Unfortunately, none of us are born with an innate knowledge of proper table manners. Most of the population, over the years, gets used to the idea that it is customary to hold the fork in the left hand, and the knife in the right. Table etiquette has long and firmly entered the life of a civilized society. In decent houses in the Czech Republic, these rules are also observed, but there are also minor differences that are unusual for a Russian person.
For example, classic Russian table etiquette states that if a piece of cutlery or a piece of food has fallen, you should not break loose and look for it under the table. The waiters or the hosts of the evening will do this for you, after the last guest has left the table. In the Czech Republic, they will also not give a look, but then the guest himself will climb to look for the remains of food and appliances, under the guise, of course.
Soup spoon in typical, most likely, will not lie in the main set on the table. It will be brought along with a plate. The same goes for the fish knife.
Following the traditions of generally accepted table etiquette, it is not customary to clink glasses at the table. But these rules, for obvious reasons, are not respected in friendly companies, neither in Russia nor in the Czech Republic. If you happen to be at the same table with the Czechs, do not be surprised if, after a short toast " Nazdravi "("To your health"), all the "clinking glasses" will try to look into your eyes. So, according to tradition, honest, good intentions towards the audience were expressed at the table. At first, this is very unusual, given that the Russians are looking at the glasses. But gradually, for many, this tradition becomes a habit.
Another unusual thing for us is blowing your nose at the table. According to our accepted etiquette, you can gently wipe your nose, covering your handkerchief with your hand, or go to the restroom. The Czechs do not hesitate to give out roulades worthy of Indian elephants, believing that everything that is natural is not ugly.
The vast majority of Czech couples in a restaurant ask for a separate bill, even if it's a wedding anniversary or International Women's Day (and this holiday is remembered with nostalgia). It is not clear whether this is due to the widespread European emancipation of women or the habit of maintaining a separate budget. In any case, ladies should not flatter themselves about free food or drink. In order to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the end of the dinner, you can discuss the payment of the bill in advance.
Real beer is served with a dripping head of foam. Do not be indignant that the glass is wet and wipe it with a napkin. Usually, the handle of the mug remains dry, and the foam flows onto a special stand (tats / tac) . If you want to please the waiter, prepare this coaster in advance, it usually makes them kinder.
In some establishments, after the second mug of beer, they will pour you another beer without asking if you want it or not. In this case, it is better to immediately indicate how much beer you are going to drink.
Do not forget that in any Czech restaurant they carefully look at how you put cutlery on a plate. Do not be offended if you have not finished your meal yet, but the plate has already been taken away. Most likely, you folded the instruments according to the classical generally accepted pattern at 4:20, that is, if you imagine the plate as a clock face, the fork and knife, acting as hands, indicate exactly this time. In order for the plate not to be carried away, it is enough to put the cutlery crosswise.
Czech spring rolls should be served with a spoon and fork. In this case, the spoon is held with the right hand, cut off and eaten with it. The fork in the left hand serves as an auxiliary device.
Each country has its own, national features of feasts. In Mongolia, a great assessment of the hostess's cooking is a loud burp. In Russia, according to the observation of one of my Czech acquaintances, they eat LONG, with vodka and a snack. In France, it is absolutely decent to collect leftover food from a plate with bread. Some orthodox Asians also eat soup with chopsticks. In any case, the main thing at the table is to remain a decent person, showing respect for neighbors, waiters or hosts of the evening.
When greeting each other, men shake hands and say ahoj, cau, dobrý den, dobré ráno (jitro) or dobrý večer depending on the situation and level of acquaintance. In general, you can often hear zdravím - "greetings". Saying goodbye, say dobrou noc ("good night") or na shledano ("goodbye"). The words dekuji ("thank you") and prosim ("please") sound constantly - the Czechs are very sensitive to the politeness of the conversation, especially with respect to strangers, everything is much easier with friends.
Everyone always greets each other, especially in the provinces. Even if people meet each other several times a day, they quite naturally greet each other time after time. It is just as natural to greet everyone present in a store or office, but when meeting in a friendly company, a whole ritual of mutual health wishes begins. However, it is unlikely that anyone will be interested in the affairs or health of the interlocutor in reality - a clear distance of "personal space" is maintained here. At the same time, if two people accidentally collide on the street, then it doesn’t matter who is really to blame - both will apologize to each other.
Addressing each other by name is usually only possible between friends. In an official setting, this is completely unacceptable - it is worth using the treatment "mister" or "madam" - and the surname. Sometimes they say "Mr. Professor" or "Mr. Doctor" in a Western manner, but this is more often used in business circles. Interestingly, even in the postal address, the Czech is likely to write "Ms. So-and-so", and only doctors use direct address. Therefore, any signs of familiarity here should be excluded.
And at the same time, it is customary to share a table with strangers in catering places. Question je fu volno? ("is it free here?") is the standard form of address in such a situation, and rarely anyone refuses, even if there is only one "extra" place. When food is brought to the neighbors on the table, it is customary to wish them a pleasant appetite (dobrou chut), and when leaving - to say goodbye (na shledanou) to the companions, even if they are completely unfamiliar.
Unlike many other European countries, the Czech Republic did not fall victim to "pseudo-gender equality" - men here still try to adhere to the classic etiquette regarding the weaker sex. When a woman and a man meet, the latter will definitely wait until they give him a hand; at the entrance to a public institution, the man will go first and will definitely hold the door. If a woman enters the house towards her, the man will wait for her, also holding the door, and only then will he leave. Often in such cases, especially in the provinces, you can see the gallant raising of the headdress as a sign of greeting, but this is rather just an element of chic. However, in a business setting and between strangers, it is quite acceptable to be the first to reach out to a woman for acquaintance.
Czechs value seriousness and balance in other people, so "you" and "you" here carry the same semantic load as we do. "You" is a generally accepted form of addressing strangers, and in order to switch to "you" it is necessary to obtain consent to this from the interlocutor. Moreover, in the case of a woman, it is she who should initiate the simplification of formalities, a man should not make such a request to a person.
In conversations, too fast speech is not welcome - this is considered a sign of confusion in the head and inability to clearly formulate one's thought. Also, all sorts of controversial and "conflicting" topics, vulgar phrases, the expression of too bright rejection of someone's opinion or way of life, and so on, are not supported.
Czechs are very hospitable, but only close friends are invited to the house. Even birthdays and name days are most often celebrated somewhere in the city - in a restaurant or cafe. Therefore, the offer to pay a visit should be taken as a sign of serious trust and, accordingly, accompanied by a similar gesture on the part of the guest. Be sure to buy flowers for the hostess and small gifts for family members, especially children. Some kind of offering to the table, like a bottle of good wine, will also be useful. Although, by and large, all this is discussed in advance - like the Germans, the Czechs are very punctual, so both the time and the place will definitely become a subject of discussion. When entering the house, you should definitely take off your shoes - they love cleanliness here, so stockings and socks are unlikely to be damaged at least, and many families have special guest slippers.
It is characteristic that when inviting guests to a restaurant, the birthday person is not at all obliged to feed and water everyone at his own expense! Usually he just pays everyone for a drink and some initial set of dishes, and the rest of the guests order themselves. At the same time, the number of guests is considered an indicator of respect for the "hero of the occasion", so in many pubs or taverns (in Czech - hospoda, hospůdka) in the evenings it can simply be crowded with people. In the provinces, community holidays are still not uncommon, at which the entire district gathers. At the same time, the mayor's office or magistrate also exposes a small "starting" table - and the rest the guests either carry with them or order and pay for themselves.
At the same time, in a situation close to business, the Czechs, as a "host" consider it important to pay for the entire table, regardless of the level of the event. Taking into account the fact that the standard of living here is still somewhat lower than it is customary to think about it, the rules of good manners recommend compensating these costs to one degree or another - either with a reciprocal feast or in the form of some small presents.
Czechs love to talk about themselves, their country or village, they are very passionate about their history and folklore. Many legends and epics are perceived by them as the primary source of knowledge, so sometimes you can find very unusual interpretations of many historical events. It is strongly not recommended to convince them of this - not only do they themselves firmly believe in what they say, but an attempt to challenge it can be perceived as disrespect. However, the Czechs themselves rarely give radical assessments of someone else's history or culture, so by and large there are no special problems here.
Etiquette - when you behave a little better than it is absolutely necessary. (Will Cappy)
1) Silence rule. Czechs prefer to communicate quietly. They believe that everyone has the right to silence. When someone speaks loudly, this is a violation of the sound space of other people. As soon as the Czechs hear a loud speech, they will first look accusingly, then they can do it. There are people around you and they don't have to hear you. They even make such remarks to their children and teenagers. They understand that it is difficult for young people to control their voice timbre, especially when they are in some kind of excited emotional state. By the way, the Czechs even try to play sports games quietly so as not to disturb others.
Therefore, while relaxing in the park, you will enjoy the silence, even if there are people and children around. In residential areas, it would never occur to anyone to talk loudly near the entrance or turn on the music so that it can be heard by the neighbors. The Czechs consider themselves an educated and cultured nation, and loud speech is a sign of ill-mannered and uncultured people. And then, you remember, your favorite Czech cartoon about a mole. And the mole loves silence :) This is our favorite cartoon "Well, you wait!".
So, loud speech, laughter and other loud sounds made by you will immediately turn the Czechs against you.
2) The rule of calm. In communicating with people, the Czechs prefer a calm tone and do not accept any waving of their hands to express their feelings and emotions. If you talk restlessly, wave your arms, they will think that you are some kind of wild. For them, this is a signal of danger. They will just stay as far away from you as possible and try to get away as quickly as possible. They may even give a comment that you are some kind of strange.
So, violent emotional communication, especially with intense gesticulation (even if the emotions are positive), causes Czech tension and a sense of danger.
3) The rule of respect for personal space: physical and internal.
In communicating with people, the Czechs are very careful about personal space. They never touch each other with their hands. Even if in the crowd, they accidentally hit a passerby, they immediately try to sincerely apologize. I’ll fly to pat a Czech in order to turn to him, it’s generally unacceptable.
It is clear that in the Czech Republic everywhere in public places, for example, in banks or pharmacies, a discrete zone is outlined. This is the distance of one person who is at the cash desk from other people standing in line. As a rule, this distance is 1-1.5 meters. This zone cannot be crossed until the person has moved away from the cash register, even if it is very necessary to “just ask”. You have to wait your turn and only then ask. Czechs react to people who do not observe the discrete zone with undisguised discontent and will almost certainly reprimand you.
Few of our compatriots pay attention to the fact that buses and trams also have a discrete zone where you can’t be. This is the area between the driver and the front door.
As for the inner personal space. You often see this picture when tourists need to ask about something. For example, our people approach a policeman and ask: “Please tell me how you can get to the Charles Bridge.” From our point of view, we approached culturally, culturally asked. But, for the Czechs, this is tactless and uncultured behavior.
First, you didn't say hello. Secondly, you did not ask about whether it is possible to disturb him now, whether he now has the opportunity to talk at all. You approached and violated his inner personal space without his permission. The police are already used to it, so after the question is asked, they will look at you with a polite smile and say “Hello”. After a return greeting, they will politely allow you to violate the interior space with the words: “Tell me, what did you want to ask me about?”.
Even any telephone conversation in the Czech Republic begins with the question: “Is it convenient for you to talk now, can you talk?”. On the street, before asking a question, you must say: “Can I ask you?” or “Can you help me?”.
Even in the clinic, at the bank, at the post office and other places where there are queues, people do not ask: “Who is the last one?”. There are 2 options. First - you will be called at the time for which you are recorded. The second - there is an electronic queue apparatus.
4) Gratitude Rule. When we ask another person about something and they answered our question. In most cases, we are already concentrating on the information received. We ponder the answer: “What did he say to me? Where is it?" and sometimes we completely forget to say “thank you”, or even better, “thank you very much”. Even when we say words of gratitude, somehow under our breath. There is such a feature not to notice the people around you. The people who answer us, surround us, serve us.
For example, once I had lunch with a Russian friend. We ordered several dishes in one of the Czech restaurants. She ate a few spoonfuls of soup.
- Well, nothing like that.
Then I tried the second dish, leaving it almost untouched. I personally enjoyed eating everything. When we drank coffee with a cake, I told her:
- You know, in the Czech Republic in restaurants, if you are not finished with a dish, then you can safely take the food with you. And it’s so easy to try everything and leave everything ... not quite a sign of good taste. She was indignant.
- What am I going to take, what I didn’t eat?
Then I asked her:
When the waitress comes, thank her for the food. And tell me, please, that everything was delicious.
She did just that. The waitress was happy.
Thanks, I'll be sure to tell the chef. And then he was worried and wondered why you didn’t eat enough.
My friend blushed a little, got embarrassed and asked to be translated.
– Everything was delicious, I’m just not hungry, but I wanted to try Czech cuisine. I would love to take food with me, but I am a tourist and I have nowhere to warm it up later.
The waitress smiled.
- I understand, everything is fine.
When she moved away from our table, my friend said:
“It never crossed my mind that the chef might be worried about what I didn’t eat.
“Well, yes, he cooked for you.
- Strange, but I mean that there - there is a person in the kitchen who cooked for me. I never thought about it before.
5) greeting rule. A greeting is a ritual for bringing a person into contact with another person. With this ritual, we demonstrate our benevolent attitude. Therefore, in the Czech Republic it is obligatory to always say: good morning, good afternoon, etc. If a person is turned sideways or back to you, then you can address him with the words: “Рrosím”, this is our please + request.
At the very beginning of my stay in the Czech Republic, the following situation occurred. I went to the store to buy a pen. Went to the counter. A man in front of me was making a purchase. I got up behind him. When he paid off, he did not move away from the counter and began to examine what he had already bought. The saleswoman saw me.
- Good afternoon.
- Good afternoon.
- Do you want to buy something?
Yes, I want to buy a pen.
The man was still standing in front of me, shielding the display case where the pen lay.
“Now I can’t show which one, because the pan is standing in front of me.
The man turned and glared at me.
Do you talk like that at home too?
He left the store. I stood there trying to figure out what was my mistake? I turned to the saleswoman for help.
– Can you help me? What did I say wrong?
She smiled politely.
- It's impossible to explain.
When I left the store, I realized what was the matter. After I was asked which pen I wanted, I had to turn to the man: “Please, can I show the saleswoman the pen I need?”. I did not perform the ritual for making contact and did not demonstrate my benevolent attitude towards the person. So he spoke to me very unkindly.
You can, of course, focus on the fact that the Czechs do not like Russians. But then I will not analyze what mistakes in communication I make. Moreover, the Czechs have two opposite images of a Russian person:
The idea of an intellectual, a bearer of the culture of Chekhov, Dostoevsky, etc.,
The notion of a not very cultured person.
The Czechs are expected to react quite aggressively to barbaric behavior. And they have a completely different attitude towards educated and cultured people: respectful and benevolent. Although not everything is so simple and yet.
If you do not want to get into an accident, follow the rules of the road. So here, if you want to be ranked among the educated carriers of culture, try to follow the above rules. And remember: etiquette is when you behave a little better than it is absolutely necessary.
The main thing is calmness, smile and politeness.
The feeling of comfort has always been, is and will be one of the most pleasant… The ability to negotiate and navigate in another country with a different language is part of this very comfort. Therefore, when we go on a trip, we usually take a phrase book with us. The Czech Republic is no exception. Despite some similarities, the Czech language is quite complex and differs from Russian in the meaning of most similar words, in the construction of the sentence, and in the pronunciation itself. An interesting fact is that the stress in the Czech word is always on the first vowel, but when you listen to the Czech speech, it will not seem so to you. It's all about the long vowels, which sound stronger than the first stress, at least it seems so. In general, it hardly makes sense to try to learn Czech a week before a trip to Prague or three hours on a plane. But learning a few phrases will not be superfluous at all.
- Good early! Good day! Good evening! Good night!- (I won’t even translate this ...)
- Dequay! Decoy to you! Dekui you mots krat!- Thanks! Thank you! Thank you very much!
- Prominte! (Sorry!)- Sorry! (if you accidentally step on someone’s foot, this apology will be quite enough, while a slightly embarrassed, but friendly smile is very appropriate, but by no means joyful ...)
- Tso shi date? (Tso shi date to piti?)- What do you want? (What will you drink?) - it is with this phrase, as a rule, that all waiters begin, as soon as you sit down at a table ...
- Pane, we ask you for two beers, one velke light and one male black.- Please, two beers, one large light and one small dark (pane - this is how they refer to a man regardless of age), and if you ask for a beer and do not specify whether it is large or small, then do not hesitate - you will get a large one. In Czech, “two beers” will be correct, and in Russian “two beers” ... it’s on such trifles that even the most real spies are pierced :)
- Pani (slachno), please, eat some kava.- One more coffee, please. If at the same time you gesticulate, then show your thumb rather than your index finger, otherwise you risk being misunderstood ... If you are addressing a woman, then say - pani, if you are talking to a girl - sweetly, if you confuse, then do not be surprised, the reaction may be different …
- We ask you two times (three times, four times, drink times, six times...) stake.- Two Coke, please (three Coke, four Coke, five Coke, six Coke...)
- Mate menu in rushtina?- Do you have a menu in Russian?
- Do you speak Russian?- Can we count on you to serve us and tell us everything in Russian? :)))
- Good fuck!- Enjoy your meal!
- Ano- Yes,
- Ne- Not
- Order (ordered)- Ban (forbidden) - I assure you, this is not the funniest Czech-Russian word ...
- A shame!- Attention!
- Sunset- Toilet
- Ovotse- Fruit
- Welcome!- Good!
- How much do you stand?- How much does it cost?
- We pay (we pay)- The check, please.
- Please, where is the entry?- Tell me, please, where is the toilet? (this is a very necessary phrase in life ...). By the way, there are toilets at every metro station, and the pleasure will cost you 5-10 kroons, in shopping centers it is usually free. Well, if you feel like it, then you can safely go to any nearest cafe (but you will need to quickly figure out where to go next, the toilets here are sometimes disguised, and sometimes locked ...), well, or in the end, offer the bartender any along the way establishments also 10 kroons for visiting the toilet and they will show you the right direction (no matter how many times they offered, they never charged me).
- Happy!- Allow me to pass! (this is not a question “permit me to pass?”, This is essentially a warning, you can say - like a whistle of a steam locomotive ... In transport here in Prague it is generally not customary to ask whether a person gets off at the next stop or not ... Czechs, as a rule, pronounce a whistle phrase and almost immediately they begin to move forward, saying “whoever didn’t hide - I’m not to blame”, and it’s considered good form to hear this phrase, understand and quickly clear the road - for this they usually say “thank you!” ... By the way, you can also safely use this reception both in transport and on the streets of Prague, and in general always when someone interferes with your movement).
- Yizdenka- ticket (for the tram). introductory- ticket (to the museum, zoo). Latanka- flight ticket).
- Prishti screensaver…- Next stop…
- On shladenou!- Goodbye!
Here's Czech-Russian to help you toodictionary.
In general, many Czechs who deal with tourists can communicate in Russian, English, German, Italian, and Spanish ... So, try and experiment. The history of the Czech Republic does not yet know a single case of a tourist dying of starvation in Prague due to ignorance of the Czech language ... Everyone agrees. At least in the center of Prague you will be understood almost everywhere in Russian. Smile and in every possible way show a respectful and friendly attitude towards others, the result will not be long in coming.
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