Czech is the official language of the Czech Republic and the primary language of 10.7 million citizens according to the 2021 census. The language belongs to the West Slavic language family alongside Polish and Slovak. Czech uses the Latin alphabet with fifteen diacritical marks including the háček over consonants and the čárka over vowels. The standard written form codified by Josef Dobrovský in the early nineteenth century differs measurably from spoken registers. The Czech Language Institute at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic maintains orthographic standards through continuous revision published in Pravidla českého pravopisu.
English reaches functional conversational levels in Prague where 37 percent of residents reported English proficiency in the 2019 Prague Municipal Survey. The proportion drops to 18 percent in regional capitals and 9 percent in rural municipalities according to the same study. Under-35 Czechs demonstrate the highest English competency due to mandatory English instruction introduced in primary schools in 1990. Over-55 populations more commonly speak German or Russian as second languages reflecting Cold War educational policy. The EF English Proficiency Index 2022 ranked the Czech Republic 21st globally with a score of 584 placing it in the high proficiency band.
German functions as a working language in border regions adjacent to Germany and Austria. Plzeň reports 14 percent German-speaking capacity among service workers according to the 2020 Plzeň Region Language Survey. Karlovy Vary maintains bilingual Czech-German signage in the spa district where German tourists represented 28 percent of overnight stays in 2022 per Czech Statistical Office data. Shops in Český Krumlov staff German speakers during peak tourist months from May through September. The Sudeten German heritage creates residual German literacy among populations over 60 in northern Bohemia particularly around Liberec and Ústí nad Labem.
Russian comprehension persists among Czechs educated before 1990 when Russian was compulsory from fifth grade through university. The 2021 census recorded 31,000 native Russian speakers primarily concentrated in Prague and Brno. Russian signage appears in luxury retail zones on Pařížská Street in Prague where Russian-speaking tourists comprised 4 percent of luxury purchases in 2019 before pandemic disruptions. Most Czechs under 40 possess minimal Russian vocabulary. Street-level service workers in smaller cities rarely speak Russian with Olomouc reporting under 2 percent Russian competency among hospitality staff in a 2021 regional survey.
Slovak functions as a mutually intelligible language with Czech due to shared Czechoslovak state history from 1918 to 1993. Passive comprehension approaches 95 percent according to linguistic studies conducted by Charles University in 2018. Czech television broadcasts Slovak-language programming without subtitles and vice versa. Formal linguistic divergence creates occasional comprehension gaps particularly with technical vocabulary and formal register. Young Czechs born after 1993 demonstrate reduced Slovak comprehension compared to older generations with the Charles University study showing 23 percent lower vocabulary recognition among those under 25.
Prague operates as a bilingual Czech-English environment in districts one through five covering the Old Town, Lesser Town, New Town, and parts of Vinohrady. Restaurant menus appear in Czech and English at 89 percent of establishments in these central districts according to a 2022 Prague Tourism Board audit. Public transportation announcements on metro lines A, B, and C broadcast in Czech and English. Czech remains necessary for administrative interactions at district offices where English interpretation services require advance booking. The Municipal Authority of Prague employs 47 English-speaking staff across district offices as of 2023.
Museums and cultural institutions in Prague maintain English labeling with varying completeness. The National Museum reopened in 2018 with full Czech-English exhibition texts. The National Gallery provides English audio guides at all seven venues but wall text remains Czech-only at the Convent of St. Agnes. Prague Castle offers English-language tours departing hourly from 9:00 to 16:00 daily. Smaller galleries in Malá Strana and Josefov typically provide English information sheets rather than translated wall labels. The Jewish Museum in Prague maintains complete bilingual Czech-English signage installed during the 2019 renovation.
Brno functions primarily in Czech with selective English availability. The city center within the ring road shows English menus at approximately 40 percent of restaurants according to a 2021 survey by Masaryk University Department of Tourism. Larger hotels including the Barceló Brno Palace and Hotel International Brno staff 24-hour English-speaking reception. Smaller pensions and guesthouses outside the center operate Czech-only. Brno's main railway station installed bilingual Czech-English signage in 2020 but ticket counter staff demonstrate variable English proficiency. The Brno Tourist Information Center at Panenská 1 employs English speakers daily from 9:00 to 18:00.
Regional cities operate predominantly in Czech with minimal English infrastructure. Plzeň reports English-speaking staff at 18 percent of restaurants in the city center according to 2022 municipal tourism data. Olomouc's main square shows English menus at approximately one in five establishments. České Budějovice and Hradec Králové function almost entirely in Czech outside four-star hotels. Liberec near the German border shows marginally higher German than English availability. Ostrava in Moravia reports the lowest English proficiency among regional capitals with the 2021 Ostrava Business Survey recording 11 percent English capability in customer-facing positions.
Tourist destinations outside major cities require Czech language capability or structured tour arrangements. Český Krumlov employs English-speaking guides at the State Castle with tours departing at 10:00, 12:00, and 14:00 during high season from April through October. Independent navigation of the castle requires Czech reading ability for informational plaques. Karlštejn Castle provides English audio guides but group tours operate in Czech except for pre-booked English departures on weekends. Kutná Hora's Sedlec Ossuary offers English information pamphlets updated in 2019 but live guides speak Czech unless English is arranged minimum 48 hours advance.
National parks maintain Czech-language trail marking with selective English translation. Šumava National Park installed bilingual Czech-English interpretive panels at 23 major trailheads in 2018. Krkonoše National Park provides English trail maps at visitor centers in Pec pod Sněžkou and Harrachov but trail signage uses Czech only. České Švýcarsko National Park near Děčín offers English-guided hikes departing from Hřensko on Saturdays from May through September. The Pravčická brána natural arch site includes English informational panels installed in 2017. Smaller protected areas including Podyjí National Park and the Moravian Karst operate Czech-only signage.
Railway stations demonstrate inconsistent English implementation. Prague Main Station (Praha hlavní nádraží) provides bilingual announcements and digital displays. Brno Main Station offers English digital boards but announcements remain Czech-only. Regional stations in Plzeň, Olomouc, and České Budějovice display Czech-only information. Czech Railways (České dráhy) website functions in Czech, English, and German but ticket machines at smaller stations operate in Czech only. The RegioJet private railway competitor maintains English-language booking interfaces and onboard announcements on all routes.
Bus terminals operate primarily in Czech. Prague's Florenc bus station installed English signage in 2016 but ticket counters require Czech or rely on pointing and written communication. The Student Agency/RegioJet bus company employs bilingual staff at major terminals and provides English announcements on intercity routes. Municipal bus systems in all cities use Czech-only announcements. The IDOS public transportation app provides English interface but displays Czech station names without translation.
Medical facilities in Prague maintain English-speaking emergency capacity. The Na Homolce Hospital operates a 24-hour English-speaking emergency department and employs international patient coordinators. The Canadian Medical Care clinic at Veleslavínská 30 staffs exclusively English-speaking physicians. Motol University Hospital provides English interpretation for emergency cases but requires advance arrangement for scheduled appointments. Regional hospitals outside Prague rarely maintain English-speaking staff. The Brno University Hospital employs three English-speaking physicians in emergency medicine as of 2023 but most departments operate Czech-only.