Czech phrases
for shopping

Short answer. The key Czech shopping phrases are Promiňte, kolik to stojí? (excuse me, how much is it?), Platím kartou, jde to? (I'll pay by card, is that OK?) and Chci to vrátit. (I want to return this); this page has 25 phrases for the shop floor, groceries, the checkout and returns. Greet the shop assistant with Dobrý den, and if you are still browsing, say Děkuji, jen se dívám.

A shop is usually the first place in the Czech Republic where you actually have to speak Czech. At the supermarket you can get by in silence: items on the belt, pay, leave. But in a clothes shop, at the ham counter or when you need to take back a phone with a cracked screen, a handful of phrases makes all the difference. Luckily, assistants ask the same few questions every time, so learn the answers in advance.

Below, the phrases are grouped by situation: on the shop floor, buying groceries, at the checkout and when returning an item. All of them come from Talkfirst's Czech decks, so you can practise them out loud straight away. If Czech is completely new to you, start with Learn Czech from scratch: basic phrases: it covers greetings, politeness and how to read Czech letters.

Phrases for the shop

On the shop floor

Groceries

At the checkout

Returns and warranty

Notice the -te ending in the assistant's questions: Máte, Potřebujete, Chcete. That is the formal "you", and it is also how you address the assistant. If you miss what someone said, just ask Prosím?, the polite Czech "sorry, what was that?".

Dialogue: returning a purchase

Buying is easy; returning is where it gets hard. You have to explain what broke, show the receipt and say whether you want your money back or a replacement. The assistant's lines come from the "Returning a purchase" scene that Talkfirst's AI conversation partner plays out with you, out loud.

Tips for shopping in the Czech Republic

Say Dobrý den first. Czechs greet the staff when they walk into a small shop or a pharmacy, before asking for anything. On the way out, it is Na shledanou. If an assistant offers to help while you are still browsing, say Děkuji, jen se dívám.

Look for akce and sleva. Supermarkets run new promotions every week, on the shelf labels and in the printed leaflets. Akce means a special offer price and sleva means a discount.

Bags, cards and crowns. Carrier bags usually cost extra, so many people bring their own. When the cashier asks Potřebujete tašku?, a simple Ne, děkuji will do. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, and prices and change are in Czech crowns, not euros.

At the deli counter, think in deka. Cheese, ham and salads are often ordered in decagrams, 10 grams each: Deset deka šunky, prosím is 100 grams of ham. Also, Potraviny is a grocery shop, and medicine is sold not in a drogerie but in a lékárna.

Keep the účtenka. You need the receipt both for returns and for warranty claims. Returning an item that works but did not suit you is up to the shop when you buy in person, so ask before paying: Můžu to vrátit? For online purchases, EU rules give you 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason.

A reklamace is not an advert. It is a complaint about a faulty product. New goods in the EU come with a 24-month legal guarantee, and if an item breaks on its own, the shop has to accept your claim. Usually it is repaired or replaced first. Say Chci to reklamovat and hand over the receipt.

How to learn these phrases

There is no phonetic respelling here on purpose; the phrasebook hub explains why. Play each phrase on its flashcard and repeat it out loud, and learn the reading rules from the beginner's guide.

Learn whole phrases rather than single words, and swap the details. Once you know Máte to ve větší velikosti?, you can ask Máte to v menší velikosti? or Máte to v jiné barvě?. One phrase becomes a template for dozens of situations. More topics are in the Czech phrasebook by topic, such as at a restaurant and at the doctor's, and if you need Czech for permanent residence, read the Czech A2 exam guide next.

Questions and answers