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English to Czech human translators and interpreters for all your Czech language translation needs serving a network of over 15,000 linguists. Find Czech Translation WFH freelancers on January 21, 2025 who work remotely. Read less

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What to Know

How is the Czech language structured differently to English?

Czech and English have significantly different language structures, reflecting their distinct linguistic families - Slavic for Czech and Germanic for English. Here are some key points about how Czech words and language structure differ from English:

1. Word Order
Czech: Has a more flexible word order due to its case system. While the basic sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), elements can be rearranged for emphasis or to distinguish topic and comment (theme-rheme structure).
Example:
"Petr čte knihu." (Petr reads a book.)
Can rearrange to "Knihu čte Petr." for emphasis on the book.
English: Typically follows a more rigid SVO order, with changes mainly for questions or specific stylistic effects.

2. Cases and Gender
Czech: Utilizes seven grammatical cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, locative, instrumental) which dictate word endings according to their role in the sentence. Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and some numerals agree in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), and case.
Example:
Nominative: "pes" (a dog)
Genitive: "psa" (of a dog)
Dative: "psu" (to a dog)
English: Largely lost its case system, only maintaining it in pronouns (e.g., "I", "me", "my"). There's no gender distinction for nouns or adjectives.

3. Verb Conjugation
Czech: Verbs conjugate for person, number, tense, mood, and aspect (perfective and imperfective). The verb endings change to reflect these categories.
Example:
"číst" (to read) - "čtu" (I read/imperfective), "přečtu" (I will read/perfective)
English: Verbs conjugate mainly for tense, with simpler changes for person (only in the third person singular present tense for most verbs) and number. Aspect is shown through additional constructions like "to be -ing" for continuous or "have -ed" for perfect.

4. Aspect of Verbs
Czech: Has a dual aspect system where each verb can be perfective or imperfective, indicating whether the action is completed or ongoing. Perfective verbs often involve prefixes or different roots.
Example:
Imperfective: "číst" (to read)
Perfective: "přečíst" (to read through)
English: Uses verb phrases or additional words to show aspect (e.g., "I am reading" for continuous, "I have read" for perfect).

5. Prepositions
Czech: Prepositions govern specific cases, which affects the form of the noun or pronoun following them.
Example: "Na stole" (on the table, locative case) vs. "Na stůl" (onto the table, accusative case)
English: Prepositions do not change the form of nouns or pronouns.

6. Reflexive Verbs
Czech: Uses reflexive pronouns to indicate actions done to oneself or reciprocal actions, which are often expressed with different verbs or constructions in English.
Example: "Umývám se" (I wash myself)
English: Reflexive actions are sometimes indicated by adding "myself", "yourself", etc., but not as systematically.

7. Use of Articles
Czech: Does not use definite or indefinite articles like "a", "an", "the". Context or possessive pronouns determine specificity.
Example: "kniha" can mean "a book" or "the book" depending on context.
English: Relies heavily on articles to differentiate between specific and general references.

8. Negation
Czech: Negates sentences by placing "ne-" before the verb or uses other negating words like "není" (is not).
Example: "Nečtu knihu." (I am not reading a book.)
English: Uses "not" after an auxiliary verb or with "do/does/did" for simple tenses.

9. Formal vs. Informal Address
Czech: Distinguishes between formal ("vy") and informal ("ty") pronouns, affecting verb conjugations and usage.
Example: "Jak se máte?" (formal) vs. "Jak se máš?" (informal)
English: Does not distinguish formality in pronouns, though tone and vocabulary can convey formality.

10. Compound Words
Czech: Rarely forms compound words in the same way as German; instead, it uses prepositions or separate words.
Example: "autobusová zastávka" (bus stop)
English: Frequently combines words to make compounds like "bookshelf".

These structural differences mean that translating between Czech and English often involves more than just word-for-word translation; it requires understanding and adapting to the grammatical and syntactic nuances of each language to convey the intended meaning accurately.

What sayings are helpful to know for a vacation in the Czech Republic?

Here are some common Czech expressions translated into English, showcasing both everyday phrases and idiomatic expressions:

Greetings and Basic Phrases

Czech: "Dobrý den."
English: "Good day." (formal greeting)
Czech: "Ahoj!"
English: "Hi!" or "Hello!" (informal)
Czech: "Jak se máš?"
English: "How are you?" (informal)
Czech: "Děkuji."
English: "Thank you."

Common Sayings and Idioms

Czech: "Mít kořeny někde."
English: "To have roots somewhere." (To be from somewhere or have a strong connection to a place.)
Czech: "Hodit flintu do žita."
English: "To throw the gun into the rye." (To give up, similar to "throw in the towel" in English.)
Czech: "Mít motýlky v břiše."
English: "To have butterflies in the stomach." (Feeling nervous or excited.)
Czech: "Kdo se směje naposled, ten se směje nejlíp."
English: "He who laughs last, laughs best."

Proverbs

Czech: "Bez práce nejsou koláče."
English: "No work, no cakes." (Meaning you won't achieve anything without effort.)
Czech: "Co oči nevidí, to srdce nebolí."
English: "What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve over."
Czech: "Kdo se bojí, nesmí do lesa."
English: "He who is afraid should not go to the forest." (Meaning if you're scared, avoid risky situations.)

Expressions of Emotion or Surprise

Czech: "To je úžasné!"
English: "That's amazing!"
Czech: "No to je ale překvapení!"
English: "Well, that's quite a surprise!"
Czech: "To mě dostalo!"
English: "That got me!" (similar to "That floored me!" in English)

Cultural or Everyday Phrases

Czech: "Pojďme na pivo."
English: "Let's go for a beer."
Czech: "Tohle je moje šálek kávy."
English: "This is my cup of tea." (Meaning this is something I'm very fond of or good at.)
Czech: "Mám toho plné zuby."
English: "I've had enough." or "I'm sick of it." (Literally "I have full teeth of it.")

Expressions of Sympathy or Politeness

Czech: "Promiňte."
English: "Excuse me." or "Sorry." (formal)
Czech: "Omlouvám se."
English: "I apologize."
Czech: "Prosím."
English: "Please." or "You're welcome." (depending on context)

These translations aim to convey the essence, cultural context, and emotional tone of the Czech expressions. However, because idioms and cultural references often don't have direct equivalents, some adjustments or explanations might be necessary to fully convey the meaning in English.

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