Gateway to Central Europe.
Live 1-on-1 Czech lessons with expert teachers. Prague expat life, business Czech, and a gateway into the entire Slavic language family — from your very first session. Trial lesson from $1.
Why Learn Czech?
10M Speakers
Czech is spoken by 10 million people. Prague is one of Central Europe's most vibrant cities and a major EU tech and startup hub.
Prague Business Hub
The Czech Republic has one of Central Europe's strongest economies. Prague attracts major corporations and is a significant fintech and engineering center.
Bohemian History
Home to Kafka, Kundera, and Dvořák. Czech culture spans Gothic cathedrals, baroque music, and a rich literary tradition.
Slavic Gateway
Czech gives you a strong foothold into Polish, Slovak, and — to a lesser extent — Russian and other Slavic languages. One investment, many doors.
The ř — A Sound That Exists in No Other Language
Czech has one phoneme found nowhere else on Earth: ř. Heard in Dvořák, řeka (river), and třeba (maybe), it is a simultaneous alveolar trill and fricative — the tongue vibrates like a rolled R while air rushes over it with friction, creating a sound between “zh” and a rolled R. No app can teach you this. A real teacher listens, corrects in real time, and builds the muscle memory in weeks rather than months.
Choose Your Learning Path
Prague Expat Czech
Practical Czech for daily life in Prague and Czech cities. Navigating bureaucracy, markets, neighbors, and local culture.
Business Czech
Professional register, business correspondence, Czech corporate culture, and vocabulary for the Prague tech and finance scene.
Heritage & Diaspora Czech
For Czech-Americans and diaspora families reconnecting with the language. Tutors experienced with heritage learner needs.
Slavic Gateway
Czech is mutually intelligible with Slovak and gives you a strong foothold into Polish, Slovak, and other West Slavic languages.
Meet Your Czech Teachers
Markéta V.
Prague
Charles Univ. Prague, Czech Philology · 9 yrs
Standard Czech & Prague Expat Integration
Ondřej K.
Brno
Masaryk Univ. Brno, Linguistics · 7 yrs
Moravian Czech & Literary Language
Jana H.
Chicago
Univ. of Chicago, Slavic Languages · 8 yrs
Heritage Czech & Czech-American Diaspora
CEFR + CCE (Czech Certification of Competency)
The CCE is the official Czech language proficiency certificate, administered by Charles University Prague and accepted by Czech employers, universities, and immigration authorities.
| Level | Name | Study Hours | Can Do | CCE Exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | 0–80 | Introduce yourself, understand simple signs, handle basic exchanges. | — |
| A2 | Elementary | 80–200 | Routine interactions, describe surroundings, basic reading. | — |
| B1 | Intermediate | 200–400 | Navigate daily life, express opinions, read straightforward texts. | CCE B1 |
| B2 | Upper-Intermediate | 400–700 | Complex topics, literature, professional communication. | CCE B2 |
| C1 | Advanced | 700–1000 | Academic fluency, nuanced argument, idiomatic expression. | CCE C1 |
| C2 | Mastery | 1000+ | Near-native mastery of spoken and written Czech. | CCE C2 |
Your 4-Week Starter Plan
Czech Pronunciation Fundamentals
Háček marks (č, š, ž, ř, ě, í, á, ú) and the infamous ř — the unique Czech trill-fricative found in no other language. Daily 20-min audio drills.
Basic Grammar & Greetings
Czech noun genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), basic case endings, and survival phrases for Prague daily life.
Core Vocabulary & Numbers
200 most-used Czech words, numbers, colors, food vocabulary. First simple conversations in a café or shop.
Real Conversations
Introduce yourself, give directions, handle Czech bureaucracy basics. Build the foundation for A2 progression.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Czech different from Slovak?
Czech and Slovak are closely related West Slavic languages — so close that Czechs and Slovaks can generally understand each other without translation. The differences include some vocabulary, pronunciation (Slovak 'l' and 'ľ' sounds), and spelling conventions. Czech uses 'ch' where Slovak uses 'h' in some words. Czech and Slovak speakers regularly understand 80–90% of each other's speech.
What is the ř sound and how do I learn it?
The Czech ř (as in Dvořák) is unique to Czech — no equivalent exists in any other language. It is a simultaneous trill and fricative: the tongue tip vibrates while air passes over it with friction, producing a sound between 'zh' and rolled 'r'. It takes most learners several weeks of guided practice. A real tutor's real-time correction is the fastest path to getting it right.
Does Czech have grammatical cases?
Yes — Czech has 7 grammatical cases (Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Vocative, Locative, Instrumental), each changing noun, adjective, and pronoun endings. This is one of the more demanding features of Czech for English speakers. However, cases follow systematic patterns, and most learners internalize them naturally over 3–6 months of consistent lessons.
How similar is Czech to Polish and Russian?
Czech, Polish, and Slovak are West Slavic languages and share substantial core vocabulary. Russian is East Slavic — more distant, though still recognizably related. A Czech speaker learning Polish finds significant overlap in basic vocabulary. With Russian, the shared roots are visible but grammar and pronunciation diverge more significantly. Knowing Czech gives you a genuine head start on any Slavic language.
How long does it take to become conversational in Czech?
Czech is a Category III language for English speakers. With consistent lessons and daily practice, most learners reach conversational A2–B1 in 8–12 months. The pronunciation and case system are the main hurdles — once past those, vocabulary acquisition accelerates. Prague expats commonly reach working daily fluency within their first year.
Start your Czech journey today
16 expert teachers. Every level. Trial lesson from $1.