Start with sounds and simple phrases
Good pronunciation makes everything easier. Learn the alphabet with diacritics and focus on ch, r, and especially ř. Stress is almost always on the first syllable. Practice long vowels á é í ó ú ů and the letters ě, č, š, ž, ň, ť, ď. Listening and repeating daily will help even a complete beginner.
Memorize a tiny phrase pack you will use every day: Dobrý den, Ahoj, Prosím, Děkuji, Promiňte, Nerozumím, Mluvte prosím pomaleji, Kolik to stojí. Record yourself and compare to native audio to learn quickly.
- Shadow 5 minutes: listen and repeat short lines out loud
- Drill vowel length and ř with slow audio
- Practice greetings and polite phrases in pairs
- Type Czech characters: enable the Czech keyboard layout
Build a tiny A1–A2 toolbox
At beginner level, you do not need all grammar at once. Focus on high-frequency patterns you can reuse: I am, I have, I want, I can, I like. Learn questions like Kdo, Co, Kde, Kdy, Kolik, Proč and the answers yes and no: Ano, Ne.
Cover just the essentials of cases for now: nominative for subjects, accusative after many verbs, and basic prepositions like v, na, do. Keep word order simple: subject–verb–object works fine for beginners.
- Verbs být and mít: Jsem, Nejsem; Mám, Nemám
- Polite requests: Můžu prosím, Mohl bych, Chtěl bych
- Daily routines: Jdu do práce, Jdu domů, Piju kávu
- Survival questions: Kde je toaleta, Kolik to stojí, Mluvíte anglicky
Free online resources and PDFs
You can learn a lot with free online materials. Look for open-course pages, printable PDF lessons with audio, and beginner-friendly videos. Search phrases like Czech A1 PDF, Czech pronunciation audio, or Czech basic phrases PDF to find solid, no-cost content.
Use a mix: a short course for structure, YouTube for listening, and a spaced-repetition deck for vocabulary. Community decks in Anki or Memrise, example sentences from Tatoeba, pronunciation on Forvo, and word forms on Wiktionary are all reliable helpers.
- Structured lessons: university Czech Online pages, older public-domain PDF units with audio
- Apps and decks: Duolingo basics, Memrise community courses, Anki shared decks
- Listening: Easy Languages Czech videos, Czech Radio streams, slow news clips
- References: Wiktionary for forms, Forvo for audio, Tatoeba for simple sentences
A 20–30 minute routine that sticks
Consistency beats intensity. Keep a small loop: learn, review, speak. Track minutes, not perfection. If you miss a day, restart with a tiny win and move on.
- 5 min: review 10 flashcards with audio (spaced repetition)
- 10 min: one short lesson or PDF page with 5–8 new words
- 10 min: listen and shadow a 1-minute dialogue twice
- 2–5 min: say three sentences about your day using new words
Get speaking and listening practice
Speaking early builds confidence. Try language exchanges with patient partners and agree to short, focused sessions: 10 minutes Czech, 10 minutes English. Prepare your topic and reuse your A1 phrases so you can learn actively.
For listening, choose short, clear clips. Use Czech subtitles first, English only if stuck, then watch again with no text. Shadow lines you like and save them to your deck so you get input and output in one go.
- Language exchange apps: keep it short and friendly
- Shadow 4–6 lines from a beginner dialogue daily
- Transcript trick: read, listen, repeat, then record yourself
- Weekend challenge: 2-minute voice note about your week in Czech
FAQ
- How long does A2 Czech take if I study for free online?
- With 20–30 minutes daily, most beginners reach solid A2 in 4–6 months. Add weekly speaking and you can move faster.
- Do I need to learn all the cases right away?
- No. As a beginner, learn just what you need: nominative for subjects, common accusative patterns, and a few prepositions like v, na, do.
- Are PDFs enough to learn the language?
- PDF lessons are great for structure, but you also need audio and speaking. Combine PDF, online videos, and short exchanges for balance.
- What is the best way to learn Czech pronunciation?
- Shadow daily with slow audio, drill vowel length and ř, and record yourself. Short focused practice beats long, unfocused sessions.
- How can I type Czech characters on my keyboard?
- Enable the Czech keyboard in your system settings or use a browser extension. Practice common accents so typing becomes automatic.