Prague Essentials
Czech Phrases for Daily Life
By Simona · HomeInPrague · 2026
Photo by Veronika Martinelli on Unsplash
Czech is not an easy language — and nobody expects you to become fluent overnight. But knowing a handful of everyday phrases will make your life in Prague noticeably easier, and locals genuinely appreciate the effort. Here are the phrases you'll actually use.
💡 A note on pronunciation: Czech is phonetic — once you learn how letters sound, you can read anything. The stress is almost always on the first syllable.
👋 Greetings
There are several ways to say hello in Czech — the right one depends on how well you know the person.
Dobrý den!
DOB-ree den
Hello. (formal)
Use this when entering any shop, café or office. The standard polite greeting for strangers.
Ahoj!
AH-hoy
Hi! (informal)
Used between friends — works both as hello and goodbye.
Zdravím!
ZDRA-veem
Hi! Hello! (neutral)
A friendly, slightly casual greeting — good for colleagues or neighbours.
Na shledanou! / Nashle!
Na SHLE-da-noh / NASH-leh
Goodbye! / See you!
"Nashle" is the casual short form — very common in everyday speech.
Na viděnou! Čau.
Na VI-dye-noh / Chow
See you! Bye.
"Čau" is borrowed from Italian "ciao" — very casual, used among friends.
🙋 Introducing Yourself
Jmenuji se… / Já jsem…
YMEH-noo-yi seh / Ya sem
My name is… / I am…
"Jmenuji se" is more formal, "Já jsem" is casual and very common.
A ty? / A vy?
A ty / A vy
And you? (informal / formal)
Jsem z…
Sem z
I'm from…
Example: "Jsem z Německa" (Germany), "Jsem z Ameriky" (America), "Jsem ze Španělska" (Spain).
Co děláš za práci? Kde pracuješ?
Tso DYEH-lash za PRA-tsi
What do you do for a living? Where do you work?
Just say: Jsem + your job title, or Pracuju v + your company name.
Bydlím v Praze.
BID-leem v PRA-zeh
I live in Prague.
😊 How Are You?
Jak se máš? / Jak se máte?
Yak seh MASH / Yak seh MA-teh
How are you? (informal / formal)
Mám se dobře.
Mam seh DOH-bzheh
I'm well / Fine.
"DOH" like "dough" in English. "bzheh" with a soft "zh" sound like in "measure".
Want to sound more like a local? Try these alternatives to "dobře":
Fajn
Fine
Super
Super
Skvěle
Great
Výborně
Excellent
Báječně
Wonderful
Úžasně
Amazing
☕ Ordering in a Café
Prague has an incredible café culture. Here's how to order like a local:
Prosím jedno…
PRO-seem YED-no
kafe — coffee (slang, very common)
kávu — coffee (formal)
S mlékem, prosím. / Bez cukru.
S MLEH-kem / Bez TSOOK-roo
With milk, please. / Without sugar.
Účet, prosím.
OO-chet PRO-seem
The bill, please.
Děkuji. / Díky.
DYEH-koo-yi / DEE-ky
Thank you. (formal / casual)
🔢 Numbers 1–10
Useful for ordering, prices, floors and everything in between.
1
jedna
2
dva
3
tři
4
čtyři
5
pět
6
šest
7
sedm
8
osm
9
devět
10
deset
🛗 Elevator Talk
Czechs are reserved with strangers but warm once you get to know them. These phrases help with everyday small talk.
Jaký jsi měl víkend?
YA-kee ysi myel VEE-kend
How was your weekend?
Dnes je venku hezky.
Dnes yeh VEN-koo HEZ-ky
It's nice weather today.
Weather is universal small talk — works anywhere, with anyone.
Asi bude pršet.
A-si BOO-deh PRSH-et
It's probably going to rain.
Hezký den! / Hezký víkend!
HEZ-kee den / HEZ-kee VEE-kend
Have a nice day! / Have a nice weekend!
A friendly way to end any interaction.
🆘 Survival Phrases
Mluvíte anglicky?
MLOO-vee-teh ANG-lits-ky
Do you speak English?
Most younger Czechs in Prague speak English well. Don't be afraid to ask.
Můžete to zopakovat?
MOO-zheh-teh to zo-PA-ko-vat
Can you repeat that?
Pomoc!
PO-mots
Help!
Můžeš / Můžete mi pomoci?
MOO-zhesh / MOO-zheh-teh mi po-MO-tsi
Can you help me? (informal / formal)
Nerozumím.
Neh-ROZ-oo-meem
I don't understand.
Můžete mluvit pomaleji?
MOO-zheh-teh MLOO-vit po-MA-ley-ee
Can you speak more slowly?
Kde je…?
Gdeh yeh
Where is…?
Example: "Kde je metro?" (Where is the metro?)
Kolik to stojí?
KO-lik to STOY-ee
How much does it cost?
💡 Prague tip: Most people in the city centre, shops and restaurants speak English. But using even one Czech word — like "prosím" or "díky" — will go a long way.
Prague is easier with someone who knows it from the inside. Get in touch and let's figure it out together.
Ask Simona →© 2026 HomeInPrague · relocatetoprague.com