Greetings
Dobrý den
DOH-bree den
Good day — the mandatory greeting when entering any shop, lift or waiting room. Skipping it is genuinely rude.
Ahoj
a-HOY
Hi / bye, informal. Yes, it's the sailor's greeting, in a landlocked country.
Social
Děkuji
DYEH-koo-yi
Thank you. 'Dík' or 'díky' is the casual form.
Prosím
PRO-seem
Please, here you are, you're welcome, and 'pardon?'. Does enormous work.
Na zdraví
na ZDRA-vee
Cheers. Make eye contact when you clink, or it's considered bad form.
Daily life
Rodné číslo
ROD-neh CHEES-lo
Your 'birth number' — the personal identification number that gates health insurance, banking and most official paperwork.
Litačka
li-TACH-ka
Prague's transport card for the metro, trams and buses.
Work
Živnostenský list
ZHIV-nos-ten-skee list — 'živno' for short
The trade licence that lets you work as a self-employed contractor. The famous Czech freelance route.
Food
Hospoda
HOS-po-da
The traditional pub — cheap beer, hearty food, and the centre of Czech social life.
Pivo
PEE-vo
Beer. Czechia drinks more per head than anywhere on earth, and it is often cheaper than water.
Knedlíky
KNED-lee-kee
Bread or potato dumplings, served with everything that has sauce.
Emergency
112
European emergency number
Emergency services. 155 ambulance, 158 police, 150 fire also work.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.