Czech Word

Meaning

Examples and Explanation

hovězí

made out of beef

This adjective is frequently used either to refer directly to the type of meat and is often combined with the word maso ‘meat’.

hovězí maso

Or it can describe the type of meat used in certain dishes, such as guláš:

hovězí guláš

kuřecí

made out of chicken

Like above, this adjective is frequently used either to refer directly to the type of meat and is often combined with the word maso ‘meat’.

kuřecí maso

Or it can describe the type of meat used in certain dishes, such as řízek – schnitzel:

kuřecí řízek

vepřový

made out of pork

Like above, this adjective is frequently used either to refer directly to the type of meat and is often combined with the word maso ‘meat’.

vepřové maso

Or it can describe the type of meat used in certain dishes, such as řízek – schnitzel:

vepřové koleno

(pork knee – really a pork shank)

nakládaný

pickled, marinated

nakládané okurky (cucumbers cooked briefly in hot vinegar and spices, i.e. pickles)

nakládaný hermelín

(cheese marinated in oil with onions and other spices)

ovocný

fruit

ovocné knedlíky (dumplings stuffed with various types of fruit)

čerstvý

fresh

čerstvý chléb (chleba)

mražený

frozen

mražený špenát (a convenient food in many places)

pečený

baked

pečené kuře

smažený

fried

smažený sýr (the answer to everything]

dušený

braised/stewed

dušené zelí (stewed cabbage is a frequent side for Czech dishes) here served with vepřové maso a houskové knedlíky

dušená rýže (since it’s cooked in a pot with water, the rice is considered stewed; note in English we say steamed rice)

vařený

boiled

Pstruh a vařené brambory (these are frequent side on Czech plates)

grilovaný

grilled

grilované kuře

horký

hot

horký čaj

studený

cold

studená voda

teplý

warm

teplé jídlo (we talk about getting a hot meal, they talk about getting warm food)

světlý

pale (color) e.g. světlé pivo

světlé pivo (the most traditional Czech beers are pale lagers – světlé ležáky)

tmavý

dark (color) e.g. tmavé pivo

tmavé pivo (also černé pivo – these are also common and slightly sweeter than dark beers elsewhere.)

lehký

light

lehké jídlo (šopský salát – salads find a place on most menus, though Czech food is hardly light fare)

těžký

heavy (also means difficult)

těžké jídlo (smažený sýr – Czech is known for heavy dishes. This is a popular street food – fried cheese and tartar sauce in a bun)

hořký

bitter

hořké jídlo – hořká čokoláda; káva is also a good example of a bitter thing we frequently consume

kyselý

sour

nakládané okurky jsou kyselé

citrón je taky kyselý

sladký

sweet

koláče jsou sladké

slaný

salty

brambůrky jsou slané

ostrý/pálivý/pikantní

spicy (also means sharp)

chilli papriky jsou ostré / pálivé / pikantní (Czech food is rather mild and most foods are not spicy)

drahý

expensive

to je drahé jídlo a drahá restaurace

levný

cheap

rohlíky jsou velmi levné jídlo