Czech Greetings & First Phrases
Ten phrases carry a whole first conversation. Czech, like its Slavic neighbours, splits them into two registers: informal (ty — friends, family, people your age) and formal (vy — strangers, shops, anyone older). Choose the right one and you already sound polite.
If any spelling below looks alarming, spend ten minutes with Czech sounds & spelling first — the háčky (č, š, ž), the famous ř, and first-syllable stress make Czech read very regularly once you know them.
Saying Hello
Dobrý den is your default. It works at the bakery, at the office, with your landlord, and with your friend's grandmother. When in doubt, dobrý den.
Dobrý den! Rád vás vidím.
Good day! Nice to see you.
Note: Rád vás vidím uses vás — the formal 'you'. More on ty vs vy below.
Please, Thank You, Sorry
Prosím (PRO-seem) is the hardest-working word in Czech. Hand someone a coffee: prosím. They thank you: prosím. Ask for something politely: prosím. You cannot overuse it.
Dám si kávu, prosím. — Prosím. — Děkuji!
I'll have a coffee, please. — Here you are. — Thank you!
Note: A whole café transaction. 'Dám si' + the thing you want is the everyday way to order.
Introducing Yourself
Notice the verb jmenovat se — literally "to name oneself." The little se (oneself) tags along: jmenuji se…, jak se jmenuješ? The full verb "to be" (jsem, jsi, je…) is covered in pronouns & to be.
💬 Meeting someone new
Ty or Vy?
Czech makes you choose a "you" every time you speak to someone. Get it right and you sound natural; get it wrong and you sound either cold or overly familiar.
The verb ending changes with the pronoun: máš (ty) vs máte (vy). When in doubt with an adult you don't know, use vy — it's the safe, respectful default. Czechs will invite you to switch to ty when they're ready ("můžeme si tykat?").
Saying Goodbye
Na shledanou! Hezký den!
Goodbye! Have a nice day!
Note: Stacking a goodbye and a good wish is natural — shopkeepers do it all day.
You now have everything for a first conversation. Next, say who you are properly with pronouns & to be — or hear these phrases in a real story in the graded reader Víkend na chatě.