ABC of Czech | All stories

Hello and welcome to our Czech-teaching series, focusing on farm plants and crops. Today we look at vegetables. The Czech word zelenina is derived from the word zelený, green. All the plants we are going to speak about today are not vegetables, strictly speaking, but they fit best in today's instalment.

Hello and welcome to the last farm-animals episode in our language-teaching series featuring Czech countryside idioms. The only important animals left are poultry - drubez.

Thanks for joining us again in exploring Czech idioms featuring farm animals. Today we look at the pig. Although reportedly one of the cleverest animals, in language pigs are stuck with such unpopular qualities as obesity, disorderliness, dirt and smuttiness - in every sense of the word. Both the word prase - pig, and svinì - a swine, or an obsolete word for a female pig - are terms of offence in Czech. While the former refers mainly to poor hygiene habits and lack of decency, the latter implies dishonourable, disloyal behaviour.

It's time again to stroll around the Czech farm. Today we take a peek in the goat pen. There we find a goat, koza, which also means a she-goat, nanny goat; her mate kozel - he-goat, billy goat and the kids - kuzlata.

It is time to take a look at another farm animal and the tracks it has left on the Czech language. Although lamb and mutton is not as popular in this country as for example in Britain, Czech is still rich on sheep idioms.

Hello and welcome again to the Czech farm... and what kind of farm would it be without cows, bulls, heifers, oxen and calves? All those animals were so important to our ancestors that they coined many phrases using those words. However, we must admit that a lot of them don't seem to be very flattering for the animals. With the exception of the bull which is the symbol of both a strong body and will, the rest of the family have a reputation for not being very bright and their names have an abusive meaning when applied to human beings.

Welcome to a special edition of Radio Prague's Czech-teaching programme, today dedicated to Easter themes. Easter, Velikonoce, is the most important Christian holiday, celebrated also by all those who are happy that winter is over and spring has come once again. The word Velikonoce is derived from the expression velká noc - meaning a "great night". It comes from Greek and originally stood for the great day on which Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Welcome again to our Czech-teaching programme. Last week we talked about dogs, so today it can be nothing else but the cat - koèka. The word stands for the whole species and also for a female cat. A male cat, a tomcat, is kocour. Each of these words also has a secondary meaning: while koèka is an attractive young woman, kocour, or even better starý kocour, an old tomcat, means a lecherous old man. An interesting example of language sexism there, favouring for a change the feminine gender.

We are back with our Czech-teaching series focusing on animal idioms in the Czech language. Today's episode is dedicated to man's best friend.

Hello and welcome to Radio Prague's Czech teaching programme. With the new season we bring you a brand new series. As in our previous series, we'll continue to explore Czech idioms but this time focused on nature. The first part of our new series will concentrate on animal idioms - and as you might have guessed from the jingle, farm animals will be first. And today we start with the horse.