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B12 min · 132 words

České pověry

Czech Superstitions

Why you must look people in the eye when toasting, what the Christmas carp scale does in your wallet, and other rules Czechs half-believe.

You will practice: Culture frames (to se dělá / nedělá, prý, věřit + dative), conditional consequences, and impersonal constructions.

Words to know

Skim these before you read — they carry the story. Tap the star to add one to your saved words.

  • pověrasuperstition
  • štěstíluck
  • smůlabad luck
  • šupinafish scale
  • peněženkawallet
  • prýsupposedly, they say
  • klepatto knock
  • dřevowood
  • věřitto believe
  • pro jistotujust in case

Did you get it?

3 quick questions — no grades, just a comprehension check.

1. What happens if you don't make eye contact when toasting?

2. What do Czechs keep in their wallets after Christmas?

3. What is the Czech attitude to superstitions, per babička?

Too hard? Pick an easier text in the Czech reading library. Understanding most of a text without translations is the goal — struggling through is not.