Need a good Czech insult

Discussion in 'Vocabulary & Translation Help' started by Jelena, Apr 25, 2007.

  1. Jelena

    Jelena New Member

    A friend of mine is writing a story with a native Czech character in it and she asked me for a good word or phrase in Czech that would insult someone's intelligence. Unfortunately, my Czech is not that good yet to get at the nuances of swearing and insulting... can you help?

    All I have so far is "Běž do prdele, ty..."

    so if you can give me a good phrase to insult someone's intelligence and the approximate English translation, I (and my friend) would be grateful.
     
  2. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    What about:

    Běž do prdele, ty debile!

    debil = stupid or retarted person, as*hole, jerk
     
  3. highseat

    highseat Member

    What do you say if it's plural? More than 1 debil!
    Běž do prdele, ty debile!(This I take it is 1 person)
    Would it be, Bezte do prdele, vy debilove?
     
  4. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    Exactly. :)
     
  5. highseat

    highseat Member

    Thanks.I'm surprised that I got it right.

    What does hejzl mean?
    I remember when I was in Prague that someone called another person a 'hejzl' and also I remember someone asking 'kde je hejzl' for the toilet.
     
  6. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    Hajzl is "vulgar" name for toilet.

    Hajzl is offensive word, too, and in that case it means bad person - someone, who commited or is capable to commit foul and immoral acts.

    English translation could be bastard or son of the bitch


    Interesting thing is that hajzl originates from German Häusel ( literally "little house" - probably reference to outdoor "earth-closet")
     
  7. highseat

    highseat Member

    Thanks.
    The only reason why I remembered this word was because it is pronounced the same as 'Heysel'. It's the football stadium where some football fans were sadly killed in 1985.
    Anyway,when I first heard it I thought that in Czech a vulgar name for the toilet was named after this tragedy. Strangely,it's the only reason why I could ever remember how to pronounce this word!
     
  8. Zeisig

    Zeisig Well-Known Member

    Another offensive word is "prevít". It came from Latin "private" and meant the toilet in Old Czech, too.
     
  9. doman

    doman Well-Known Member

    I just want to ask a small questions in the same topic,

    "Ty vole" is " You bullock !" or " Those bullocks !"

    Thanks !
     
  10. highseat

    highseat Member

    Ty vůle - is the singular.
    For the plural is would be something like - Vy vůlove!
     
  11. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    But only word for word, the real meaning is “you idiot”.

    Beside this there exists also substandard “tý vole” which meens “jeez/holy shit”.
     
  12. doman

    doman Well-Known Member

    It's cleared ! Diky Wer ! :D
    I used to use this word before, only among my Czech closed friends because it was very common bettween youngters but I was embarassed by meaning.
    Of course I never used it in other situations. :lol:
     
  13. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    When my husband is talking with his friends, he uses "vole" at the end of almost every sentence, it seems. It's not "ty vole" just "vole"

    So I asked him, "Why do you & your friends say "idiot" at the end of your sentences so much when you guys are talking?" he responded, "It's not idiot. You can't translate it. It doesn't have a meaning. It's just a saying." Then he added, "Kinda like when Americans say, 'Hey, what are you doing?' or "Hey, don't go there.', 'hey' can not really be translated".

    So my question is, Is there a difference between "ty vole" & "vole" and if so, can anyone translate "vole" since my husband can not?
     
  14. doman

    doman Well-Known Member

    "Vole" should be shorted from "Ty vole"

    Vole is vocative of vul (bull, idiot, ox...)
    It seems your husband had right ! If you talked with a young Czech, maybe "Vole" and "Ty vole" ocupy about 20%... :lol:

    Words mean like that but not really mean like that !
    It happended in every language ! If you can understand Vietnamese, and you listened how talked Vietnamese youngers, maybe you will be swooned. :lol:
    "Ty vole" will be the most politely words in their speech ! :wink:
     
  15. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    The problem is they are not young. They are all in their 40's.

    Very true, I've heard other words and when I say "Hey, what does ___ mean?" They respond, "You don't want to know and don't say it." :twisted: Men! :roll:
     
  16. doman

    doman Well-Known Member

    Maybe it started with "K----(obra???)" or "Do p----(rahy???)" :lol: :lol:
    I won't tell you too ! :wink:
     
  17. dream2b

    dream2b New Member

    wow nice words.. i needed new insults. I have a couple but for me they are getting old. I am not sure if I can post them here either. lol ok so wish me luck i will not get banned..


    Ty jsi honim pero.

    Vyhon si ho, anca dlanovka.

    I think it's best not to translate this here. :)
     
  18. Eleshar

    Eleshar Well-Known Member

    "Vole" in Czech is very often used as a marker of dividing line between two separate syntactic units or complexes. It is not used randomly, mostly in places where a more cultivated person would say a pause (or write a dot/comma in written expression).

    But it can be even more intricate because it is truly a multipurpose word. About two weeks ago, when I was going to the Faculty by a tram, I listened to a conversation of two youngsters (of radiant intellectual capacity that truly dazzled me and surely all others who too enjoyed their wisdom, knowledge and wit...) and it made me laugh constantly.
    Those two beatific young man were interchanging their bright ideas in a very monotone speech with almost no intonation, and all this intonational information (whether it is a question or an exclamation or whatever) was put upon the last word of every larger syntactic complex - "vole".
    I rejoyced upon having the opportunity to listen to such an ingenious piece of conversation (and surely so did all other passangers...) in such an... er... original manner and I must confess that I fell into a deep sorrow after I had left them, realising that I will never have the opportunity to write a larger paper concerning their truly... stunning disposition.
     
  19. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Don't be too sad, Eleshar. I'm sure there will be plenty of other such "ingenious pieces of conversation" to listen to on future tram rides. :wink: :lol:
     

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