Until the End of Time

Hello and welcome to a fresh edition of SoundCzech, Radio Prague’s Czech language course in which you can learn new phrases with the help of song lyrics. The word for today is věk – meaning a time or age. We will be listening to the song V blbým věku sung by Xindl X and Olga Königová.

Illustrative photo: Archive of Radio Prague

In the song, Xindl X and Olga Königová sing “včera mi bylo málo, dneska je mi moc, jak se to stalo nevim – každopádně jsem zas v blbým věku.” This means that “yesterday I was too young, today I am too old, how it happened I don’t know – but in any case I am once again at a lousy age.” We can assume that the narrator no longer feels that he is in the prime of his life – v nejlepším věku.

Someone who is mature or adult is said to be v zralým věku– a ripe age. In contrast, to live to a ripe old age is dožít se požehnaného věku or dožít se vysokého věku.Být v důchodovém věku is to be in retirement age. An age difference is described as a věkový rozdíl.

The old fashioned expressions na věky věků and na věky věkoucí mean for ever and ever, or until the end of time. If something is age old is said to be věkovitý, for instance an age old tree would be a věkovitý strom.

Just as in English, věky are used to describe various periods of time, such as the atomic age – atomový věk, the golden age – zlatý věk, and the technical age – věk techniky. Třetí věk signifies third wave. A věk is also used to describe childhood, chlapecký věk is boyhood and dívčí věk means girlhood.

Finally, to pass away is usnout na věky– literally translated it means to fall asleep for the rest of time.