Navigating Czech Dates: How to Ask About Birthdays

THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: DATUM/DATE

THE TRANSCRIPT/HANDOUT IS DOWN BELOW

Today’s episode is all about questions such as WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? or WHAT MONTH WERE YOU BORN IN?

Understanding Czech Birthdays

When discussing birthdays in Czech, one interesting aspect is how the language uses the plural form for the word “birthday.” So, when you’re asking, „Kdy máte narozeniny?“ you’re literally asking „When do you have birthdays?“ This is important to remember, as it can be a bit tricky for English speakers.

1. Formal Situations
   In situations where you need to use formal language, such as talking to authorities, you will ask (or rather they will ask you):
   • Kdy máte narozeniny?
     Translation: When is your birthday?
     This question uses the formal „máte“ form. When answering formally, you might say, „Mám narozeniny 1. srpna,“ meaning „I have a birthday on August 1st.“
2. Informal Conversations
   When speaking to friends, the language is more relaxed:
   • Kdy máš narozeniny?
     Translation: When is your birthday?
     Here, „máš“ is the informal version. Your response can be, „Mám narozeniny 1. srpna,“ which translates to “My birthday is on August 1st.”

Discussing Birth Dates

Let’s move on to how you ask about someone’s birth date. This is useful for formal documents or casual chats:

• Formal (Asking a Male): Kdy jste se narodil?
  Translation: When were you born?
• Formal (Asking a Female): Kdy jste se narodila?
  Translation: When were you born?
  For an informal setting, addressing someone casually:
• Informal (Asking a Male): Kdy ses narodil? – you may also hear this version (which is totally incorrect: Kdy si* se* narodil? – yes, lots of Czech people struggle with Czech grammar.
  Translation: When were you born?
• Informal (Asking a Female): Kdy ses narodila?
  Translation: When were you born?

Regarding responses:

• For Men: Narodil jsem se…
  Translation: I was born on…
• For Women: Narodila jsem se…
  Translation: I was born on…

What Month Were You Born In?

In formal settings:

• Male: V jakém měsíci jste se narodil?
  Translation: What month were you born in?
• Female: V jakém měsíci jste se narodila?
  Translation: What month were you born in?

Your possible response might be:

• Narodila jsem se v srpnu.
  Translation: I was born in August.

Kolikátého jste se narodila? (the person is asking about the number, not the month or the whole date)

Translation: When were you born? (meaning the number)

Your possible answer might be:

Narodila jsem se patnáctého.

Translation: I was born on 15th.

Practice Makes Perfect

Kdy jste se narodila? (formal – usually at the doctor etc.)

• Translation: When were you born?
  Response: Narodila jsem se 23. března.
• Translation: I was born on March 23rd.

Kdy máš narozeniny? (informal)

• Translation: When is your birthday?
  Response: Mám narozeniny dvanáctýho* prosince.
• Translation: My birthday is on December 12th. (really informal)