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Short, practical reads on the tricky bits of Czech — the real phrases, the little words and the grammar logic that textbooks never quite explain.
Latest articles
Every article breaks down one real piece of Czech you’ll actually use. More coming soon.
How to say “It’s your turn” in Czech
How Czechs really say it’s your turn — in a queue, over a board game and in conversation. Meet Jsi na řadě.
Read article Grammar logic“Jinde, jinak, jinam…” — what’s the logic?
Jinde, jinam, jinudy, jindy, jinak — one family of “else” words, tamed by the same question-logic you already know.
Read article Everyday phrasesHow to say “I’m just kidding” in Czech
From polite to very casual — the natural Czech ways to say you’re only joking, and to tease a friend.
Read article Time & expressionsHow to say “a week ago” in Czech
Před týdnem — how to say “a week ago”, why it needs the instrumental case, and how it flips to mean “in a week”.
Read article Reactions & replies“Jasný, jasně, je ti to jasný?, dobře, ok…” — how to reply
Jasně, dobře, v pohodě, rozumím — every way to say OK, sure and got it, and which ones are casual vs neutral.
Read article Phrases & meaning“O co jde?” — how “jde o…” really works
Why does jít (“to go”) suddenly mean “to be about”? Understand jde o… and “what someone is after” for good.
Read article Grammar logic“Co” or “což”? When to use each
Co or což? The one clean test that tells you which relative pronoun you need — plus čemuž and čehož.
Read article Everyday logicHow to answer negative questions in Czech
Aren’t you hungry? Czech answers to negative questions trip everyone up. Here’s the habit that keeps you clear.
Read article VocabularyLocked, unlocked, open, closed — and “mít kliku”
Locked, unlocked, open, closed — and the fun reason klika means both a door handle and a stroke of luck.
Read article Word familiesThe Czech “build” family: stavět, postavit, stavba…
Stavět, postavit, stavba, stavitel, staveniště — one root, the whole construction family (with Russian cognates).
Read article Word families“Překvapení” — the whole surprise family
Překvapení, překvapený, překvapit, překvápko — the Czech “surprise” family, with adjective agreement made easy.
Read article Opinions & phrases“Podle mě” — how to say ‘in my opinion’
Podle mě, podle mého názoru, podle mého táty — say “in my opinion” and “according to” with one simple pattern.
Read article Everyday phrases“Dělat, že…” — how to say ‘to pretend’
Předstírat, dělat že, hodit se marod — how to say “to pretend”, including the very Czech way to call in sick.
Read article Verbs & vocabularyThe Czech verb “růst” (to grow) — and the noun
Růst as both a noun and a verb — full present and past tense, plus vyrůst (to grow up), from a child to an economy.
Read article Verbs & vocabularyBetting in Czech: sázka, sázet, vsadit (se)
Sázka, sázet vs vsadit, the reflexive “I bet you…”, and where you actually place it: the sázková kancelář.
Read article Verbs & vocabulary“Plivat” — talking about spitting in Czech
Plivat, plivnout, odplivnout si, vyplivnout — a small verb family that shows off Czech aspect and prefixes.
Read article Look-alikesLook-alikes: prohlídka, přehlídka, přehlédnout
Prohlídka (a tour), přehlídka (a parade) and přehlédnout (to overlook): one prefix apart, worlds of meaning.
Read article Verbs & prepositionsGetting on, off & changing: nastoupit, vystoupit, přestoupit
Board, get off and change lines: nastoupit do, vystoupit z, přestoupit na — the right preposition every time.
Read article Grammar logicThe preposition “o”: accusative or locative?
The preposition o takes two cases — accusative or locative — depending on the verb. Here’s the simple logic.
Read article VocabularyGetting engaged: požádat o ruku, snoubenci, líbánky
From the proposal to the honeymoon: požádat o ruku, snoubenec, snoubenka, zasnoubení and líbánky.
Read article VocabularyDifficult vocabulary: conflict and crime words
A sober vocabulary list, from everyday arguments to serious legal terms — the words behind the Czech news.
Read article Word familiesExcuses vs apologies: vymlouvat se and omluva
Don’t confuse making excuses (vymlouvat se) with apologising (omluvit se) — plus a tour of the mluv- family.
Read article Everyday vocabularyTurning the lights on and off in Czech
Rozsvítit and zhasnout for the lights, zapnout/vypnout for everything else — and the Moravian rožnout.
Read articleWant to reveal all the secrets of Czech?
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