Čeština
Czech
Slavic
Czech (Čeština) is a West Slavic language with ~10.7M speakers — sole official language of the Czech Republic. Sister to Slovak (mutually intelligible at conversational level) and Polish (West Slavic). Distinguished by syllabic consonants (vlk "wolf", smrt "death" — words without vowels), 7-case system, and complex aspect system (perfective/imperfective verb pairs). Latin orthography with diacritic háček (č, š, ž, ř, etc.) — Jan Hus 1410 reform replaced earlier digraphs. The unique consonant /r̝/ written ř is famously difficult for non-native speakers.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Czech
Water
voda
/ˈvoda/
Fire
oheň
/ˈoɦɛɲ/
Sun
slunce
/ˈsluntsɛ/
Moon
měsíc
/ˈmɲɛsiːts/
Star
hvězda
/ˈɦvjɛzda/
Mother
matka
/ˈmatka/
Father
otec
/ˈotɛts/
I
já
/jaː/
You
ty
/tɪ/
Name
jméno
/ˈjmɛːno/
Eye
oko
/ˈoko/
Hand
ruka
/ˈruka/
Heart
srdce
/ˈsr̩tsɛ/
Love
láska
/ˈlaːska/
Tree
strom
/strom/
House
dům
/duːm/
Dog
pes
/pɛs/
Cat
kočka
/ˈkotʃka/
Eat
jíst
/jiːst/
Drink
pít
/piːt/
One
jeden
/ˈjɛdɛn/
Two
dva
/dva/
Hello
ahoj
/ˈaɦoj/
Thank you
děkuji
/ˈɟɛkuji/
Good
dobrý
/ˈdobriː/
Cuckoo
kukačka
/ˈkukatʃka/
Woof
haf haf
/ɦaf ɦaf/
Computer
počítač
/ˈpotʃiːtatʃ/
Sushi
suši
/ˈsuʃɪ/
Dopamine
dopamin
/ˈdopamɪn/
At sign (@)
zavináč
/ˈzavɪnaːtʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Slavic languages
| Meaning | Czech | Slovak | Rusyn | Upper Sorbian | Silesian | Bosnian | Polish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | voda /ˈvoda/ | voda /ˈvoda/ | вода /ˈvoda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ | voda /ˈʋoda/ | woda /ˈvɔda/ |
| Fire | oheň /ˈoɦɛɲ/ | oheň /ˈoɦeɲ/ | огень /ˈohenʲ/ | woheń /ˈvɔhɛɲ/ | ôgyń /ˈɔɡɨɲ/ | vatra /ˈvatra/ | ogień /ˈɔɡɛɲ/ |
| Sun | slunce /ˈsluntsɛ/ | slnko /ˈsl̩nko/ | сонце /ˈsontse/ | słónco /ˈswʊntsɔ/ | słōńce /ˈswoɲtsɛ/ | sunce /ˈsuntse/ | słońce /ˈswɔɲtsɛ/ |
| Moon | měsíc /ˈmɲɛsiːts/ | mesiac /ˈmɛsɪats/ | місяць /ˈmʲisʲatsʲ/ | měsac /ˈmʲɛsats/ | miesiōnczek /mʲɛˈɕɔ̃tʂɛk/ | mjesec /ˈmjɛsets/ | księżyc /ˈkɕɛ̃ʐɨts/ |
| Star | hvězda /ˈɦvjɛzda/ | hviezda /ˈɦvjezda/ | звізда /ˈzvʲizda/ | hwězda /ˈɦwʲɛzda/ | gwiŏzda /ˈɡvjɔzda/ | zvijezda /zʋijeːzda/ | gwiazda /ˈɡvjazda/ |
| Mother | matka /ˈmatka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ | мати /ˈmati/ | mać /matɕ/ | matka /ˈmatka/ | majka /ˈmajka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ |
| Father | otec /ˈotɛts/ | otec /ˈotɛts/ | отець /oˈtɛtsʲ/ | nan /nan/ | fater /ˈfatɛr/ | otac /ˈotats/ | ojciec /ˈɔjtɕɛts/ |
| I | já /jaː/ | ja /ja/ | я /ja/ | ja /ja/ | jŏ /jɔ/ | ja /jaː/ | ja /ja/ |
| You | ty /tɪ/ | ty /ti/ | ты /tɪ/ | ty /tɨ/ | ty /tɨ/ | ti /ti/ | ty /tɨ/ |
| Name | jméno /ˈjmɛːno/ | meno /ˈmeno/ | мено /ˈmɛno/ | mjeno /ˈmjɛnɔ/ | miano /ˈmʲano/ | ime /ˈime/ | imię /ˈimʲɛ/ |
| Eye | oko /ˈoko/ | oko /ˈoko/ | око /ˈoko/ | woko /ˈwɔkɔ/ | ôko /ˈwɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈoko/ | oko /ˈɔkɔ/ |
| Hand | ruka /ˈruka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | рука /ˈruka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | rynka /ˈrɨŋka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | ręka /ˈrɛŋka/ |
| Heart | srdce /ˈsr̩tsɛ/ | srdce /ˈsr̩tsɛ/ | сердце /ˈserdze/ | wutroba /ˈvutrɔba/ | serce /ˈsɛrtsɛ/ | srce /ˈsr̩tse/ | serce /ˈsɛrtsɛ/ |
| Love | láska /ˈlaːska/ | láska /ˈlaːska/ | любов /lʲuˈbov/ | lubosć /ˈlubɔstɕ/ | miyłość /ˈmʲɨwɔɕtɕ/ | ljubav /ˈʎubav/ | miłość /ˈmiwɔɕtɕ/ |
| Tree | strom /strom/ | strom /strom/ | древо /ˈdrevo/ | štom /ʃtɔm/ | strōm /strɔm/ | drvo /ˈdr̩vo/ | drzewo /ˈdʐɛvɔ/ |
| House | dům /duːm/ | dom /dom/ | хыжа /ˈxɨʒa/ | dom /dom/ | chałpa /ˈxawpa/ | kuća /ˈkutɕa/ | dom /dɔm/ |
| Dog | pes /pɛs/ | pes /pɛs/ | пес /pes/ | pos /pɔs/ | pies /pjɛs/ | pas /pas/ | pies /pjɛs/ |
| Cat | kočka /ˈkotʃka/ | mačka /ˈmatʃka/ | мачка /ˈmatʃka/ | kóčka /ˈkʊtʃka/ | kot /kɔt/ | mačka /ˈmatʃka/ | kot /kɔt/ |
| Eat | jíst /jiːst/ | jesť /jɛsc/ | їсти /ˈjisti/ | jěsć /jɛstɕ/ | jeść /jɛɕtɕ/ | jesti /ˈjɛsti/ | jeść /jɛɕtɕ/ |
| Drink | pít /piːt/ | piť /pɪc/ | пити /ˈpiti/ | pić /pitɕ/ | pić /pitɕ/ | piti /ˈpiti/ | pić /pitɕ/ |
| One | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | єден /ˈjeden/ | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | jedyn /ˈjɛdɨn/ | jedan /ˈjɛdan/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ |
| Two | dva /dva/ | dva /dva/ | два /dva/ | dwaj /dwaj/ | dwa /dva/ | dva /dʋaː/ | dwa /dva/ |
| Hello | ahoj /ˈaɦoj/ | ahoj /ˈaɦoj/ | Здраво /ˈzdravo/ | witaj /ˈvitaj/ | serwus /ˈsɛrvus/ | zdravo /ˈzdravo/ | cześć /tʂɛɕtɕ/ |
| Thank you | děkuji /ˈɟɛkuji/ | ďakujem /ˈɟakujɛm/ | дякую /ˈdʲakuju/ | dźakuju so /ˈdʑakuju sɔ/ | dziynkuja /ˈdʑɨŋkuja/ | hvala /ˈxvala/ | dziękuję /dʑɛŋˈkujɛ/ |
| Good | dobrý /ˈdobriː/ | dobrý /ˈdobriː/ | добрый /ˈdobrɨj/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ | dobar /ˈdobar/ | dobry /ˈdɔbrɨ/ |
| Cuckoo | kukačka /ˈkukatʃka/ | kukučka /ˈkukutʃka/ | зозуля /zoˈzulʲa/ | kokula /ˈkɔkula/ | kukawka /kuˈkafka/ | kukavica /kûkaʋitsa/ | kukułka /kuˈkuwka/ |
| Woof | haf haf /ɦaf ɦaf/ | haf haf /ɦaf ɦaf/ | — | — | — | vau vau /ʋau ʋau/ | hau hau /xau xau/ |
| Computer | počítač /ˈpotʃiːtatʃ/ | počítač /ˈpotʃiːtatʃ/ | компютер /komˈpjuter/ | kompjuter /ˈkɔmpjutɛr/ | kůmputer /kumˈputɛr/ | računar /ˈratʃunaːr/ | komputer /kɔmˈpu.tɛr/ |
| Sushi | suši /ˈsuʃɪ/ | suši /ˈsuʃi/ | — | — | — | suši /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsu.ɕi/ |
| Dopamine | dopamin /ˈdopamɪn/ | dopamín /ˈdopamiːn/ | — | — | — | Dopamin /dôpamiːn/ | dopamina /dɔpaˈmina/ |
| At sign (@) | zavináč /ˈzavɪnaːtʃ/ | zavináč /ˈzavɪnaːtʃ/ | — | — | — | et /ɛt/ | małpa /ˈmawpa/ |
Word order compared
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