Episode 23 – Czech (čeština)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode I talk about the Czech language (čeština / český jazyk). I give an overview of the language itself, talk about my efforts to learn it.

Examples of Czech noun cases

Nominative: (Já) ji vidím = I see her
Genitive: Její květy jsou modré = Her flowers are blue
Dative: Dávám jí květiny = I give her flowers
Accusative: Ona mě vidí = She sees me
Vocative: Ahoj Evo = Hi Eva
Locative: Jsem doma = I am at home
Instrumental: Ona cestuje autobusem = She is travelling by bus

Some Czech tongue twisters without vowels

Chrt pln skvrn zdrhl z Brd.
A greyhound full of spots escaped from the Brdy (mountains)
Chrt pln skvrn zhltl hrst zrn.
A greyhound full of spots swallowed a handful of grain.
Chrt pln skvrn vtrhl skrz trs chrp v čtvrť Krč, prv zhltl čtvrt hrst zrn.
A greyhound full of spots barged through a tuft of cornflowers into the Krč neighbourhood, (but) first, it swallowed a quarter-handful of grain.
Plch zdrhl skrz drn, prv zhltl čtvrthrst zrn.
A dormouse escaped through a turf; first it swallowed a quarter-handful of grain.
Zdrhl krt skrz drn, zprv zhltl hrst zrn.
A mole escaped through a turf; first, it swallowed a quarter-handful of grain.
Vlk pln žbrnd zdrhl hrd z mlh Brd skrz vrch Smrk v čtvrť srn Krč.
A wolf full of poor-quality beverages escaped proud from the mists of Brdy through the Smrk hill into the roe deer district of Krč.
Prd krt skrz drn, zprv zhlt hrst zrn
A mole farted through grass, having swallowed a handful of grain
Škrt plch z mlh Brd pln skvrn z mrv prv hrd scvrnkl z brzd skrz trs chrp v krs vrb mls mrch srn čtvrthrst zrn
A miser dormouse from the mists of Brdy full of spots from manure, firstly proud, pushed (with its fingers in a specific way) a dainty of bitchy roe deer, quarter-handful of grain, off the brakes through a tuft of cornflowers into the dwarfed willows.