Wikijunior:Languages/Czech

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Languages

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What writing system(s) does this language use?

Czech uses all 26 letters in English, 15 variants of certain letters, and 1 digraph to make 42 letters in all. Here they are in order:

A, Á, B, C, Č, D, Ď, E, É, Ě, F, G, H, Ch, I, Í, J, K, L, M, N, Ň, O, Ó, P, Q, R, Ř, S, Š, T, Ť, U, Ú, Ů, V, W, X, Y, Ý, Z, Ž

digraph — when two letters are used to write one sound.

How many people speak this language?

Czech is spoken by 12 million people, making it the 66th most common language in number of speakers.

Where is this language spoken?

Czech is an official language in the European Union and Czech Republic. It is also spoken by immigrants in Slovakia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Germany, and Poland.

immigrant — someone who moves to a country they were not born in.

What is the history of this language?

Czech comes from a language called Old Slavic. From the second half of the 12th century until the end of the 13th century, a new language evolved from Old Slavic: Early Old Czech. Around 1406, Jan Hus suggested a new way of writing Czech: the kind used today. Near the end of the 1500s, the Bible of Kralice was completed. This book became an example of how to write Czech. From the 1780s to the 1840s, the Czech National Revival occurred. During this time, Czech saw a "golden age" of an increase in number of words, changes to grammar, and the changing of Hus' style of writing Czech. In 1902, Jan Gebauer published rules for Czech writing. Since the end of World War II in 1945, differences in Czech dialects began slowly getting more and more similar.

Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

Karel and Josef Čapek were the creators of the word "robot". Karel was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1936.

What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?

Česky	English
Dobrý den	Hello (formal)
Dobré ráno	Good morning
Dobrý večer	Good evening
Nazdar	Hello/Goodbye, informally (they are the same word)
Na shledanou	Goodbye (formal)
Děkuji	Thank you (formal)
Díky	Thanks (informal)
Prosím	Please/You're welcome
Jak se máš?	How are you? (informal)
Jak se máte?	How are you? (formal)
Jak se jmenuješ/jmenujete?	What's your name? (use jmenuješ for informal, jmenujete for formal)

What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?

Kde domov můj (Czech national anthem)

Česky	English
Kde domov můj, kde domov můj? Voda hučí po lučinách, bory šumí po skalinách, v sadě skví se jara květ, zemský ráj to na pohled! A to je ta krásná země, země česká domov můj, země česká domov můj!	Where is my home? Where is my home? Waters murmurs across the meads Pinewoods rustle upon the cliff-rocks, Bloom of spring shines in the orchard, Paradise on Earth to see! And that is the beautiful land, The Czech land, my home! The Czech land, my home!

References

1. The English Wikipedia.