Pronunciation of 'ch'.

Discussion in 'Grammar & Pronunciation' started by padraig, Aug 25, 2009.

  1. padraig

    padraig Active Member

    Can someone clarify the pronunciation of 'ch' ?
    It's supposed to be pronounced as the ch in scottish loch yet I have come across it often sounding like h or not sounded at all. Does the sound change it different situations?
     
  2. stepan

    stepan Well-Known Member

    As I was taught, the CH - as in Chleba (bread) - is pronounced as the "ch" in the German word "ich" - for "I" .

    Now in English, the "CH" - as in church - becomes the equivalent to the Czech "c" with a "hacek" (my keyboard is not a Czech one to cover the hacek).

    Another peculiarity between English and Czech is the "j" and the "y". In Czech - the "j" is pronounced like the "y" in "toy". Not sure what the equivalent sound for the "y" is in Czech, though.
     
  3. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    If you are familiar with spanish, czech "ch" is pronounced in very similar way as spanish "j" (bajar, jovén,...).
     
  4. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    Not correct.

    The Czech CH is pronounced rather like the CH in the German word Bach (= brook). There is a difference between ach-Laut and ich-Laut in German.

    However the ach-Laut in German (like in Bach) and j in Spanish (like in Juan) may be pronounced uvular. The Czech ch is pronounced velar.

    The ch sound is also present in Irish (deoch), Scottish Gaelic (drochaid), Welsh and Dutch (Gogh). The hard ch sound was also part of the consonant inventory of Old English (in Modern English written gh and pronounced differently: thought, cough, tough).

    The difference between CH and H in Czech: CH is voiceless (velar fricative), H is voiced (glottal fricative).

    Yes. CH can be pronounced H, and vice versa. They form a voiceless-voiced consonant pair, like S-Z, T-D, K-G, C-DZ, Š-Ž, etc.
     
  5. Beer

    Beer New Member

  6. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Moved thread to Grammar and Pronunciation.
     
  7. jen

    jen Well-Known Member

    Be sure you specify which kind of Spanish - some "New World" Spanish doesn't pronounce "j" as Czech "ch", but rather as "h".... I grew up learning Latin American Spanish, and my daughter is now learning Castillian Spanish at school here in Prague, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling her to stop lisping! :)
     
  8. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    That was great, I can't believe there's a mongol-czech dictionary! I wonder is it as bad as the common English-Czech ones..

    I'm looking forward to next year and meeting other people studying Czech and having classes with other people from different countries.


    I think I'm okay with CH at the start and end of a word because as you mentioned we have it in Irish, but in the middle of a word it's so hard, also i tend to make it too gutteral, as it's stronger in Irish.. so there is a huge difference between
    chonaic mé ( I saw )
    and
    chici ( I want )

    at least it seems so to me

    Could someone Czech here have a listen to the ch sounds in this video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqaPljAnXk
    An Grá faoi ghlas
    Something like... Love under the magnifying glass.. they are all terrible actors and It's kind of a show for learning Irish I think so they're speaking dead slow. and sound ridiculous but you probably won't notice. I chose it because of the subtitles you'll be able to watch for the CH
    I'm not convinced the Spideal guy can fully understand the Donegal girl...



    Why are there more videos for learning Irish on youtube than for Learning Czech when 12 million people speak Czech and somewhere between 20,000 and 70,000 speak Irish.
    Not that I mind.. it's just come on Czechs you guys need to make some more youtube videos!
     
  9. Dannae

    Dannae Well-Known Member

    Jen, Spanish do not pronounce "h" :wink:.
    Btw ... where in Latin America did you grow up? I grew up in Argentina ...
     
  10. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    I would say that they pronounce H.. but differently.. where as the French don't say it at all.

    You grew up in Argentina! You are so multi cultural! Some of my friends have never even left their home towns. (except maybe to go to Cork or Dublin etc.)
     
  11. jen

    jen Well-Known Member

    I didn't grow up in Latin America - I grew up in the US, where they taught us Latin American Spanish, not Spain Spanish. :)
     
  12. Dannae

    Dannae Well-Known Member

    Well, Ctyri koruny, I have been to quite a few places so far (the only 2 continents I never went so far are Australia and the Antarctic). But I worked with Australian customers for about a year in customer service which was quite an impressive experience.

    Anyhow, Argentina is in my mind the most European style country in both Americas. Unfortunately for its huge economic troubles lags behind a bit but it is a beauty - people, country, everything! I wish one day will be able to take a long vacation over there :p. After all, even today, people tell me I have an Argentinian accent in Spanish :wink: .

    But I am not sure what is better - whether to live in one place or to wander across the Globe all your life. See, I was born in CR, grew up in Argentina (8-13), than back to CR and now I live in the US. Sure, I have never guessed I was going to become a truck driver in the US (with masters degree) but I guess this fits me perfect. I simply cannot stay at one place too long :cry:. I need to go places and I need to learn new things too - constantly. So life on the move is great for me - but I am not sure if everybody would like this lifestyle :wink:
     
  13. Dannae

    Dannae Well-Known Member

    But Latin American Spanish is not one language either. There are huge differences between Spanish in Argentina and Uruguay and the rest of the continent. Also Mexican Spanish differs and Spanish in Cuba - wow, that's a tough one!
     
  14. jen

    jen Well-Known Member

    Now, now, don't split hairs - I was just making that point that the "standard school" Spanish Over There is different than that taught here, so you can't make generalizations such as "pronounce it like the Spanish" :)
     
  15. Dannae

    Dannae Well-Known Member

    Sure, no offence. But "jota" is quite close to czech "ch" in my book.
     
  16. Lorelai

    Lorelai Member

    Would anyone care to conjugate chtít and either upload the recording or link to a YouTube video with that? That would be extremely helpful to hear it. I will be happy to return the favor by helping you pronounce anything in English. :)
     
  17. TomKQT

    TomKQT Well-Known Member

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