Tongue Twisters

This is the first post for the ThisIsNotPossible tab in this Czech Language blog. Some might wonder what is behind this cramming of words, but for those who have lived in Prague for an extended period of time like I have, you have come to know this Czech-accented English phrase all too well. Despite the fact that Prague is a major rising star of choice European destinations, the service industry is filled with self-loathing, spiteful people who seem to like nothing more than to tell you they just won't help you simply because they can. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard "This is not possible," I could skip the rest of my grad school plans and retire early in Mallorca. Unfortunately, not only did I not get paid for being perpetually inconvenienced in Prague, I had to continually find loopholes around otherwise simple situations where people just wanted to screw up your plans for no other reason than a hatred for life. Thanks Prague! Anyhow, before I completely did a brain-dump of my Czech language acquisition, I decided to do this blog in order to preserve the dwindling Czech memories before they completely get blocked out like a repressed, traumatic incident. And to make things even more fun (not intentionally intimidating, of course), I thought I'd throw out a few of the tongue twisters I heard before arriving in Prague in 2006. I have to admit I was concerned, but once you master a few of these phrases, the rest of the language won't seem as intimidating...until you get to tenses that is.

At first glance, the Czech language seems almost completely devoid of vowel usage. While this isn't far from the truth, the use of these tricky phrases gives the average foreign language student, whom actually is interested in Czech, the chance to develop the speech patterns needed to grasp Czech conversation. Below is the most frequently referenced Czech tongue-twister, and if you've studied Czech before, you've most likely have already seen it:

Strč prst skrz krk.
Stick your finger through your throat.

Listen to the video for pronunciation and a shout out for Bohemica.com




The rest of the examples below are a few more tongue-twisters for your enjoyment :)

Dalajlama v lomu láme skálu.
Dalai Lama quarries a cliff in a quarry.

Kdy mohou splatiti ti tiší hoši dluh?
When can the silent boys pay you the debt?

Kmotře Petře, nepřepepřete mi toho vepře, jak mi, kmotře Petře, toho vepře přepepříte, tak si toho přepepřeného vepře sám sníte.
Godfather Peter, do not over-pepper the pork, will you over-pepper it, you will have to eat it all yourself.

Koza znezaneřáděná
insatiable goat

Letěl jelen jetelem. Jetelem letěl jelen.
The stag flew through the clover.

Naše lomenice je mezi lomenicemi ta nejlomenicovatější.
Our gable is the best gable of all gables.

Nejkulaťoulinkatější.
most circle-like

Nenaolejuje-li tě Julie, naolejuji Julii já.
If Julia doesn´t oil you, I will oil Julia.

Nejneobhospodařovávatelnější.
The most uncultivatable.

Od poklopu ku poklopu Kyklop kouli koulí.
Cyclope is rolling a ball from from manhole to manhole.

Pan kaplan v kapli plakal.
The chaplain cried in the chapel.

Přišel za mnou jeden Řek, a ten mi řek, abych mu řek, kolik je v Řecku řeckých řek. A já mu řek, že nejsem Řek, abych mu řek, kolik je v Řecku řeckých řek.
A Greek came to me asking for how many Greek rivers are there in Greece. And I told him that I was no Greek to tell how many Greek rivers are there in Greece.

Pštros s pštrosicí a pštrosáčaty šli do pštrosačárny.
A male ostrich with a female ostrich and baby ostriches went to the ostrich house.

Šel pštros s pštrosáčaty pštrosí ulicí.
The ostrich went with its baby-ostrichs through the ostrich street.

Třistatřicettři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes třistatřicettři stříbrných střech.
333 silver sprinklers were spraying over 333 silver roofs.

V hlavní roli lorda Rolfa hrál Vladimír Leraus a na klavír hrála Klára Králová.
The main role of lord Rolf played Vladimir Leraus and the piano was played by Klara Kralova.

Vlk zmrzl, zhltl hrst zrn.
The wolf froze, he swallowed a handful of grains.

Plzeň (Pilsen)

Petřín (Petrin Hill in Prague)