Language/Czech/Vocabulary/Family
Hi Czech learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Czech vocabulary related to family. Family is an important social institution in the Czech Republic, just like in many other cultures. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and pronounce basic words related to family in Czech, as well as to understand and use them in context. Let's get started!
Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Months of the Year, Shapes, Clothes & Greetings and Farewells.
Family Members[edit | edit source]
In Czech, family members are usually described by their gender and age relationship to the speaker. For example, "bratr" means "brother" and "sestra" means "sister". Here are some common family members in Czech:
| Czech | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| otec | /ɔtɛts̪/OT-etts | father |
| matka | /matka/MAH-tkah | mother |
| syn | /sɪn/sin | son |
| dcera | /d̪t͡sera/d-TSEH-rah | daughter |
| bratr | /bratr/BRAH-ter | brother |
| sestra | /sɛstra/SEH-strah | sister |
| dědeček | /ɟɛdɛːt͡ʃɛk/DYE-deh-chek | grandfather |
| babička | /babɪʧka/BAH-beech-kah | grandmother |
| vnuk | /fnuk/fnook | grandson |
| vnučka | /fnut͡ʃka/FNOOTSH-kah | granddaughter |
Now let's see these words in context:
- Person 1: Moje babička je velmi milá. (My grandmother is very nice.)
- Person 2: To zní skvěle. Kolik máš bratrů a sester? (That sounds great. How many brothers and sisters do you have?)
- Person 1: Mám jednoho staršího bratra a jednu mladší sestru. (I have one older brother and one younger sister.)
- Person 2: To je hodně zajímavé. A máš také vnuky nebo vnučky? (That's very interesting. Do you also have grandsons or granddaughters?)
- Person 1: Ano, mám dvě vnoučata. (Yes, I have two grandchildren.)
Extended Family[edit | edit source]
In addition to immediate family members, Czech also has words to describe extended family members such as uncles, aunts, and cousins. Here are some of the most common ones:
| Czech | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| strýc | /strɪt͡s̪/STREETTS | uncle |
| teta | /t͡ɛta/TEH-tah | aunt |
| bratranec | /bratranɛts̪/BRAH-trah-nets | cousin (male) |
| sestřenice | /sɛstr̝ɛnɪt͡s̪ɛ/SEH-streh-neets | cousin (female) |
Here is a dialogue to show how to use these words in context:
- Person 1: A co tvůj strýc? Stále žije? (And what about your uncle? Is he still alive?)
- Person 2: Ne, bohužel umřel před několika lety. (No, unfortunately he passed away a few years ago.)
- Person 1: To je mi líto. A máš nějaké tetičky? (I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have any aunts?)
- Person 2: Ano, mám jednu a je to nejlepší kuchařka na světě. (Yes, I have one and she's the best cook in the world.)
- Person 1: To zní skvěle. A máš také bratranců nebo sestřenic? (That sounds great. Do you also have male or female cousins?)
- Person 2: Ano, mám spoustu bratranců a sestřenic, ale už jsem je dlouho neviděl/a. (Yes, I have a lot of cousins, but I haven't seen them for a long time.)
In-Laws[edit | edit source]
In-law relationships are also important in Czech family vocabulary. Here are some common words to describe in-laws:
| Czech | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| manžel | /manʒɛl/MAHN-zhell | husband |
| manželka | /manʒɛlka/MAHN-zhell-kah | wife |
| tchán | /txaːn/tkhaan | father-in-law |
| tchyně | /txɪɲɛ/TKHEE-nyeh | mother-in-law |
| švagr | /ʃvaɡr/SHVAG-rr | brother-in-law |
| švagrová | /ʃvaɡrovaː/SHVAG-ro-vah | sister-in-law |
Now let's see these words in context:
- Person 1: Mám rád tvého manžela. Je velmi sympatický. (I like your husband. He's very nice.)
- Person 2: Děkuji. Taky jsem ho si oblíbila/a. (Thank you. I also grew fond of him.)
- Person 1: A máš také dobrý vztah s tchyní a tchánem? (And do you also have a good relationship with your mother-in-law and father-in-law?)
- Person 2: Ano, jsou velmi milí. (Yes, they are very nice.)
- Person 1: A co tvůj švagr a švagrová? Jsou také příjemní? (And what about your brother-in-law and sister-in-law? Are they also pleasant?)
- Person 2: Jo, vlastně jsou celá rodina velmi milí. (Yeah, actually the whole family is very nice.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we have covered some basic Czech vocabulary related to family. Make sure to review and practice these words, so you can recognize and use them in context. To improve your Czech vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! For more Czech vocabulary, check out our Vocabulary page. Happy learning!
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Czech Language/Family Members - Wikiversity
- Czech words and phrases - Family members
- Must-Know Czech Terms for Family Members
Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Ordinal Numbers in Czech, Days of the Week, Shopping & Things.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Learn Czech A1/A2: Family + Possessives - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Colors
- Useful phrases
- Food
- Time
- Feelings and Emotions
- Clothes
- Hotel
- Days of the Week
- Idiomatic Expressions
- Sports