Czech texts — level B2
Level B2 texts: tap a sentence for the translation, and every text comes with audio.
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.
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 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.
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.