The Czech Republic is a beautiful country with one of the most attractive and vibrant capitals in Europe. Prague is known for it’s great tourists spots and cheap beer especially, but just how widely spoken is English there? Can Brits on stag parties and other tourists expect to get by just using English there?
Overall, it is estimated that around a quarter to a third (27%) of Czechs can speak English to some level, though this rate is much higher in the capital city Prague, where you should be able to use English in the main central tourist spots. Elsewhere in the country, English speakers are less common and having some basic Czech phrases will be useful.
The Czech Republic has a booming tourist industry, receiving around 20 million visitors each year, around a million of them from the UK and US alone, most of them visiting Prague. It is particularly popular among Brits, who like to go there for “stag” or bachelor parties, mainly because of the cheap beer.
A 2012 survey estimated that around 27% of people in the Czech Republic can speak English, mainly the younger population under 30. This number will have likely risen further, perhaps to around one third, in recent years as more young people have come through learning English at school. German and Russian are also commonly spoken, especially among older people.
You Will Be Fine in Prague
The vast number of tourists who visit the Czech Republic go to Prague, which is good because that is where the most English is spoken. You should be totally fine using English in the main tourist spots of the capital, like in restaurants, bars, hotels, tourist attractions and getting taxis. They will also speak it at the main airport. Tourists rarely report any problems using English in Prague.
The younger generation especially tends to speak some English, some of them very well, since they have learnt English since the fall of communism in 1989. University students and white collar professionals such as doctors, bankers, lawyer, lecturers and so on tend to speak very good English, since it is a requirement of their jobs or studies.
In the main central tourist areas of Prague, sometimes people even report the opposite – that it is hard to find anyone using Czech! The capital receives enough English speaking tourists each year to be well prepared to handle them. You will also find plenty of guides and instructions written in English in these places, and any tourist spot attendants will also speak English here.
Where You May Struggle
The situations where English is less prevalent is pretty much the same as the other Eastern European countries. Older people over 50 especially may not speak English; their main languages will be Russian from the communist days, plus perhaps some German. It is best to stick to younger people under 30 when asking for directions and advice.
Also some public transport staff, especially bus drivers, may not speak English, so make sure you have your routes fully planned out if you are going to be using buses. The trains and stations can also sometimes be tricky, though if you ask around a few people then sooner or later there will be someone who can help. Police officers also don’t tend to speak much English.
If you also decide to be more adventurous and head out of Prague, to smaller towns or the countryside, then you will also find English proficiency dropping off dramatically in these areas, especially among the older people. This is where some trusty Czech phrases and typical tourist miming may come in handy.
Learning Some Basic Czech Phrases
The Czech language stands very much on it’s own as a West Slavic language quite similar to Slovakian. It is not used anywhere else in the world and is considered very difficult to learn. Nevertheless, memorizing a few simple phrases is not too difficult. Here are some of the more common ones you might need.
| English | Czech | Pronounced |
|---|---|---|
| Hello/Goodbye | Ahoj | Ahoy |
| Hello (polite) | Dobrý den! | Dobree den |
| Please | Prosím | Proh-seem |
| Thankyou | Děkuji | Jekooyay |
| You're welcome | Prosím | Proh-seem |
| Sorry/Excuse me | Promiňte | Promeen-teh |
| Yes | Ano | Aano |
| No | Ne | Neh |
| One beer | Jedno pivo | Yedno peevo |
| Two beers | Dvě piva | Dveh peeva |
| Three beers | Tři piva | Trree peeva |
| Four beers | Čtyři piva | Shteshi peeva |
| Five beers | Pět piv | Piet piv |
| Where is the bathroom? | Kde je toaleta? | Kday yeh toaletta? |
| Cheers | Na zdraví | Nazdravee |
| How much is it? | Kolik to stojí? | Kolick toh sto-ee? |
| The check/bill please | Zaplatím, prosim | Zaplateem, proh-seem |
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The pronunciation of Czech words is notoriously difficult to master, especially the “r” sound, which requires a rolling sound which can be hard to get right. Czech people are very friendly and will always help you out even if you get it wrong, switching to English if they can. You can get by with the basic phrases, even if not pronounced totally right!
You can get an Berlitz Eastern European phrasebook on Amazon, which will cover you for all the everyday phrases needed for the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries.
See also here for Rick Steve’s travel guide for Prague and the Czech Republic.
And then some practical essentials:
- Luggage – click the links to view small (20″ cabin), medium (24″), and large (28″) suitcases on Amazon.
- Luggage allowances – see here for an excellent guide on luggage allowances (checked and cabin) for all major airlines worldwide.
- Car rental – click here to hire a car in The Czech Republic from Rentalcars.com. They’ll connect with all major car hire brands and you can rent cars in Prague and other major cities