chléb
[ˈxlɛːp]masculine
Bread in Czech is chléb. Wiktionary also lists chleba.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Czech | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chléb | [ˈxlɛːp] (narrow) | masculine |
| chleba | [ˈxlɛba] (narrow) | masculine |
The word refers to baked dough made from cereals.
Which one should you use?
While chléb is the standard masculine form, the form chleba is used in informal, colloquial speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
chléb is used in formal situations, such as when asking Přinesete mi prosím chléb? (Could you please bring me some bread?). The form chleba is informal, used in phrases like Podáš mi chleba? (Will you pass me the bread?).
How does it change in a sentence?
In colloquial speech, when bread is the object of a verb, such as 'to eat', the standard form chléb often shifts to the accusative form chleba.
Did you know?
- In Czech culture, it is considered extremely unlucky to place a loaf of chléb upside down on a table. Doing so is traditionally believed to bring bad luck or poverty to the household.
- Czech people frequently use the word rohlík to describe a specific type of bread roll, but the word literally translates to 'little horn'.
- The word chléb is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'loaf'. Both words stem from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- V troubě je chléb.There's bread in the oven.This sentence is useful for stating that chléb is in the oven.Tatoeba #8641564 by Ergulis, translation #6439719 by CK
- Ten kluk jí chleba.The boy is eating bread.This sentence shows the informal use of chleba as an object.Tatoeba #6897383 by Ergulis, translation #881343 by Zifre
- Koupím sýr a chléb.I'll buy some cheese and bread.This sentence demonstrates using chléb when purchasing items.Tatoeba #8430099 by Ergulis, translation #1359295 by CK
- Ano, děkuji. Já si dám polévku a chleba, prosím.Yes, thank you. I'll have soup and bread, please.
- Udělal jsem domácí těstoviny s omáčkou a chlebem.I made homemade pasta with sauce and bread.
- 106 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kateřina and Tomáš are in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
- KateřinaChceš k snídani čerstvý chléb?Do you want fresh bread for breakfast?
- TomášAno, ten chléb vypadá velmi dobře.Yes, that bread looks very good.
- KateřinaMůžeš mi ho prosím nakrájet?Can you please slice it for me?
- TomášJasně, hned to udělám.Sure, I'll do it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries chléb, chleba, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chléb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
