Czech Update

The latest updates from news and events for all interested in Czech language and culture.

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Translating Prime Minister's profanity

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Now, the prime minister Topolánek  is getting sued for saying this: "Češi obvykle ale vidí všechno negativně a když k něčemu dojde, podělají se".  read more »

Czech inventor of the 'drunk tank' dies aged 91

Záchytka is a wonderful  Czech word that stands for the institution for the collection of drunken (and possibly disorderly) individual wondering city streets occasionally referred to in English as 'drunk tank' or ' read more »

Czech 'uzeniny' in branding battles

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Uzeniny is a great Czech word covering all kinds of saussage-like products and uzenář is the purveyor or producer of such meat products (you will often see 'maso a uzeniny' on Czech butchers' store fronts or supermarket sections).  read more »

Learn Czech web navigation with Aktuálně

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This nascent Czech news service has finally introduced an RSS feed but even more importantly it provides its non-Czech speaking users with a handy little glossary for understanding the Czech navigation on their site. Perhaps the most important:  read more »

The simple pleasures of non-Prague

A visit to Třeboň, a small picturesque town (malebné městečko) in Southern Bohemia elicited justified outbursts of lyricism from a Seattle columnists. And he's right. The individual personality of small Czech towns is something to be experienced through a leisurely journey rather than a hectic 'been there, done that' trip.  read more »

Příkopy - Prague street in Top 20 most expensive in the world

The Prague street that joins into the bottom of Wenceslas square  came 20th in the world ranking of the most expensive streets in the world (down from 18th a year ago). Rents there reach 2000 EUR per square meter a year. Paradoxically, the Czech name translates literally as "on the ditches".  read more »

Free pocket guide to Czech language

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Single-serving.com has come up with an easy to print and fold PDF brochure covering most of the basic phrases a tourist coming to the Czech Republic may want. The format makes it easy to carry in your pocket.

Burčák came early this year

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Burčák the young wine (stum) popular in the Czech lands in the early autumn came earlier this year appearing in early August. Burčák sales in Prague kiosks around September and October is one of the joys of the Czech 'babí léto' and reminds Bohemians to remember how good it is to have Moravians part of the nation.
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More Czechs happy with public services

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A new survey suggests that more (if still not most) Czechs find improvements in government-provided services. They are more responsive to people's needs but still frequently slow. This is a frequent topic of conversation and the word "úředník" means so much more than "public servant".
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