Learn Czech http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/ Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:22:59 GMT uCoz Web-Service Krásné Vánoce a šťastný Nový rok!

Vážení návštěvníci tohoto webu!

Děkujeme za Vaši přízeň v roce 2011 a přejeme Vám krásné prožití Vánoc, veselou oslavu Silvestra a v roce 2012 hodně štěstí, zdraví a osobních, studijních i pracovních úspěchů!

Zachovejte nám přízeň, připravujeme pro Vás mnohé změny a vylepšení!

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Dear visitors of this website!

We would like to thank you for staying with us in 2011 and wish you wonderful Christmas, a jolly celebration of the New Year's Eve and in 2012, a lot of good luck and happiness, health and personal, study and work success!

Stay tuned, as we're preparing many changes and improvements for you! 

PS: If you feel generous, support this website financially! The PayPal "Donate" button is at the bottom.  


]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/krasne_vanoce_a_stastny_novy_rok/2011-12-23-21 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-12-23-21 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:22:59 GMT Když někdo mlží... Co to znamená "mlžit"?

= to doubletalk, beat about the bush 

E.g. Ministr neřekl nic konkrétního, jen tak mlžil. (The minister didn't say anything particular, he was just beating about the bush.)

  • Zamlžená Vltavaliterally: to make fog 
    • the perfective form is zamlžit, another imperfective form is zamlžovat 
    • it is used also with the literal meaning - e.g. when you spray plants; or with "se" = mlžit se / zamlžit se / zamlžovat se (to get misty)
  • related vocabulary:
    • mlžení = waffle, beating about the bush, doubletalk
    • mlhavý = foggy, misty; vague, foggy
    • mlžný = foggy, misty
    • mlhavě = vaguely - e.g. Mlhavě si vzpomínám. (a synonym possible in this sentence: Matně si vzpomínám. = I vaguely remember)
    • mlhavo = foggy (about weather) - e.g. Dneska je pěkně mlhavo. (= It's pretty foggy today.)
    • mlha = fog, mist, haze (possible to say "mlžný opar" for the last one) - e.g. Venku je hustá mlha. = Venku je mlha jak mlíko! (There's thick fog outside. - the second is colloquial - literally: There's fog like milk outside.)
    • mlhovka = světlo do mlhy = fog light
    • zamlžený = steamy, misted, fogged (e.g. Mám zamlžené brýle, nic nevidím! = My glasses are misted, I don't see anything!); obscure, hazy

]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/kdyz_nekdo_mlzi/2011-11-16-20 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-11-16-20 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:29:33 GMT Celkem vzato... Co to znamená "celkem vzato"?

Co si mám vzít na sebe? What shall I put on?= all in all, all things considered, generally speaking

  • Literally: in total taken
    • celkem = in total; altogether; quite
    • vzato = taken, a passive form of "vzít"
  • Some further phrases with vzít or celkem:
    • Kolik je to celkem? (How much is it altogether?; celkem = dohromady)
    • Je to celkem dobré. (= It's quite good.; celkem = docela)
    • Oni se vzali? (They got married?)
    • Vezmi mě s sebou! (Take me with you!)
    • Co si mám vzít na sebe? (What shall I put on?)
    • Vezmeme to jedno po druhém. (We'll take it one by one.)
    • Vzali roha. = Vzali nohy na ramena. = Vzali do zaječích. (They took to their heels. They ran away.)
    • Na to vem jed! (You bet!)
    • Vzala to hopem. (She took it quickly.)
    • Jak se to vezme... (Depends how you look at it/view it...)
    • Docela mě to vzalo. (I was quite shaken by it.)
    • Vezmeš to za mě? (Will you fill in for me?)
    • Kde se to tu vzalo? (How has this appear/got here?)
    • Kde se vzal, tu se vzal, stál před nimi... (Out of the blue, ... was standing in front of them.)
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/celkem_vzato/2011-11-02-19 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-11-02-19 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:14:08 GMT Teče Vám do bot? Co to znamená "Teče mu do bot"?

boty

= He's in dire straits. His situation is bad.

  • Literally: It's leaking to him to shoes. = Water's leaking into his shoes.
  • Similar:
    • Má to nahnutý. (He's on a slippery slope.)
    • Hoří mu termín. (His deadline's "burning" - he has to finish something quickly.)
  • Other phrases with "boty":
    • Kominík byl černý jak bota. (The chimneysweep was as black as a shoe.)
    • Práskl do bot. = Vzal do zaječích. (= Utekl. = He took to his heels. He ran away.)
    • Udělal pěknou botu. (He made quite a blunder.)
    • Znám to tady jako své boty. (I know it here like the back of my hand.)
  • Bonus: pohádka Kocour v botách

English "shoe" idioms

  • put yourself in someone else's shoes - znamená myslet jako z perspektivy někoho jiného
  • if the shoe fits (nebo if the cap fits) - pokud má něco všechny charakteristiky nějaké věci, je to nejpravděpodobněji tato věc
(Thanks, Zeibura!)
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/tece_vam_do_bot/2011-10-19-18 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-19-18 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:41:30 GMT Bez legrace Bez legrace!

Co to znamená "Bez legrace!"?

= Seriously! No kidding!

  • Literally = Without fun / joking!
  • Alternatives:
    • Beze srandy! Bez prdele! (The same meaning, but "sranda" is colloquial and "prdel" is rude. "Prdel" means "ass", but is also used to mean "fun".)
    • Tady končí legrace / sranda! (Fun's ending here.)
    • Opravdu! Fakt! (Really! The second form = colloquial)
    • Vážně! (Seriously!)
    • Myslím to vážně! (I mean it seriously!)
    • Nedělám si legraci / srandu! (I'm not making fun! I'm not kidding!)
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/bez_legrace/2011-10-18-17 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-18-17 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:57:15 GMT Tak ať! Co to znamená "Tak ať!"? Tak ať! (So be it!)

= So be it! So what! I don't care!

  • Literally: So let!
  • Alternatives:
    • Ať! Aťsi!
    • No a co! (So what!)
    • Mně (už) je to jedno! (It's all the same to me! - I don't care (anymore)!)
  • E.g.:
    • Víš, že má Martina nového kluka? - Tak ať, mně už nezajímá! (Do you know that Martina has a new boyfriend? - So what, I'm not interested anymore!)
  • Other uses:
    • Jestli chce, ať to udělá. (If s/he wants, let her do it.)
    • Objednal si to? Tak ať si to zaplatí sám! (He ordered it? So let him pay for it himself!)
    • Zítra jedeme na výlet. Ať neprší! (We're going on a trip tomorrow. Hope it won't rain!)
  • Bonus 
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/tak_at/2011-10-14-16 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-14-16 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:56:19 GMT To je ňáký divný! Puzzled... (Zmatená)

Co to znamená "To je ňáký divný!"?

= It stinks! It's fishy!

  • Literally: It's kind of weird!
  • Vocab:
    • ňáký = nějaký = some, kind of
    • divný = podezřelý, pochybný, zvláštní, nenormální
  • It's colloquial - it'd be "To je nějaké divné!" in standard Czech
  • Alternatives:
    • To se mi (nějak) nezdá! (It kind of doesn't seem right!)
    • Tady něco nehraje! (Something doesn't add up/fit here!)

]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/to_je_naky_divny/2011-10-13-15 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-13-15 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:20:26 GMT To se mi snad jenom zdá!
Co to znamená "To se mi snad jenom zdá!"? To se mi snad jenom zdá! (emoticon)

= You gotta be kidding me! You must be joking!

= I don't believe that, that can't be happening

  • Literally: I must be just dreaming! It must only seem to me!
  • Vocab: 
    • zdát se = to seem / appear, but also to dream
    • snad = probably, perhaps, hopefully
    • jenom = only, just
  • Alternativy:
    • To snad není možné! (It can't be possible!)
    • To si děláš legraci / srandu (colloquial) / prdel (vulgar)! (You're kidding!)
      (= ty-form, vy-form = děláte)
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/to_se_mi_snad_jenom_zda/2011-10-12-14 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-12-14 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:46:06 GMT Dyžtak Co to znamená "dyžtak"?

(or kdyžtak, read "gdyštak") 

= Když... tak (literally: if... then)

= possible, if you can, if anything happens... (colloquial)

Např. (E.g.):

  • Můžeš mi dyžtak zavolat? (Could you possibly call me?)
  • Já ti dám dyžtak vědět, jo? (I'll let you know if you need / if anything changes / if it's necessary.)
  • Dyžtak to nech být. (Let it be / Leave if you want / if you need...)
]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/dyztak/2011-10-11-1 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-11-1 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:05:19 GMT Ani nápad! Co to znamená "Ani nápad!"?

= No way! Not likely! 

  • Literal translation: Not even an idea!
  • Other possible versions: 
    • Ani mě nenapadne! (Literally: It won't cross my mind. Real meaning: No way I'm doing it!) 
    • Ani za nic! (Literally: Not even for nothing. Really: Not for anything! = You can offer whatever you want, I won't do it.)
  • Other phrases with "nápad": 
    • To je dobrý nápad. (It's a good idea.) 
    • To je nápad! (= That's a great idea!) 
    • Mám nápad! (I have an idea! I know what.) 
    • Dostal/a jsem nápad! (I got an idea! I hit upon an idea!) 
    • To je ale nápad! = To jsou nápady! (What a silly idea! The very idea!)

]]> http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/ani_napad/2011-10-10-13 janaslav http://www.czech-in-prague.cz/blog/2011-10-10-13 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:08:49 GMT