Ways to say it
| Czech | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| prase | [ˈprasɛ] (narrow) | neuter |
| vepř | [ˈvɛpr̝̊] (narrow) | masculine |
| svině | [ˈsvɪɲɛ] (narrow) | feminine |
prase refers to the mammal of the family Suidae. It is also used idiomatically in the phrase jíst jako prase, which means to eat greedily or messily, much like the English expression "to eat like a pig".
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on context and gender. vepř is the masculine form used specifically in culinary contexts, often appearing in compounds such as vepřové to refer to pork or pig meat. svině is the feminine form used as a pejorative to describe a person as a pig, a scoundrel or a dirty person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word has different grammatical genders: prase is neuter, vepř is masculine and svině is feminine.
When do people say it?
In Czech, calling someone svině is a common way to insult them, functioning similarly to calling someone a "bastard" or a "jerk" in English.
Did you know?
- In Czech culture, the pig is often associated with prosperity, which is why a common New Year's Eve tradition involves eating pork for good luck.
- The word svině traces its roots back to the same Proto-Indo-European source as the English word 'swine'.
- The term svině is feminine in grammatical gender, even if the person being insulted is a man.
Examples in context
- Nesahej na mě, prase!Don't touch me, you pig!This sentence shows how to use prase as an insult.Tatoeba #3970337 by lovermann, translation #2396020 by CK
- Kdysi jsem jedl jako prase.I used to eat like a pig.This sentence demonstrates the idiom for eating greedily using prase.Tatoeba #7530960 by nueby, translation #1724649 by CM
- Hladovém praseti se zdá o žaludech.A hungry pig dreams of acorns.This sentence uses the neuter form prase in a proverbial context.Tatoeba #12198643 by aldar, translation #818080 by Cindrogriza
- Rád bych si koupil jedno prase na farmě.I would like to buy a pig at the farm.
- Viděl jsi to roztomilé prasátko? Je fakt úžasné!Have you seen that cute piglet? It's really amazing!
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jana and Lukáš are visiting a farm.
- JanaPodívej se, to malé prase spí!Look, that little pig is sleeping!
- LukášJe to opravdu roztomilé zvířátko.It is a really cute animal.
- JanaMyslíš, že můžeme to prase nakrmit?Do you think we can feed the pig?
- LukášZeptej se nejprve farmáře.Ask the farmer first.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries prase, vepř, svině, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries prase, svině, vepř, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
