Let your mouth take a walk

Hello and welcome to another edition of SoundCzech, Radio Prague’s Czech language course in which you can learn new phrases with the help of song lyrics. Today’s song is by the group Alkehol and is called Nesmíš se vzdát – you mustn’t give up. The phrase to look out for is in the refrain – život ti hubu kolikrát nabije.

The phrase “život ti hubu kolikrát nabije” means “life beats you up from time to time”. The word I want to look at is “huba”– which is the slang word for mouth and unacceptable in formal speech, but can be found in many colourful expressions used daily. “Dostat na hubu” is to get a beating and “padnout na hubu” is to fall flat on your mouth. “Chceš na hubu?” is a phrase you may hear when there is a fight brewing –and it means – are you looking for a fight?

Photo: Kristýna Maková

“Per huba” means by word of mouth. And my favourite phrase with the word huba is “pustit si hubu na špacír” meaning literally to let your mouth take a walk – and refers to the times when you say something you shouldn’t have and would have been better advised to keep your mouth shut. It applies to cases where you speak faster than you think. Another way to say the same is the expression “řiká co mu slina na jazyk přinese” meaning he says whatever the saliva brings to his tongue. A more kindly expression for frank and well-meaning people who will tell you that your new hairstyle is awful is “co na srdci to na jazyku”– whatever their heart feels their tongue will tell you.

When a person gives as good as they get –and is extremely outspoken you may hear people say about them “má hubu prořízlou” or “pusu prořízlou”– with the formal expression for mouth being “pusa”. It means their mouth is cut open –as opposed to lips that are clamped tight. Someone is who “hubatá”– all mouth –is brazen or insolent.

And finally, the not so pretty word “huba” has led to the sweet and old fashioned “hubička”– meaning kiss. That’s all for today’s Czech lesson. This is Daniela Lazarová saying thanks for learning Czech with me and na shledanou.