Hi Everyone, This is my first post and I have a quick question. Are the names Hanka and Jolka Czech and or Polish? I'm writing a fiction story with 2 Polish female characters, I like the names I got them from watch Polish Television. Thanks, Zach
Hello, Just caught this posting and was interested in that the name "Hanka" and "Hana" came up. We are hosting an au pair from the Czech Republic beginning next week. in an email she invited me to call her "Hanka". (Previously she signed her emails "Hana"). Do I pronounce it "Hang-ka" or "Hann-ka" -- being in America -- Hanka would be pronounced "Hang-ka". I would like to pronounce it correctly when I meet her! Thank you! Peg
I think it Hann-ka from watching Polish TV but it may be diffrent with Czech pronunciation. Zach PS: Thanks for your help everyone!
Hanka - Hung-kah, with an agma before k as in English "ink". The k has no aspiration. Hana - Hannah or maybe Hunnuh (u as in English "but"). The h in the end is silent.
When talking to her, you may wish to use the vocative form - Hanko. The o is pronounced short, like in "copy", the rest goes like Bohaemus indicated. On the Locallingo pronounciation page you can listen to some words that may be helpful. Listen to "miska" to hear the ending -ka, and "oko" or "okolo" for the -ko.
The short "u" sound in "but" does not exist in Czech (or any other language that I know of, for that matter). In fact, it seems to me that most people learning English as a foreign language have trouble with it. The correct pronunciation of the "a" in Czech is like "ah" (follow Halef's link to hear it pronounced).
Hi, I just got to this site cos I'm going to Prague in October. A couple of guys I work with are Czech, and, I have absolutely no idea how to say their names! They've told me but I didn't get it. I think they're spelt - Zelik and Bazala but I'm not certain. Please help if you can, Many Thanks, Teri.
I should just add that this short "o"-like vowel is found in British English and is absent from American English, which could be a wee confusing since you pronounce it "kai". Neither does this sound exist in Czech. The good news, however, is that there`re very few vowel sounds in Czech vis-a-vis English, so you needn`t worry much about getting the right choice right. Any form of short "o" will do. Karel
An additional piece of advice on Karel's and Halef's comments: Apparently what the British call a "short o" is a different sound from what an American calls a "short o." I was unaware of this discrepancy in terminology until recently. Karel and Halef are right in that the pronunciation of the "o" in "Hanko" follows the British short "o" in "copy," but is not found in American English. Neither the American "long o" nor the American "short o" are appropriate in this instance. If one, however, listens closely to the American "long o," one finds that it is actually a diphthong (two vowel sounds together), which incidentally is a combination of the Czech vowel sounds "o" and "u," or "ou." If one takes away the final "u" (like "oo" as in the American pronunciation of "boot") from the diphthong American long "o", what is left is the Czech "o."
Pronuntiation in English manner: Zelík: zeh-leeck Bazala: bah-zah-lah stress on the 1st syllable, z as s in English "does"
