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Of the many beautiful countries in Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic is arguably the most attractive to tourists. It is perhaps not surprising that many people want to learn Czech.
If you’re planning a trip to Prague or any other Czech city, you must know that your experience will be greatly enhanced if you actually know the language. But how do you even get started?
First off, there are several Czech learning apps if you want to start learning on the go. There are also podcasts, YouTube channels, and online courses that can help you advance your skills.
But if you’re the type to crave structure and are eager for resources that can be used long-term, books to learn Czech are the best tools for you.
With that in mind, I’ve rounded up ten of the best books to learn Czech to help you learn the language. Let’s jump right into it!
Top books to learn Czech
1. Czech: An Essential Grammar
- Naughton, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 296 Pages – 04/11/2005 (Publication Date) – Routledge (Publisher)
If you’re studying Czech independently or within a classroom setting, this book will be an excellent choice for you.
This reference guide will be your best friend in your journey of advancing your knowledge of the essential grammatical rules of the Czech language.
Czech: An Essential Grammar presents even the most complicated concepts in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.
This book places special emphasis on teaching Czech in the way it’s spoken by natives of the country, making it highly practical. By using this guide, you can begin to read, write, and speak the language confidently.
Key features:
- Offers clear explanations through short, concise segments
- Uses real-life examples to help clarify the grammatical concepts being explained
- Includes a detailed table of contents and an index
2. Complete Czech Beginner to Intermediate Course
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
This Complete Czech guide is sure to help you develop your confidence in the Czech language. Regardless of whether you’re encountering Czech for the first time or whether you’ve had some experience with the language, you’ll surely find this book useful.
This book’s contents aren’t limited to being a grammatical guide; they also assist you in becoming comfortable with navigating everyday situations in Czech.
The book is also designed by well-versed Czech language teachers, making it a highly valuable learning tool. When you’re done with this book, you’ll be able to have basic conversations with Czech natives without any issues.
Key features:
- Includes great pointers to avoid frequent problems while learning Czech
- Wide range of vocabulary that will come in handy in a variety of situations
- Uses real-life dialogue to help give context to the words and phrases being learned
- Progress assessment checkpoints to help track your progress
3. Colloquial Czech: The Complete Course for Beginners
- Naughton, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 480 Pages – 07/01/2015 (Publication Date) – Routledge (Publisher)
As is made apparent by this book’s title, its main focus is providing novices of the Czech language with the ability to learn it as it’s spoken and written by Czech natives.
Colloquial Czech is a simple and clear learning guide that offers an excellent tool for becoming comfortable with using Czech as your mode of communication in many day-to-day situations. By the end of the book, you’ll be a great conversationalist in the language!
Key features:
- Contains plenty of exercises that allow you to apply what you’ve learned
- Explains Czech grammar in a clear, jargon-free manner
- Includes a glossary and a summary of the grammatical concepts learned
- Comes with complementary audio material to help improve pronunciation
4. Lonely Planet Czech Phrasebook & Dictionary
- Nebesky, Richard (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 03/19/2019 (Publication Date) – Lonely Planet (Publisher)
The key to developing your skills in a new language is confidence, and this book will give you just that when it comes to learning Czech.
It will arm you with all the practical knowledge of the Czech language you’ll need on your trip to Prague. The Lonely Planet Czech Phrasebook & Dictionary is packed with tons of useful phrases that’ll allow you to better connect with the country’s people and their culture.
Using what you’ll learn from this textbook, you’ll be able to communicate with locals in their own language as you’re sightseeing and touring the city’s beautiful castles.
Key features:
- Includes 3,500 entries
- Key pointers on how to navigate Czech culture and etiquette
- ‘Menu decoder’ section to enhance your Czech culinary experience
5. Czech Step-by-Step Pack
- Lida Hola (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 260 Pages – 07/29/2026 (Publication Date) – Akropolis, Nakladatelstvi (Publisher)
This pack consists of a textbook, an appendix, and two supplemental audio CDs. It’s split into 20 independent sections designed to allow you to take a comprehensive approach to the language.
These sections have titles such as My Family, Directions, In the Restaurant, Free Time, and Finding Your Way. Each of these sections focuses on words and phrases that are commonly used in these situations. Each section is packed with illustrations, fun exercises, and activities.
It also includes color coding in the grammar section that clarifies the differences in how genders are treated in the Czech language.
All in all, this book is an excellent option for beginners and intermediate Czech speakers alike.
Key features:
- Gender color-coding allows for easier comprehension of grammar rules
- Packed with graphics and illustrations that help bring the Czech language to life
- Six pages of practice exercises at the end of each section.
- Includes glossary, answers to the exercises, and pronunciation aids
6. Learn Czech with Word Search Puzzles
If you’re a fan of unconventional methods of learning new languages, this fun-packed book may just be for you. It features 130 English-Czech word search puzzles split into a diverse range of interesting categories.
The categories include verbs, opposites, numbers, the body, professions, and many more. This will allow you to expand your Czech vocabulary and have tons of fun at the same time!
Key features:
- Includes review puzzles that boost memorization of the vocabulary learned
- Packed with exercises you can take in just a few minutes a day
- Answer keys to every puzzle
7. Czech Frequency Dictionary – Essential Vocabulary
This dictionary is designed for beginner and intermediate Czech language learners alike. It allows readers to quickly and effectively learn commonly used Czech vocabulary for both writing and speaking.
This book is also an excellent tool for improving pronunciation, as it includes phonetic transcriptions of numerous Czech words. This makes the task of tackling the complexity of Czech pronunciation a less daunting task.
Key features:
- Includes 2,500 Czech words ordered based on how commonly they’re used
- Phonetic spelling of words to help with pronunciation
- English translations for every word
8. Berlitz Czech Phrase Book & Dictionary
Another book worth adding to your shopping cart is the Czech Phrase Book and Dictionary by Berlitz, a company that’s well-known for language education.
Featuring over 8,000 words and phrases in thematic sections like Survival, Food and Drink, Leisure, and more, this book is ideal for growing your Czech vocabulary. The entries come with pronunciation guide too. What’s more, it contains snippets of useful information on Czech people, culture, and travel.
At the back of the book, there’s a handy bilingual dictionary containing 1,700 of the most useful Czech words and phrases including relevant expressions such as “What is the WiFi password?”, “I’ll put the pictures on Facebook”, and much more. How nifty!
Key features:
- Up-to-date Czech vocabulary
- Comprehensive phrase book for traveling and long-term study
- Include pronunciation help and a menu reader
9. First Czech Reader for Beginners
If your goal is to get more Czech reading practice, a bilingual reader will come in handy. First Czech Reader for Beginners features funny stories and real-life situations, all presented with parallel Czech-English texts.
At the start of each chapter, you’ll find a list of words and phrases you’ll encounter in the succeeding stories. With repetition of these expressions, you’ll grow your vocabulary.
Although this book is tagged “beginners”, I wouldn’t recommend it to absolute beginners as there is no explanation of difficult words or grammar concepts. But if you know a little bit of Czech (i.e., upper beginner), this will give you the challenge you need to level up. If you’re feeling more confident, you can proceed with Volume 2.
Key features:
- Enjoyable stories featuring useful Czech words and phrases
- Uses ALARM (Approved Learning Automatic Remembering Method) to help you remember words
- Accompanying audio tracks
10. The Fabulous Lost and Found and the Little Czech Mouse
The previous bilingual reader is geared toward beginner adults. However, if you’re raising a bilingual kid (or you’re simply a child-at-heart), The Fabulous Lost and Found and the Little Czech Mouse is a great option.
Aimed at children ages 2 to 7, this book features a character (the little mouse) seeking help from a Lost and Found. But this mouse can only speak in Czech!
The story that follows is funny but also educational. Your kid will soon learn over 40 new Czech words while also building empathy toward people who speak different languages.
Key features:
- Uses the ‘story-powered language learning method’ to teach Czech to kids
- Funny and relatable characters
- Filled with appealing illustrations
Conclusion
Knowing the language of the country you’re visiting is a great way to make your experience more immersive. The Czech Republic is no different.
Learning Czech before your visit to Prague will allow you to get a better feel of the culture and make your visit that much more satisfying.
Whether you’re a beginner or at an intermediate level in the Czech language, the books mentioned above are bound to be of great value to your learning experience. Happy reading!