Language Overview

Czech

Čeština

13 million speakers
West SlavicLatin

Czech is a West Slavic language spoken by over 13 million people, known for its complex grammar and lack of articles.

Czech

Overview

Czech is a West Slavic language spoken primarily in the Czech Republic. It is closely related to Slovak and Polish, and shares many features with other Slavic languages.

Alphabet

Czech uses the Latin alphabet with diacritics. The alphabet consists of 42 letters, including special characters like č, ř, ž, and ů.

Sound Features

Czech has a rich consonant system and distinctive vowel sounds. The language features palatalization and a unique sound represented by the letter ř.

Key Grammar Highlights

Czech grammar is characterized by:

  • Seven grammatical cases
  • No articles (unlike English)
  • Complex verb conjugation
  • Free word order due to case system

Related Languages

Czech is most closely related to Slovak, with which it was once considered a single language. It also shares similarities with Polish and other West Slavic languages.

Basic Phrases

  • Hello: Ahoj / Dobrý den
  • Thank you: Děkuji
  • Yes: Ano
  • No: Ne
  • Please: Prosím

Resources

  • Online dictionaries and learning materials
  • Language exchange programs
  • Czech media and literature