Water, water, everywhere

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 Hradišťan and is called Modlitba za Vodu - Prayer for the Water. The phrase to listen out for is “voda má rozpuštěné vlasy”.

Floods in Prague

The word “voda” is one you are likely to use frequently –it means water. If you order water at a restaurant you will need to say whether you want it “perlivá” or “neperlivá”– carbonated or still water. The phrase “voda má rozpuštěné vlasy” means “water wears her hair loose” – and is not something you are likely to be telling anyone in Czech. So let’s concentrate on the words “voda” and “vlasy” the latter meaning hair.

If you hear the phrase “velká voda” it means trouble because “big water” is one way of describing a big flood. Czechs also use the biblical phrase living water which is “živá voda”. And you may also come across “stojatá voda” which means stagnant water and refers to a stagnant state of affairs. Czechs also say “mnoho vody pod mostem” meaning a lot of water has passed under the bridge – or it has been a long time since….or “krev není voda” which is the Czech equivalent of blood is thicker than water.

Now let us look at the word hair “vlasy”. There are three nice phrases relating to hair in Czech. One is “přitažený za vlasy” which is used when one wants to say that a theory or comparison is unlikely or forced – in other words has been dragged by the hair where it does not belong. The phrase “viset na vlásku” means to “hang by a hair” and means that something is close to breaking point. And there is also “na vlas stejný” meaning that one thing resembles another like one hair resembles another hair.

And that’s all I have for you today – come to think of it one final phrase that you may need urgently – “neteče voda” literally means – the water’s not running -or my water supply has been cut off – just in case, not that its likely to happen or anything. This is Daniela Lazarová saying thanks for learning Czech with me and na shledanou!