Karel Čapek a slovo robot
Karel Čapek and the word "robot"
The Czech word that conquered the world: how 'robot' was born in Karel Čapek's 1920 play 'R.U.R.' — suggested by his brother Josef from the old Slavic 'robota' (serf labour) — and how its author became one of interwar Europe's most humane and respected intellectuals.
You will practice: Past passive (bylo odvozeno, byla přeložena), aby + subjunctive (aby nazval), the reflexive se (zdálo se, hrála se, vyznačovalo se), and od + genitive for origin/derivation (odvozeno od výrazu).
Words to know
Skim these before you read — they carry the story. Tap the star to add one to your saved words.
- slovoword
- původorigin
- jazyklanguage
- hraplay, game
- spisovatelwriter
- dramatikplaywright
- premiérapremiere
- varováníwarning
- pokrokprogress
- lidskosthumanity, humaneness
- vymysletto invent, to think up
- bytostbeing, creature
- bratrbrother
- štětecpaintbrush
- odvozenýderived
- robotarobota (serf labour, corvée)
- úspěchsuccess
- dílowork, body of work
Did you get it?
5 quick questions — no grades, just a comprehension check.
1. In which work did the word 'robot' first appear?
2. Who actually suggested the word 'robot'?
3. What did the old Slavic word 'robota' mean?
4. How successful was the play 'R.U.R.'?
5. What characterized Karel Čapek's work?
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.