Language/Czech/Vocabulary/Drinks
Hi Czech learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn vocabulary related to drinks. Czechs love drinking and have a rich history of brewing beer, producing wine, and distilling spirits. 🍺🍷🥃 Let's start!
Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Shapes, Months of the Year, People & Fruits.
Beverages[edit | edit source]
Here are the most common types of beverages in Czech:
Czech | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
voda | ['voda] | water |
džus | [džus] | juice |
limonáda | [lɪmonaːda] | lemonade |
ledový čaj | ['lɛdoviː tʃaj] | iced tea |
káva | ['kaːva] | coffee |
čaj | [tʃaj] | tea |
Alcoholic drinks[edit | edit source]
Drinking is an essential part of Czech culture, and Czechs are known for their beer. Here are some of the alcoholic drinks you can order in Czech.
Beer[edit | edit source]
Czechs consume more beer per capita than any other country in the world. The brewing of beer is deeply integrated into Czech history, culture, and society. Czech beer can be divided into several categories:
- Světlé pivo – pale beer, the most common type of Czech beer, from which many other styles of Czech beer have developed.
- Tmavé pivo – dark beer, often compared to German Schwarzbier, it has a caramel-like and roasted malt flavor.
- Polotmavé pivo – semi-dark beer, a type of Czech beer that is fermented at low temperatures and matured for several weeks.
- Ležák – lager, a bottom-fermented beer, usually made from pale malt. Czech Ležák is known for its clean, crisp taste and golden color.
Czech | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
pivo | ['pɪvo] | beer |
světlé | ['svjɛtlɛː] | pale |
tmavé | ['tmavɛː] | dark |
ležák | ['lɛʒaːk] | lager |
desítka | ['dɛsiːtka] | light beer (10°) |
dvacítka | ['dvaʦiːtka] | strong beer (20°) |
půllitr | ['puːllɪtr̩] | half-liter of beer |
kvasnicové | ['kvasnɪtsovɛː] | unfiltered beer |
Wine[edit | edit source]
Czechs are also known for their wine. Czech wine is made in small quantities and is not yet widely recognized internationally. The most common grape varieties for Czech wine are Veltlínské zelené, Ryzlink rýnský, and Muškát moravský. Wine from South Moravia is especially popular.
Czech | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
víno | ['viːno] | wine |
bílé víno | ['biːlɛː 'viːno] | white wine |
červené víno | ['tʃɛrvɛnɛː 'viːno] | red wine |
suché | ['suːxɛː] | dry |
polosuché | ['polosuːxɛː] | semi-dry |
sladké | ['sladkɛː] | sweet |
Spirits[edit | edit source]
Czechs love their spirits, and traditional Czech spirits are made from fruit, herbs, or honey. Let's look at some of the most popular spirits.
- Becherovka – a herbal liqueur that has a distinct cinnamon and nutmeg flavor. It originated in Karlovy Vary.
- Slivovice – a plum brandy, usually contains about 40-50% alcohol by volume.
- Fernet – a type of amaro, often used as a digestive after a meal, has a strong licorice flavor.
- Hruška – a pear brandy, usually contains about 40-45% alcohol by volume.
- Medovina – a honey wine, also known as mead, is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world.
Czech | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Becherovka | [bɛxɛrofka] | herbal liqueur |
slivovice | [slɪvovɪtsɛ] | plum brandy |
Fernet | ['fɛrnet] | amaro liqueur |
hruška | ['hruʃka] | pear brandy |
medovina | [mɛdovɪna] | mead |
lihovina | [lɪhovɪna] | spirits |
panák | ['panaːk] | shot (small amount of alcohol) |
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Michal: Ahoj, Markéto! Co chceš pít? (Hi, Marketa! What would you like to drink?) Markéta: Dám si půllitr tmavý pivo, prosím. (I would like to have half-liter of dark beer, please.) Michal: Rozumím. A co k tomu? (I see. And what about something to eat?) Markéta: Dám si klobásu a chleba. (I'll have a sausage and bread.) Michal: Aha, tak já si dám sklenku vína. (Okay, then I'll have a glass of wine.) Markéta: To zní dobře. (Sounds good.)
Practice[edit | edit source]
To improve your Czech Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Practice using the new vocabulary by describing your favorite drink in Czech in the comments section below!
➡ 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. 😎