Learning to count in Czech is one of the fundamental steps in mastering the basics of this West Slavic language. Here we will go through the Czech numbers and provide some counting tips along with vocabulary definitions and example sentences for each number.

Nula is the Czech word for zero. It’s used in various contexts, from mathematics to everyday life, where the concept of ‘none’ is needed.

Na stůl jsem položil nula knih.

Jedna (feminine), jeden (masculine), and jedno (neuter) all mean one in Czech. The word changes depending on the gender of the noun it is describing.

Mám pouze jedna sestra.

Dva (masculine), dvě (feminine and neuter) translate to two. Similar to ‘jeden,’ ‘dva’ changes form based on the gender.

Kup mi prosím dva rohlíky.

Tři stands for three and is used universally for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns.

Tři psi běhali v parku.

Čtyři is the number four and, like ‘tři’, does not change with gender.

Na stromě bylo čtyři jablka.

Pět corresponds to the number five and is also universally used.

Ve třídě bylo pět stolů.

Šest means six, which, continuing the trend, is gender-neutral.

Nakoupil jsem šest lahví vody.

Sedm is the number seven in Czech.

Měla sedm štěňat.

Osm is the Czech word for eight.

Na oslavě bylo osm lidí.

Devět stands for nine.

Vydělal jsem devět stokorun.

Deset equates to the number ten.

Učitel nasbíral deset listů papíru.

For numbers eleven through nineteen, Czech uses a combination of the base number (1-9) plus the suffix ‘náct’, which is similar to the English ‘teen’. For instance:

Jedenáct (eleven).

Bylo tam jedenáct stánků.

Dvanáct (twelve).

Našel jsem dvanáct mušlí na pláži.

And so on.

When reaching multiples of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.), Czech utilizes the base of ‘deset’ (ten) with a multiplier in front. For example:

Dvacet (twenty), which is composed of ‘dvacet’ and ‘deset’.

Dostal jsem k narozeninám dvacet různých pohlednic.

Třicet (thirty) is ‘tři’ (three) and ‘deset’ combined.

Na dortu bylo třicet svíček.

For counting beyond the basics, Czech continues with compound numbers, such as:

Dvacet jedna (twenty-one) is simply twenty (dvacet) plus one (jedna).

Na účet jsem vložil dvacet jedna korun.

Třicet dva (thirty-two) consists of thirty (třicet) plus two (dva).

V knihovně bylo třicet dva knih.

Understanding the pattern, you can combine any of the base numbers with ‘deset’ to form larger numbers.

For numbers in the hundreds, Czech uses ‘sto’, a hundred:

Sto (one hundred).

Na školení přišlo sto lidí.

For greater numbers such as one thousand, ten thousand, or one million, Czech uses ’tisíc’, ‘deset tisíc’, and ‘milion’ respectively:

Tisíc (one thousand).

Ve firmě je přes tisíc zaměstnanců.

Deset tisíc (ten thousand).

Při sčítání lidu bylo zaznamenáno deset tisíc obyvatel.

Milion (one million).

Ve městě žije téměř milion obyvatel.

Learning Czech numbers and counting is a process that requires practice and repetition. By understanding the basic structures and patterns, you will find it easier to grasp larger numbers and use them accurately in everyday conversations.