Czech texts to read
Fairy tales, short stories and short non-fiction, rewritten for your level. Tap a sentence to see the translation; hit “Listen” to hear how it sounds.
Czech Cottages: Chata, Chalupa and the Friday Exodus
Why Czech cities empty out on Friday afternoon, how a chata differs from a chalupa, and what socialism and mushrooms have to do with it. A B1 text about the most Czech way to spend a weekend.
Travelling Around Czechia: Train, Bus, Ticket
How to get from Prague to another town in a single weekend: trains, buses, tickets, and where Czechs themselves usually go. A practical text for level A2.
Weather and Seasons in Czechia
What the weather is like in Czechia in spring, summer, autumn and winter. A simple text for beginners: short sentences and the most useful weather words.
The Velvet Revolution: Six Weeks That Changed a Country
17 November 1989, Národní třída, jingling keys and Havel at the Castle. How a regime that looked permanent collapsed in six weeks — and why Czechs still argue about it. A B2 text.
Little Red Riding Hood
A tale everyone knows, told in the simplest Czech: present tense only and short sentences. A good first text when you already know the plot and can guess the words.
Czech Cuisine: Soup, Dumplings and Gravy
What Czechs eat for lunch and why the menu is full of sauces and dumplings. A practical text: after it you will understand almost any pub menu.
Czech Beer: Degrees, Foam and the Pub
Why “a twelve” has nothing to do with alcohol, where pilsner came from and what the marks on the coaster mean — plus the pub Czech no textbook teaches.
Long, Broad and Sharpsight
A forbidden room, an iron castle and three impossible servants. Erben's tale adapted for B2: complex sentences, the conditional and the passive — and not one archaism.
The Twelve Months
Božena Němcová's classic tale: violets, strawberries and apples in the middle of January. Adapted for B1 — past tense, the conditional and plenty of dialogue.
Neighbours in a Panel Block
Ihor rented a flat in a panel block on the edge of Prague and thought he would never get to know his neighbours. A drill, a residents' meeting and a broken lift decided otherwise.
Marek Goes to the Doctor
A fever on Monday, a phone call to the surgery, the appointment and the pharmacy. The words you need at the worst possible moment: “my throat hurts”, “insurance card”, “sick note”.
Olena Goes Shopping
An ordinary Saturday: groceries, prices, the checkout. The words you need most in your first weeks in Czechia — vegetables, milk, “how much is it” and “I'll pay by card”.
The Czech Republic
Get to know the Czech Republic. The text introduces its location, cities, people, language, nature, and popular food and drink.
Czech Christmas and Christmas Eve
What is Christmas Eve like in a Czech family? Read about fasting, Christmas dinner, Baby Jesus, presents, and other popular traditions.
The Blue Chrysanthemum
Old Fulinus tells how he discovered an extraordinarily blue chrysanthemum and why he named it Klara. His search for the rare flower leads him to a railway line that, according to a warning sign, is strictly off-limits.
Petr's Day in Prague
This short story shows an ordinary day in the life of a student named Petr in Prague. Petr goes to school, eats at the university cafeteria, and relaxes at home in the evening.
The Little Rooster and the Little Hen
A little rooster finds a small grain on the ground, but the grain gets stuck in his throat. The hen then runs around asking many people and animals for help, until she finally brings water to the rooster.
The Gingerbread House
Hansel and Gretel get lost in a deep forest and find a sweet gingerbread cottage. But they soon discover that an evil witch lives in the cottage.
The Gingerbread House
Hansel and Gretel live with their poor father near a deep forest, where hunger, fear, and a strange gingerbread house await them. Read the thrilling story of their courage, cleverness, and journey back home.
Olena at a Job Interview
Olena goes to a job interview at a Czech company, even though she is afraid that her accent will be a problem. During the meeting, she discovers that preparedness, experience, and the courage to ask questions may be more important than perfect Czech.
Prague, a City on the Vltava
Prague is a large city in the Czech Republic. The text presents famous places, transport, and life in the city.
How the Prague Metro Works
The Prague metro is a fast and important way to get around the capital. In this article, you will learn how its lines, transfers, tickets, and rules of good conduct work.
The First Day at a New Job
Marek has his first day at a new job in Prague. He is nervous in the morning, but during the day he meets new colleagues, learns something new, and leaves for home satisfied in the evening.
Seven Czech Cases Without Fear
Czech uses seven cases to show what role a word plays in a sentence. This article explains what each case means, why some of them are difficult for foreigners, and how to learn them more practically than by using long tables.
How the Czech Word Robota Conquered the World
The story of the word “robot” begins with the Czech writer Karel Čapek and his play R.U.R. The text explains why Čapek’s robots were not metal machines, what role Josef Čapek played, and why this Czech word spread across almost the entire world.
Švejk Before the Forensic Doctors
Švejk is brought before an examining magistrate and then before a commission of forensic doctors. His calm answers and long anecdotes once again show that there is sometimes little difference between common sense, official logic, and utter stupidity.
Anna and Tomáš at a Restaurant
Anna and Tomáš visit a Czech restaurant. The reader will practise useful sentences for ordering food and drinks and paying the bill.
Jiřík and Goldenhair
Jiřík tastes a magical snake and begins to understand the language of animals. Thanks to his courage and the help of ants, ravens, a fish, and a fly, he must complete three difficult tasks to win Goldenhair.