I can answer a call and say that I can't hear well or that it's the wrong number, write a short text to a friend and a letter to the teacher, and wish someone a happy holiday.
Calls, texts, and greetings
Calls, texts, and greetings
On the phone people answer Haló? or U telefonu Anna Petrovová. At an office: Prosím? or Poslouchám vás. If you can't hear: Slyšíte mě? Wrong number: To je omyl. Vůbec (“at all”) goes only with ne-: vůbec nerozumím.
Volat: to call (often, every day). To call once: the set phrase Zavolám ti and the past Včera jsem zavolal.
A text to a friend and a letter to the teacher are written differently (see the table). You address someone in the vocative: Ahoj, Jano! Ahoj, Jakube! Dobrý den, pane Nováku!
In a letter to the teacher the polite Vy, Vás, and Váš are capitalized; English never does this. Vás means “you”, Váš “your”: the checker ignores the mark, so this pair is practiced by choice. In a text to a friend you can capitalize Ti, Tě, and Tvůj as a sign of warmth, as this lesson always does.
Holiday wishes and congratulations are set phrases (see the table). -ou as in Dobrou chuť (Šťastnou cestu); -é because Vánoce and Velikonoce are plural only (Veselé Vánoce; Vánoce jsou). Blahopřeju! — “Congratulations!” Pozdrav means “greeting, regards”; to congratulate is blahopřát.
Common mistakes:
• ×Ahoj, Jana! → Ahoj, Jano!
• ×Vůbec slyším → Vůbec neslyším.
• ×Veselý Vánoce → Veselé Vánoce.
• ׊ťastná cesta! → Šťastnou cestu!
To a female friend and to the teacher
The name you address is in the vocative; in a letter Tě, Vás, Váš are capitalized.
| Part of the letter | To a female friend (ty) | To the teacher (vy) |
|---|---|---|
| opening | Ahoj Terezo, | Vážená paní Nováková, |
| “you” (ty / vy) in the text | Tě, Tvůj | Vás, Váš |
| closing | Měj se! | S pozdravem |
| signature | Zdraví Tě Anna | Anna Petrovová |
Congratulations and wishes
These are set phrases: they don't change; learn them as a whole.
| Occasion | What people say and write |
|---|---|
| birthday | Všechno nejlepší! |
| Christmas | Veselé Vánoce! |
| Easter | Hezké Velikonoce! |
| exam, new job | Hodně štěstí! |
| trip | Šťastnou cestu! |
| New Year | Šťastný nový rok! |
| good news | Blahopřeju! |
| grief, a loss (you only need to recognize it) | Upřímnou soustrast. |
Lesson notes
Calls, texts, and greetings
On the phone people answer Haló? or U telefonu Anna Petrovová. At an office: Prosím? or Poslouchám vás. If you can't hear: Slyšíte mě? Wrong number: To je omyl. Vůbec (“at all”) goes only with ne-: vůbec nerozumím.
Volat: to call (often, every day). To call once: the set phrase Zavolám ti and the past Včera jsem zavolal.
A text to a friend and a letter to the teacher are written differently (see the table). You address someone in the vocative: Ahoj, Jano! Ahoj, Jakube! Dobrý den, pane Nováku!
In a letter to the teacher the polite Vy, Vás, and Váš are capitalized; English never does this. Vás means “you”, Váš “your”: the checker ignores the mark, so this pair is practiced by choice. In a text to a friend you can capitalize Ti, Tě, and Tvůj as a sign of warmth, as this lesson always does.
Holiday wishes and congratulations are set phrases (see the table). -ou as in Dobrou chuť (Šťastnou cestu); -é because Vánoce and Velikonoce are plural only (Veselé Vánoce; Vánoce jsou). Blahopřeju! — “Congratulations!” Pozdrav means “greeting, regards”; to congratulate is blahopřát.
Common mistakes:
• ×Ahoj, Jana! → Ahoj, Jano!
• ×Vůbec slyším → Vůbec neslyším.
• ×Veselý Vánoce → Veselé Vánoce.
• ׊ťastná cesta! → Šťastnou cestu!