Order anything by pointing in Czech
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu. Play the ten Czech words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Czech phrases in this lesson
- Chtěl bych...KHTYEL bikh
- I would like...
- TotoTOH-to
- This one
- Kolik to stojí?KOH-lik to STOH-yee
- How much is it?
- Účet, prosímOO-chet PRO-seem
- The bill, please
- KartouKAR-toh
- By card
- V hotovostiv ho-TO-vos-tih
- In cash
- VodaVOH-da
- Water
- KávaKAH-va
- Coffee
- Čajchai
- Tea
- PivoPI-vo
- Beer
- Bez...bez
- Without...
Literally "I would want". A woman says "chtěla bych" (KHTYE-la bikh).
Point and say "toto" to indicate what you want. Simple and effective. "Tamto" (TAM-to) means "that one over there" if the item is further away.
Essential for markets and small shops. In restaurants, the price is usually on the menu, but this is useful at stalls and less formal venues.
In Czech restaurants, the waiter will not bring the bill until you ask. Say this when you are ready to pay. "Účet" means "bill" or "account".
Card payment is widely accepted in Czech cities. Say this when asked how you want to pay. Some smaller pubs and market stalls are still cash only, so it is worth asking first.
The phrase for paying with physical money. Czechs sometimes shorten this to just "hotově" (HO-to-vyeh) in conversation. ATMs are easy to find in most towns.
In restaurants, water is not automatically brought to the table and usually costs money. At supermarkets, look for "neperlivá" (still) or "perlivá" (sparkling) on the bottle.
Ordering, it becomes "kávu, prosím" (KAH-voo).
Czechs drink more beer per person than anyone. A large draft is "velké pivo", a small one "malé".
"Bez ledu" (bez LE-doo), without ice; "bez cukru", without sugar.