Bedeutung
Asking someone to pause.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Czechs often use the diminutive 'chvilku' to make requests sound less like a command. It's a way of being 'softly direct'. Waiters in traditional Czech pubs might say 'Počkejte chvíli' without looking at you. This isn't rude; it means they have a mental queue and you are in it. A 'chvíle' can be anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes. If someone says 'za chvíli' (in a while), don't expect them to be exactly on time. Slovak usage is almost identical ('Počkaj chvíľu'), reflecting the shared linguistic and cultural history of the two nations.
Use the Diminutive
Say 'Počkej chvilku' to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It's much friendlier.
The 'Vy' Rule
If you are in a shop or restaurant, always use 'Počkejte'. Using 'Počkej' can get you bad service!
Bedeutung
Asking someone to pause.
Use the Diminutive
Say 'Počkej chvilku' to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It's much friendlier.
The 'Vy' Rule
If you are in a shop or restaurant, always use 'Počkejte'. Using 'Počkej' can get you bad service!
The Finger Gesture
Often, Czechs will say 'Počkej chvíli' while holding up their index finger. This is a common non-verbal cue.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'počkat' for a formal situation.
________ chvíli, pane Nováku.
With 'pane Nováku', you must use the formal 'Vy' form of the imperative.
Which of these is the most natural way to ask a friend to wait?
Kamaráde, ...
'Počkej' is the correct aspect, and 'chvíli' is the correct case.
Match the phrase to the correct person.
1. Počkej chvíli. 2. Počkejte chvíli.
Informal for family, formal for superiors.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Jdeme do kina? B: ______, musím si vzít bundu.
B needs a moment to get their jacket.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Informal vs. Formal Waiting
Common Time Nouns
Short
- • vteřinu
- • moment
- • chvilku
Medium
- • chvíli
- • minutu
- • pár minut
Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgaben________ chvíli, pane Nováku.
With 'pane Nováku', you must use the formal 'Vy' form of the imperative.
Kamaráde, ...
'Počkej' is the correct aspect, and 'chvíli' is the correct case.
1. Počkej chvíli. 2. Počkejte chvíli.
Informal for family, formal for superiors.
A: Jdeme do kina? B: ______, musím si vzít bundu.
B needs a moment to get their jacket.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's neutral among friends. However, with strangers, it is considered impolite; use 'Počkejte' instead.
'Chvíle' is a native Slavic word, while 'moment' is a loanword. They are interchangeable, but 'chvíle' feels slightly more natural in casual speech.
Yes, it's very common and means 'Wait a second'.
Because it's in the accusative case, which is used to express how long an action lasts.
Say 'Počkej na mě'.
Young people might just say 'Čekej' or 'Momentík'.
It's better to use 'Prosím o strpení' (I ask for patience) in a formal email.
Don't use 'chvíli'. Say 'Bude to trvat déle' (It will take longer).
It can also mean 'Just you wait!' as a mild threat, depending on the tone.
It's a voiceless velar fricative, like the 'ch' in the Scottish 'loch'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Vydrž chvíli
similarHold on / Hang in there
Moment prosím
synonymOne moment please
Měj strpení
specialized formHave patience
Zastav se
contrastStop yourself
Počkej na mě
builds onWait for me
