are on first name terms with, never in a shop
Na shledanou Goodbye NAH-skhleh-dah-noh What you say leaving any shop, office, lift or waiting room
Mějte se hezky Have a good one MNYEY-teh seh HES-kih Warm parting after a chat or a purchase; friends say Měj se

Basics

Ano / Ne Yes / No AH-noh / NEH Casual yes is jo; watch out, the Czech no said alone means yeah, not no
Děkuji Thank you DYEH-koo-yih The everyday spoken form is Děkuju
Prosím Please / you're welcome / go ahead PROH-seem Does all three jobs, and Prosím? on its own also means pardon, I did not hear you
Promiňte Sorry PROH-min-teh When you bump into someone or interrupt
Nerozumím I don't understand NEH-roh-zoo-meem
Mluvíte anglicky? Do you speak English? MLOO-vee-teh AHN-glits-kee

Getting around

Kde je nejbližší zastávka? Where is the nearest tram or bus stop? KDEH yeh NEY-bleesh-shee ZAHS-tahf-kah
Jede tahle tramvaj do centra? Does this tram go to the centre? YEH-deh TAH-hleh TRAHM-vai doh TSEN-trah
Jednu jízdenku, prosím One ticket, please YED-noo YEEZ-den-koo PROH-seem Stamp it in the machine as you board or at the metro entrance; fines on the spot
Kde jsou toalety? Where is the toilet? KDEH soh TOH-ah-leh-tih In a pub or cafe; station and shopping centre toilets usually cost coins
Vystupujete? Are you getting off? VIS-too-poo-yeh-teh What you ask the person blocking the tram door as your stop comes up

Eating out

Je tu volno? Is this seat free? YEH too VOL-noh Ask before joining a half-empty table in a pub; most places let you pick your own table unless it says Rezervováno
Dám si pivo I'll have a beer DAHM sih PIH-voh Dám si, I'll have, is how Czechs order anything: Dám si guláš, Dám si kafe
Co doporučujete? What do you recommend? TSOH DOH-poh-roo-choo-yeh-teh
Ještě jedno, prosím Another one, please YESH-tyeh YED-noh PROH-seem The next beer; the waiter marks it on the paper slip on your table
Zaplatíme, prosím The bill, please ZAH-plah-tee-meh PROH-seem Literally we will pay; alone say Zaplatím. The waiter asks together or separately

Shopping

Kolik to stojí? How much is it? KOH-lik toh STOH-yee
Můžu platit kartou? Can I pay by card? MOO-zhoo PLAH-tit KAR-tow Cards work nearly everywhere; village pubs and market stalls are still cash
Jenom se dívám I'm just looking YEH-nom seh DYEE-vahm
Vezmu si to I'll take it VEZ-moo sih toh

Emergencies

Pomoc! Help! POH-mots
Zavolejte záchranku! Call an ambulance! ZAH-voh-ley-teh ZAH-khrahn-koo Záchranka is the everyday word; call 112, or 155 for the ambulance direct
Potřebuju doktora I need a doctor POH-trzheh-boo-yoo DOK-toh-rah
Ztratil jsem se I'm lost ZTRAH-til sem seh A woman says Ztratila jsem se

Locals say

Prosím vás Excuse me, can I ask you something PROH-seem VAHS The polite opener before a question to a stranger: Prosím vás, kde je nádraží?
Není zač Don't mention it NEH-nee ZAHCH The usual answer to Děkuji, alongside Prosím
Na zdraví! Cheers! NAH-zdrah-vee Toast before the first sip, eye contact expected; also said when someone sneezes
Dobrou chuť Enjoy your meal DOH-broh KHOOT Said by the waiter as the plates land and by everyone at your table, strangers sharing it included
To je dobrý That's fine, no worries TOH yeh DOB-ree The all purpose casual fine; Dobrý on its own does the same job

How to get the most from these phrases

Learn by situation, not alphabetically. Your memory files Dobrý den next to the moment you would use it, so run through the greetings before you fly, the restaurant block on the way to dinner, and the emergency block once so it is there if you ever need it.

The pronunciation guide is written the way an English speaker would read it aloud, with the stressed syllable in capitals. It is a crutch, not the real sound. Press play, listen once, then say the phrase back: the audio fixes the vowels that plain English spelling cannot capture. Once a phrase feels easy, say it together with the voice, a beat behind, the way interpreters drill: our guide to shadowing explains the sequence.

Phrases get you to the country. What gets you fluent is meeting the same words again and again in context, which is exactly what reading does. Once Prosím and Děkuji feel automatic, the next step is a real Czech sentence, then a page, then a book. That is the whole idea behind reading in Lingo7.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most important Czech phrases for travel?

Start with greetings and politeness, then the phrases that solve a real problem: asking directions, ordering, paying, and getting help. On this page that is Dobrý den (hello), Prosím (please / you're welcome / go ahead), Děkuji (thank you), Kde jsou toalety? (where is the toilet?), and Pomoc! (help!). Learn those few and you can be polite and safe almost anywhere.

What do Czech locals say that a phrasebook leaves out?

A phrasebook translates English, so it gives you the Czech for "hello" and stops. The phrases people there actually trade all day are the ones with no English slot: Prosím vás (excuse me, can I ask you something), Není zač (don't mention it), Na zdraví! (cheers!). The "Locals say" block on this page collects 5 of them and says when each one is used, which is usually what turns a correct sentence into a normal one.

What do these Czech phrases sound like?

Tap the play button next to a phrase and you hear it read aloud, so you can copy the sound instead of guessing it from the spelling. The written pronunciation is a crutch for English eyes, the audio is the real thing. Play Dobrý den and Děkuji a few times, say them back, and they come out right when it counts.

How do you say hello and thank you in Czech?

In Czech, hello is Dobrý den (pronounced DOB-ree DEN) and thank you is Děkuji (DYEH-koo-yih). Add Prosím (please / you're welcome / go ahead) and Na shledanou (goodbye), and you have the words that carry most short exchanges with a shopkeeper, waiter, or stranger.

How do you ask where the toilet is in Czech?

Ask Kde jsou toalety? (pronounced KDEH soh TOH-ah-leh-tih), which means "where is the toilet?" in Czech. If you only catch part of the reply, Nerozumím (I don't understand) and a smile usually gets it repeated or pointed out. It is one of the few phrases worth memorizing word for word before you go.

Do I need to learn Czech before traveling?

No, but a dozen Czech phrases go a long way. Locals warm up fast when you open with Dobrý den and Děkuji instead of English. You do not need grammar or fluency for a trip, just the survival set above. For anything past that, the fastest route to real Czech is reading, which is exactly what Lingo7 is built for.