You do not need to speak Czech or Slovak to research in Central Europe, but a few phrases open doors, and knowing the key record terms makes finding aids and certificates easier to understand. Knowledge of Czech is essential for working with most finding aids at the Moravian archive in Brno, according to a guide to that archive, so a phrase list is a starting point, not a substitute for a speaker. This guide gives side-by-side Czech and Slovak phrases for courtesies, the archive, the registry office, the church and the village, and the record vocabulary you will meet. The phrases are standard, but we are not a translation service, so have a native speaker check anything important before you rely on it.
Courtesies
English
Czech
Slovak
Good day
Dobrý den
Dobrý deň
Good evening
Dobrý večer
Dobrý večer
Please / you are welcome
Prosím
Prosím
Thank you
Děkuji
Ďakujem
Excuse me / sorry
Promiňte
Prepáčte
Do you speak English?
Mluvíte anglicky?
Hovoríte po anglicky?
I do not speak Czech / Slovak.
Nemluvím česky.
Nehovorím po slovensky.
I speak a little.
Mluvím trochu česky.
Hovorím trochu po slovensky.
Could you repeat that, please?
Můžete to zopakovat, prosím?
Môžete to zopakovať, prosím?
More slowly, please.
Pomaleji, prosím.
Pomalšie, prosím.
Goodbye
Na shledanou
Dovidenia
At the archive
English
Czech
Slovak
I am researching my ancestors.
Zkoumám své předky.
Skúmam svojich predkov.
My family came from this village.
Moje rodina pochází z této obce.
Moja rodina pochádza z tejto obce.
Where is the archive?
Kde je archiv?
Kde je archív?
I have a reservation.
Mám rezervaci.
Mám rezerváciu.
I need the researcher’s form.
Potřebuji badatelský list.
Potrebujem bádateľský list.
May I take photographs without flash?
Mohu fotografovat bez blesku?
Môžem fotografovať bez blesku?
What time do you open?
V kolik otevíráte?
O koľkej otvárate?
What time do you close?
V kolik zavíráte?
O koľkej zatvárate?
Is there a fee?
Je to zpoplatněno?
Je to spoplatnené?
May I see the baptism register for the year …?
Mohu vidět křestní matriku z roku …?
Môžem vidieť krstnú matriku z roku …?
At the registry office and the municipal office
English
Czech
Slovak
Where is the registry office?
Kde je matriční úřad?
Kde je matričný úrad?
Where is the municipal office?
Kde je obecní úřad?
Kde je obecný úrad?
I am looking for a birth certificate.
Hledám rodný list.
Hľadám rodný list.
I am a descendant of this person.
Jsem potomek této osoby.
Som potomok tejto osoby.
Here is the proof of our relationship.
Zde je doklad o našem příbuzenství.
Tu je doklad o našom príbuzenstve.
Can you help me, please?
Můžete mi pomoci, prosím?
Môžete mi pomôcť, prosím?
Record words you will see
Term
Meaning
matriky
Parish registers, the core Czech and Slovak vital records
badatelský list / bádateľský list
The researcher’s form you fill out at an archive
státní oblastní archiv / Štátny archív
A Czech state regional archive, and a Slovak state archive
matriční úřad / matričný úrad
The registry office
rodný list, oddací list / sobášny list, úmrtní list / úmrtný list
Birth, marriage and death certificates
domovské právo
The right of domicile, a certificate that the Slovak embassy lists as acceptable proof of citizenship
farní úřad / farský úrad
The parish office
hřbitov / cintorín, kostel / kostol
Cemetery and church
The letters N, O and Z mark births and baptisms, marriages and deaths in Czech archive inventories, from the Latin Nati, Copulati and Mortui. See our guide to reading Latin, German and Hungarian records for the register headings.
Family words and dates
English
Czech
Slovak
family
rodina
rodina
father / mother
otec / matka
otec / matka
brother / sister
bratr / sestra
brat / sestra
village
obec
obec
born
narodil se
narodil sa
died
zemřel
zomrel
baptized
pokřtěn
pokrstený
Days and opening hours
English
Czech
Slovak
Monday
pondělí
pondelok
Tuesday
úterý
utorok
Wednesday
středa
streda
Thursday
čtvrtek
štvrtok
Friday
pátek
piatok
open / closed
otevřeno / zavřeno
otvorené / zatvorené
Are you open on Friday?
Máte otevřeno v pátek?
Máte otvorené v piatok?
Phrases for emails to offices
English
Czech
Slovak
Dear Sir or Madam,
Vážená paní, vážený pane,
Vážená pani, vážený pán,
I attach a copy of my family tree.
Přikládám kopii svého rodokmenu.
Prikladám kópiu svojho rodokmeňa.
Please reply by email.
Prosím o odpověď e-mailem.
Prosím o odpoveď e-mailom.
Thank you in advance.
Předem děkuji.
Vopred ďakujem.
Kind regards,
S pozdravem,
S pozdravom,
Keep emails short, name the village and the record, and say how you are related. See our guide to requesting records for a full template.
Czech and Slovak differences that matter
The two languages are close but not identical. A phrase that is right in Czech may be slightly wrong in Slovak, so use the right column for the right country.
Place names have several forms. Give the Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian forms if you know them. See our village-of-origin guide.
Registers may not be in Czech or Slovak. They may be in Latin, German or Hungarian.
A short script for your first visit
Illustrative composite (not a real family): Czech: Dobrý den. Zkoumám své předky. Moje rodina pochází z obce [obec]. Mám rezervaci. Potřebuji badatelský list. Můžete mi pomoci, prosím? Děkuji. Slovak: Dobrý deň. Skúmam svojich predkov. Moja rodina pochádza z obce [obec]. Mám rezerváciu. Potrebujem bádateľský list. Môžete mi pomôcť, prosím? Ďakujem. (Good day. I am researching my ancestors. My family came from the village of [village]. I have a reservation. I need the researcher’s form. Can you help me, please? Thank you.)
Common mistakes
Relying on phrases to read finding aids. Czech is essential for most finding aids.
Mixing Czech and Slovak. Use the right language for the country.
Dropping the diacritics. They change words and names.
Skipping the greeting. A polite start helps.
Not checking the translation. Ask a native speaker to review what you send.
Czech Slovak Roots Project is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
The Czech Slovak Roots Editorial Team researches and writes practical guides for people tracing their ancestry to Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Slovakia. We focus on the questions family historians run into most: finding the right archives, reading records in German, Latin, and Hungarian, untangling surname spellings, and following ancestors from the old country to the United States. Our guides are based on primary archival sources, official records portals, and established genealogy references, and we update them as online collections and rules change. Whether you’re starting with a name on a ship manifest or a village you can’t find on a modern map, we aim to help you take the next step.
