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Dictionary of Czech terms

Important words that foreigners in Czechia come across every day — with a translation and a short explanation. Click a term to open its page.

Found 19 terms
🔑
Housing
Osobní vlastnictví
personal ownership of an apartment
Real ownership of an apartment with an entry in the cadastre (land registry) for a specific person. The clearest option to check.
More details
🏢
Housing
Společenství vlastníků
association of apartment owners (SVJ)
Legal entity of apartment owners in a building. It manages common areas — this is where the "vyúčtování" (billing) items come from.
More details
Housing
Energie
energy carriers (electricity, gas)
Electricity and gas. Often they are NOT through the landlord, but by a separate contract with the supplier — and are not included in the service advances.
More details
🔧
Housing
Revize
mandatory technical inspection
Periodic check of gas, electricity, and chimneys in the apartment. The owner organizes it, your job is to let the inspector in.
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🛎️
Housing
Ubytovatel
the person who provides accommodation and registers your address
A hotel, dormitory, or landlord for a fee. They register your address with the police — and can also cancel it.
More details
📕
Housing
Domovní kniha
book of residents at the accommodation provider
A record of who lives with you and when. The ubytovatel (accommodation provider) keeps this record, and it is from this record that your registered address comes.
More details
🆘
Housing
Humanitární ubytování
humanitarian housing for refugees
90 days free from the date of submission of the DO. After this, NO ONE is free — the exception for vulnerable persons has been canceled.
More details

A dictionary of Czech terms for foreigners

Moving to Czechia means dozens of new words: in your documents, at appointments in government offices, in letters from the state and from your employer. The KOMPAS dictionary collects the key Czech terms and explains them in plain English — from temporary protection status and nostrifikácia (recognition of a foreign diploma) to taxes, renting a home and visits to the doctor.

Every term has its own page with an explanation, a translation, an example of how it is used and links to related sections of the portal — education, work, legal status, housing and money. This is reference information to help you find your way, not legal advice: on important questions, always check the official source.

Frequently asked questions about the dictionary

What is the KOMPAS dictionary of terms?+

It is a guide to the Czech words and terms you meet in documents, in government offices and in daily life: legal status, education, work, housing, healthcare and money. Each term is explained in plain English, with the original Czech spelling.

Why do I need it?+

Czech terms in official letters and on government websites are often hard to understand without context, and reading them wrong costs time and money. The dictionary gives a short, accurate explanation, so you know what is meant and what your next step is.

How do I use the dictionary?+

Search for a word or choose a category. Every term has its own page with an explanation, a translation, an example of how the word is used and links to related terms and sections of the portal.

Where do the terms come from, and are they accurate?+

The terms and explanations are based on official Czech sources (ministries and government offices) and on the experience of the KOMPAS editorial team. This is reference information, not legal advice — in unclear cases, check the original source or ask a specialist.

Can I hear how a word is pronounced?+

Yes. Many terms have audio of the Czech pronunciation — tap the sound icon on the term page to hear how the word should sound.