Study in the Czech Republic: Language & Culture

A Brief History

The Czech Republic has a rich cultural heritage and compelling history. The Czech kingdom dates back to the 13th century. Under the rule of Charles IV, who established the University of Prague in 1348, it also become a serious player in the academic field. However, between the early Middle Ages and today, the Czech Republic has gone through some major changes. At the end of World War I in 1918, Czechs declared independence and Czechoslovakia was established as a sovereign country. The years that followed were prosperous ones for the new nation and Czechoslovakia quickly became one of the most developed countries in the world.

The onset of World War II, however, split up the nation, and Czechoslovakia became three different states. After the war, Czechoslovakia regained its statehood, albeit with less territory. In 1946, the Communist Party took over and from that point the country was led by the Soviet Union until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The new revolution was fueled by students and intellectuals who were tired of the Communist regime and demanded free elections.

Finally, in 1992 Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Later, the Czech Republic would join the European Union in 2004.

Language

The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech. Spoken by nearly 11 million native speakers, Czech is classified as part of the Slavic branch of Indo-European languages. Although many people in the Czech Republic have a base knowledge of the English language, knowing a few key phrases in Czech will take you far.

Culture

Even though the Czech Republic is a relatively small country, it has become a popular tourist destination for many travelers, largely thanks to its fascinating history and rich cultural heritage. The country has countless historical cities and villages with more than 1500 castles and 14 UNESCO protected heritage sites, including fairy-tale castles and chateaux.

Students can delight in traditional cuisine, visit farmers' and crafts markets, open-air museums and explore magnificent nature all around with many nature sites, national parks, hiking trails and biking routes. Unsure about how to reach these places in a budget-friendly way? No worries! The excellent public transport system makes it easy to reach any of these places in no time.”

Useful Czech Phrases:

Hello. (formal) - Dobrý den. (DOH-bree dehn)

Hello. (informal) - Ahoj. (ahoy)

Hi. (informal) - Čau. (chow)

How are you? (formal)- Jak se máte? (yahk seh MAA-teh?)

How are you? (informal) - Jak se máš? (yahk seh MAA-sh?)

Fine, thank you. - Dobře, děkuji. (DOH-brzheh, DYEH-koo-yih.)

Please. - Prosím (Proseem)

Thank you. - Děkuji. (Dyekooyih.)

You're welcome. - Rádo se stalo. (Raado seh stulo.)

Yes. - Ano. (AH-noh.)

No. - Ne. (neh.)

Excuse me, I am sorry. (getting attention) - Promiňte (PROH-mih-nyteh)

I'm sorry. - Je mi to líto. (yeh mee toh LEE-toh)

Goodbye (formal) - Na shledanou (NAHSH-leh-dah-noh)

Bye (informal) - Ahoj (ahoy), Čau (chow)

I can't speak Czech [well]. - Neumím [moc dobře] mluvit česky (Neh-oomeem [mots dobrzheh] mloovit cheskee.)

Do you speak English? - Mluvíte anglicky? (Mlooveeteh unglitskee?)

I don't understand. - Nerozumím (NEH-roh-zoo-meem)

Where is the toilet? - Kde je záchod? (Gdeh yeh ZAHH-khoht?)

If you want to take your Czech language skills further, consider taking a course. There are several options for foreigners interested in learning Czech, including the Summer School of Slavonic Studies, university courses, Czech Centers abroad, or a private institution. To build a foundational knowledge of the language, there are plenty of books and apps you can purchase to pursue your Czech language studies independently.

Learn more about education in the Czech Republic: