Wikitravel Czech Phrasebook.

Discussion in 'General Language' started by Anthony_Havlicek, Jan 29, 2009.

  1. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Anthony. Some useful phrases there. For example, I was never quite sure how you would say: "can I have...?" I didn't think it would be "můžu mít...?" and would always say "chtěla bych..." to be on the safe said. But the phrasebook gives "mohla bych dostat ...?" which makes sense.

    I did, however, make my first ever amendment to a Wiki entry. In the restaurant section, it gives for "the check, please" or "could I have the bill, please?" in British English, it gave "lístek, prosím. I hope everyone agrees that "zaplatím, prosím" is the usual phrase.

    And one useful phrase missing in the shopping section that I keep meaning to find out is "I'm only looking", when approached by a shop assistant. Any suggestions?
     
  2. fabik317

    fabik317 Well-Known Member

    "I'm only looking" is "Jen se dívám.", possibly with "děkuji" added, as in "Thank you for you concern.".
     
  3. kibicz

    kibicz Well-Known Member

    "zaplatím, prosím" or "účet, prosím" ; lístek sounds like contraction of "jídelní lístek"..
     
  4. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    I thought it was, but as you use the same verb for watching, I thought it might sound a bit odd!
     
  5. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    It could be strange for English native, but for Czech, looking and watching is same thing.
     
  6. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    I don’t think so, eso. “Dívat se” doesn’t express the idea of attention/consciousness as the English verb, so whenever it is not known from the context, we have to use another verb (e.g. sledovat, pozorovat, hlídat).
     
  7. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    While we're on that subject, how about koukat?

    Dívám se na televizi. Koukám televizi......Are these identical meanings?

    That phrasebook on Wikipedia is useful.
    I did notice this..
    Mohu použít váš telefon? (MOH-hoo pwoh-zheet vaash TEH-leh-fohn?)
    pwoh-zheet?
    I was thinking more like po-u-zheet


    Congratulations on your first entry on Wikipedia, Polednikova...
     
  8. eso

    eso Well-Known Member

    Dívám se na televizi. Koukám na televizi.

    For me it is the same.
     
  9. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    Koukat is a loanword from German: kucken, gucken.

    Koukám jako blázen. Ich gucke wie ein Trottel.

    For me the verb koukat sounds funny, too German. It resembles kukat = to call cuckoo.

    Another funny word from this family: kukátko (also kukr < Ger. Gucker) which means: 1. peep-hole 2. opera-glass. Hypothetically it also means a thing which calls cuckoo :roll: .

    kukadla (oči) = eyes (blinkers, peepers ?)

    kuk (dělat kuk) = ? (to play bo-peep?)
     
  10. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    You are right.

    POH-uh-zheet (3 syllables; ou is not a diphtong in this case, there is a glottal stop between o and u).
     
  11. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    Thank you, kind sir...
     
  12. Tagarela

    Tagarela Well-Known Member

    Ahoj,

    As for:

    I can't speak Czech [well].
    Neumím [moc dobře] mluvit česky


    Could it be Neumím mluvit moc česky; (I can't speak much Czech/I can speak little Czech) ?

    Nazdar
     

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