Getting By in Czech: The Survival Kit
This is the checkpoint of Chapter 1: a dozen phrases that, strung together, get you through an entire day in Czechia — lost, hungry, confused, and politely triumphant.
Finding Your Way
Kde je…? — where is…? Attach anything: Kde je nádraží? (the station), Kde je toaleta? (urgent), Kde je tramvaj? Open politely with Promiňte — excuse me.
Promiňte, kde je nádraží?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Note: promiňte opens, kde je asks — the survival sentence frame.
Asking the Price
Kolik to stojí? — how much does it cost? Literally "how much does it stand". Pointing plus dám si covers the rest of any transaction.
When You're Lost for Words
The four phrases that rescue every conversation:
Little Big Words
The syllables that keep conversations alive: ano (yes), jo (yeah), ne (no), možná (maybe), taky (also — Já taky! me too), moc (very/much — děkuju moc), dobře (fine/okay).
— Praha je krásná! — Jo, moc. Já taky myslím.
— Prague is beautiful! — Yeah, very. I think so too.
Note: Three little words carry a whole exchange.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping promiňte. Launching kde je at a stranger without it lands brusque — excuse first, ask second.
- Mluvíš anglicky to a shopkeeper. Strangers get the polite -te: mluvíte.
- Freezing when lost. Nerozumím + mluvte pomaleji restarts any conversation — say them early and often.
What You Can Do Now
You can survive a full tourist day: find the station, ask prices, admit confusion gracefully, and keep talking. That's the A0 checkpoint — Chapter 2 teaches you to live here.