Significado
To be a thief or influential
Contexto cultural
The phrase is often used in political satire and cartoons, where politicians are drawn with literally long fingers reaching into bags of money or government buildings. In many post-communist countries, there is a shared linguistic and cultural understanding of 'invisible influence' due to the history of the secret police. Classic Czech authors like Karel Čapek used such idioms to describe the 'little man' vs. the 'powerful system.' The term 'kmotr' (godfather) is often paired with this idiom to describe the business-political nexus.
Don't use it for friends
Unless you are joking, calling a friend 'dlouhoprstý' is a serious insult.
Use with 'všude'
To sound more native, say 'má prsty všude' (he has fingers everywhere) to describe someone very powerful.
Significado
To be a thief or influential
Don't use it for friends
Unless you are joking, calling a friend 'dlouhoprstý' is a serious insult.
Use with 'všude'
To sound more native, say 'má prsty všude' (he has fingers everywhere) to describe someone very powerful.
Political context
You will see this phrase in almost every Czech political talk show.
Teste-se
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'mít'.
Ten politik _____ dlouhé prsty v celé zemi.
'Ten politik' is 3rd person singular (he), so the correct form is 'má'.
What does the phrase mean in this context?
Pozor na něj, má dlouhé prsty. Včera mi zmizela peněženka.
The mention of a missing wallet indicates the 'thief' meaning.
Match the Czech idiom with its English equivalent sense.
Match the following:
These are all correct pairings of the idiom's various senses and related forms.
Complete the dialogue with the appropriate phrase.
A: Jak mohl ten vězeň utéct? B: Nevím, ale jeho rodina ____.
The context of a prisoner escaping suggests outside influence or 'reach'.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosTen politik _____ dlouhé prsty v celé zemi.
'Ten politik' is 3rd person singular (he), so the correct form is 'má'.
Pozor na něj, má dlouhé prsty. Včera mi zmizela peněženka.
The mention of a missing wallet indicates the 'thief' meaning.
Combine cada item a esquerda com seu par a direita:
These are all correct pairings of the idiom's various senses and related forms.
A: Jak mohl ten vězeň utéct? B: Nevím, ale jeho rodina ____.
The context of a prisoner escaping suggests outside influence or 'reach'.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
8 perguntasYes, almost exclusively. It implies theft or unfair influence. You wouldn't use it for a doctor who has a 'reach' in saving lives.
Yes, 'Ona má dlouhé prsty' is perfectly correct.
There isn't a direct 'short fingers' idiom. You would say someone is 'poctivý' (honest) or 'má čisté ruce' (has clean hands).
It's more of an informal idiom. It's widely understood and used in newspapers, so it's not restricted to street slang.
No. While tall people might have long fingers, the phrase is never used to describe height.
No, 'palce' means thumbs. The idiom only works with 'prsty' (fingers).
Very. Especially in Czech crime thrillers and political dramas.
You would say 'On je dlouhoprsťák' or 'On má dlouhé prsty'.
Frases relacionadas
Mít nenechavé prsty
synonymTo be prone to stealing or touching things.
Mít v tom prsty
similarTo be involved in something (usually bad).
Koukat někomu pod prsty
relatedTo watch someone closely while they work.
Pálit si prsty
contrastTo get into trouble by interfering.
