buying a beer

Ahoj!

I am going to Prague for 4 days starting tomorrow. With the help of this site and others I have armed myself with some useful phrases to get by with, but I am struggling with one thing...

I know that 'a beer please' is 'jedno pivo, prosim' but how do I say 'two beers please' (or three, or four etc) Are there any simple rules for converting a singular noun to the plural?

Also, I know that 'tea' is 'čaj' but how do I ask for 'a cup of tea' and will they give it me with milk, or do I have to ask for that? (i know i sound like a stereotypical english person!)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Děkuji.

 

As far as the cuppa goes, you have to ask for a black tea (to you and me, "tea without milk") - with milk. A bit weird for us stereotypical englishmen, i'll grant you.

"Cerny caj s mlekem", or summink

Oh, and maybe in "enlightened"Prague they'll be used to this, but anywhere else expect your waitress to look at you as if you've just ordered elephant's ear in a bun, or hippopotamus in suitcase sauce. They're not used to doing things "differently". And dont bank on the milk they bring you being cold. :roll:

Never, ever, ask for vinegar for your chips either. But that's another story... :wink:

 

What?
Vinegar to your chips???? You kiddin' ??

And tea with milk?? What??

 

"Tea without milk is so uncivilised."

Donald Pleasance, "The Great Escape"

 

Thanks for the tip player - and I have had that look off waitresses before in France when asking for tea with milk. Think I can live without the vinegar on the chips though.

Any translation for my 'two beers, please' anyone? I guess I could just get my own round in all the time we're there to avoid having to say that hmm...

 

Translation:
Dvě piva prosím.
Tři piva, prosím.
Čtyři piva
Pět piv
Šestpiv
Sedm Piv
Osm piv
Děvet piv
Deset piv
and so on... (then it's piv)

 

Or you can just keep asking for ještě jedno after each one that you've finished
H.

 

Thanks for the help everyone, and if I have to buy more than 'deset piv' at any one time then I think it will be time to come home!

Děkuji moc.

 

Only for curiosity, the Old Czech had also the Dual Number:

jedno pivo
dvě pivě
tři piva
pět piv
8)

 

I just wonder. Are you Czech linguist? You know a lot about Czech Language and about history of Czech language, are you professional czech language teacher or linguist? Or Czech language is just your hobby? I'm just curious.

 

No, I am not a linguist, I am a computer programmer. The Czech language is my mother language, and I love it.

Off record.

Mám maturitu z češtiny, dostal jsem trojku. Naše učitelka byla učiněný ras. Jedničky zásadně nedávala, dvojek bylo jako šafránu. Znalost formálních pravidel gramatiky mě zachránila od horší známky, protože mně nešel sloh a literatura.