brzy na shledanou
The English phrase "see you soon" is translated into Czech as brzy na shledanou.
This phrase is used as an interjection to say goodbye.
Meaning: goodbye (intj)
Did you know?
- If you are in a hurry, you might skip the formal na shledanou entirely. In casual settings, many Czechs simply say Ahoj to mean both 'hello' and 'goodbye'.
- The word brzy descends from the Proto-Slavic *bъrzъ, which originally meant 'quick'. Over time, it shifted from describing the speed of an action to describing the shortness of time before an event.
- Czech has a distinct 'formal' goodbye system. Using na shledanou with a peer or a child can sound ironically stiff or overly polite, almost as if you are teasing them.
Example conversation
Tereza and Jan are finishing a meeting at a cafe.
- TerezaTo bylo skvělé kafe.That was a great coffee.
- JanSouhlasím, bylo to super.I agree, it was great.
- TerezaMusím už jít, brzy na shledanou!I have to go now, see you soon!
- JanTěším se, ahoj!I'm looking forward to it, bye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brzy, na, CC BY-SA 4.0.
