The 10 Czech Verbs You Can’t Survive Without
You can learn all the cases. You can memorize declensions. You can even bravely step into Czech word order. But if you don’t know these verbs, you will still sound like a very polite… statue.
These are the 10 most used Czech verbs, the ones that show up in almost every conversation. Master them, and suddenly Czech starts working.
být (to be)
This is the backbone of everything.
Jsem doma.
“I am at home.”
Je to dobré.
“It is good.”
Byl unavený.
“He was tired.”
Check the whole conjugation table here.
Common mistake
Forgetting it completely:
Já doma. ❌
“I home.”
Czech sometimes drops je, but beginners drop it everywhere. That’s how you end up sounding like a caveman.
mít (to have)
You’ll use this constantly.
Mám čas.
“I have time.”
Má hlad.
“He is hungry.” (literally: “He has hunger”)
Important difference from English
Czech often uses mít instead of “to be”:
Mám strach.
“I am scared.” (literally: “I have fear”)
Mám hlad.
“I am hungry.” (literally: “I have hunger”)
Read the article entirely dedicated to this verb and also check the whole declension table here.
jít (to go on foot)
Jdu do práce.
“I’m going to work.”
Jdeme domů.
“We’re going home.”
Classic confusion
jít vs. jet
Jdu do Prahy. ❌ (unless you’re walking for two days)
Jedeme do Prahy. ✔
“We’re going to Prague (by transport).”
Read an article about the distinction between jít and jet here. Also, check the conjugation tables of jítand jet.
jet (to go by transport)
Jedeme vlakem.
“We’re going by train.”
Jede domů.
“He’s going home (by transport).”
dělat (to do / to make)
This is your emergency verb when you don’t know a more specific one.
Co děláš?
“What are you doing?”
Dělám večeři.
“I’m making dinner.”
Very Czech usage
Dělám v Praze.
“I work in Prague.” (literally: “I do in Prague”)
říct / říkat (to say / to tell)
Perfective vs. imperfective in action:
Řekl mi pravdu.
“He told me the truth.” (completed)
Říká mi to pořád.
“He keeps telling me.” (repeated)
Student trap
Using only one form for everything. Czech cares whether the action is finished or repeated. English mostly doesn’t.
vědět (to know — facts)
Vím to.
“I know it.”
Vím, kde bydlí.
“I know where he lives.”
znát (to know — familiarity)
Znám ho.
“I know him.”
Znám tu restauraci.
“I know that restaurant.”
The classic mistake
Vím ho. ❌
“I know him.” (no, you don’t)
Znám ho. ✔
How to actually tell vědět vs. znát
Think of it this way:
vědět = information in your head
znát = familiarity through experience
Use vědět when you can answer a question with a full sentence:
Vím, kde bydlí.
“I know where he lives.”
Vím, proč to udělal.
“I know why he did it.”
Use znát when it’s about people, places, or things you’re familiar with:
Znám ho.
“I know him.”
Znám tu knihu.
“I know that book.”
Quick test
If you can replace it with:
“I know that / where / why…” → vědět
“I know him / it / this place” → znát
One sentence that explains everything
Vím o něm hodně, ale neznám ho.
“I know a lot about him, but I don’t know him.”
That’s the difference in one line.
chtít (to want)
This is one of the most useful verbs and also one of the easiest ways to sound a bit too direct.
Chci kávu.
“I want coffee.”
Chce jít domů.
“He wants to go home.”
Check the conjugation table here.
Reality check
Czechs often soften this:
Dal bych si kávu.
“I’d have a coffee.”
Otherwise you can sound a bit… demanding.
moci / moct (can / to be able to)
This verb is everywhere. If you don’t know it well, you’ll feel stuck in almost every conversation.
Můžu přijít.
“I can come.”
Nemůžu.
“I can’t.”
Two forms: moci vs. moct
The tricky conjugation
This is where students suffer a bit:
já → můžu / mohu (both are possible but mohu is a bit archaic)
ty → můžeš
on/ona → může
my → můžeme
vy → můžete
oni → můžou / mohou (both are possible but mohou is a bit archaic)
Extremely useful combo
Můžu se zeptat?
“Can I ask?”
You will use this every day.
How these verbs work together
This is where things get powerful.
You don’t need advanced vocabulary. You need combinations.
Chci jít domů.
“I want to go home.”
Můžu to udělat.
“I can do it.”
Musím jet do práce.
“I have to go to work.”
Vím, že to můžu udělat.
“I know I can do it.”
With just these verbs, you can:
express needs
talk about plans
describe actions
survive awkward conversations
The real problem
Students often:
try to learn rare vocabulary
ignore basic verbs
or use them incorrectly
And then:
Já dělat… něco… včera… ❌
Grammatically broken. Communicatively painful.
The better strategy
Master these verbs until they feel automatic. Not perfect. Automatic. Because real Czech isn’t about knowing fancy words. It’s about being able to say simple things quickly:
Já nevím.
“I don’t know.”
Chci jít.
“I want to go.”
Můžu?
“Can I?”
Final truth
If you control these 10 verbs, you’re not a beginner anymore. You’re someone who can actually talk. And that’s the whole point.
If you want to actually use these verbs (and not just recognize them), grab my Czech Verbs Cheat Sheet. It’ll help you turn these basics into real conversations instead of slow-motion sentence building.
The ultimate Czech Verbs Survival Kit – everything you need to master Czech verbs in one place. Learn how verbs work, how to form negatives, understand word order, master past and future tenses, verbs of motion, irregular and modal verbs, and reflexives. Clear explanations, patterns, and practical examples make Czech verbs finally click.
