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Course Index:
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In this lesson, we explore the Czech conjunction nebo, meaning “or.” This small but essential word allows speakers to present alternatives, choices, and possibilities in everyday communication. Czech has several variants for expressing “or,” with nebo being the most common and universally applicable.
The word nebo derives from Old Czech, combining “ne” (not) with an ancient particle “bo,” essentially meaning “if not” — a logical way to present an alternative. Interestingly, the homophone nebe means “sky” or “heaven,” derived from the same Proto-Slavic root nebo, though these are now distinct words in modern Czech.
Czech offers several ways to say “or”: nebo (standard), anebo (emphatic), či (literary/formal), and the construction buď...nebo (either...or). This lesson focuses primarily on nebo while introducing these variants in context.
FAQ: What does “nebo” mean in Czech? The Czech word “nebo” is a conjunction meaning “or” in English. It is the most common and versatile way to express alternatives or choices in Czech, used in both formal and informal contexts.
Key Takeaways: -
Nebo is the standard Czech word for “or,” suitable for all contexts -
Anebo is an emphatic variant used for clear-cut choices -
Či is a literary/formal variant common in set phrases -
Buď...nebo means “either...or” for exclusive alternatives -
No comma is placed before nebo when connecting equal grammatical elements
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31.1a Chceš čaj nebo kávu? 31.1b Chceš (xtseʃ) you-want čaj (tʃaj) tea nebo (nɛbo) or kávu (kaːvu) coffee-ACC
31.2a Přijdeš dnes nebo zítra? 31.2b Přijdeš (pr̝̊ɪjdɛʃ) you-will-come dnes (dnɛs) today nebo (nɛbo) or zítra (ziːtra) tomorrow
31.3a Můžeš jít pěšky nebo jet autobusem. 31.3b Můžeš (muːʒɛʃ) you-can jít (jiːt) go pěšky (pjɛʃkɪ) on-foot nebo (nɛbo) or jet (jɛt) travel autobusem (aʊtobusɛm) by-bus-INST
31.4a Nevím, jestli je doma nebo v práci. 31.4b Nevím (nɛviːm) I-not-know jestli (jɛstlɪ) whether je (jɛ) is doma (doma) at-home nebo (nɛbo) or v (f) in práci (praːtsɪ) work-LOC
31.5a Koupím jablka nebo hrušky. 31.5b Koupím (koʊpiːm) I-will-buy jablka (jablka) apples nebo (nɛbo) or hrušky (ɦruʃkɪ) pears
31.6a Děti si hrají venku nebo uvnitř. 31.6b Děti (ɟɛcɪ) children si (sɪ) REFL hrají (ɦrajiː) play venku (vɛŋku) outside nebo (nɛbo) or uvnitř (uvnɪtr̝̊) inside
31.7a Zavolej mi večer nebo ráno. 31.7b Zavolej (zavolɛj) call-IMP mi (mɪ) me-DAT večer (vɛtʃɛr) evening nebo (nɛbo) or ráno (raːno) morning
31.8a Petr pracuje v továrně nebo v kanceláři. 31.8b Petr (pɛtr) Petr pracuje (pratsuʲɛ) works v (f) in továrně (tovaːrn̩ɛ) factory-LOC nebo (nɛbo) or v (f) in kanceláři (kantsɛlaːr̝̊ɪ) office-LOC
31.9a Buď přijdeš včas, nebo zůstaneš doma. 31.9b Buď (buɟ) either přijdeš (pr̝̊ɪjdɛʃ) you-will-come včas (ftʃas) on-time nebo (nɛbo) or zůstaneš (zuːstanɛʃ) you-will-stay doma (doma) at-home
31.10a Tak či onak to musíme udělat. 31.10b Tak (tak) so či (tʃɪ) or onak (onak) otherwise to (to) it musíme (musiːmɛ) we-must udělat (uɟɛlat) do-INF
31.11a Čekáme hodinu nebo dvě. 31.11b Čekáme (tʃɛkaːmɛ) we-wait hodinu (ɦoɟɪnu) hour-ACC nebo (nɛbo) or dvě (dvjɛ) two
31.12a Máš hlad nebo žízeň? 31.12b Máš (maːʃ) you-have hlad (ɦlat) hunger nebo (nɛbo) or žízeň (ʒiːzɛɲ) thirst
31.13a Kniha je na stole nebo na poličce. 31.13b Kniha (knɪɦa) book je (jɛ) is na (na) on stole (stolɛ) table-LOC nebo (nɛbo) or na (na) on poličce (polɪtʃtsɛ) shelf-LOC
31.14a Chlorid sodný neboli kuchyňská sůl je důležitý. 31.14b Chlorid (xlɔrɪt) chloride sodný (sodniː) sodium neboli (nɛbolɪ) or-also-known-as kuchyňská (kuxɪɲskaː) kitchen sůl (suːl) salt je (jɛ) is důležitý (duːlɛʒɪtiː) important
31.15a Anebo bychom mohli jít do kina. 31.15b Anebo (anɛbo) or-alternatively bychom (bɪxom) we-would mohli (moɦlɪ) could jít (jiːt) go do (do) to kina (kɪna) cinema-GEN
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31.1 Chceš čaj nebo kávu? “Do you want tea or coffee?”
31.2 Přijdeš dnes nebo zítra? “Will you come today or tomorrow?”
31.3 Můžeš jít pěšky nebo jet autobusem. “You can go on foot or take the bus.”
31.4 Nevím, jestli je doma nebo v práci. “I don’t know whether he’s at home or at work.”
31.5 Koupím jablka nebo hrušky. “I’ll buy apples or pears.”
31.6 Děti si hrají venku nebo uvnitř. “The children play outside or inside.”
31.7 Zavolej mi večer nebo ráno. “Call me in the evening or in the morning.”
31.8 Petr pracuje v továrně nebo v kanceláři. “Petr works in a factory or in an office.”
31.9 Buď přijdeš včas, nebo zůstaneš doma. “Either you come on time, or you stay home.”
31.10 Tak či onak to musíme udělat. “One way or another, we have to do it.”
31.11 Čekáme hodinu nebo dvě. “We’re waiting an hour or two.”
31.12 Máš hlad nebo žízeň? “Are you hungry or thirsty?”
31.13 Kniha je na stole nebo na poličce. “The book is on the table or on the shelf.”
31.14 Chlorid sodný neboli kuchyňská sůl je důležitý. “Sodium chloride, also known as table salt, is important.”
31.15 Anebo bychom mohli jít do kina. “Or alternatively, we could go to the cinema.”
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31.1 Chceš čaj nebo kávu?
31.2 Přijdeš dnes nebo zítra?
31.3 Můžeš jít pěšky nebo jet autobusem.
31.4 Nevím, jestli je doma nebo v práci.
31.5 Koupím jablka nebo hrušky.
31.6 Děti si hrají venku nebo uvnitř.
31.7 Zavolej mi večer nebo ráno.
31.8 Petr pracuje v továrně nebo v kanceláři.
31.9 Buď přijdeš včas, nebo zůstaneš doma.
31.10 Tak či onak to musíme udělat.
31.11 Čekáme hodinu nebo dvě.
31.12 Máš hlad nebo žízeň?
31.13 Kniha je na stole nebo na poličce.
31.14 Chlorid sodný neboli kuchyňská sůl je důležitý.
31.15 Anebo bychom mohli jít do kina.
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These are the grammar rules for “nebo” and its variants in Czech:
The Primary Conjunction “nebo”
The word nebo functions as a coordinating conjunction connecting words, phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical status. It presents alternatives without implying that one excludes the other (inclusive “or”). In standard usage, no comma precedes nebo when it connects two equal elements.
Variant Forms and Their Usage
Czech offers several alternatives to nebo, each with distinct stylistic or semantic nuances:
Anebo carries slightly more emphasis and is often used when presenting a clear-cut choice or adding an afterthought alternative. Some speakers perceive it as more colloquial or emotional, though it can appear in formal contexts as well. The difference between nebo and anebo is primarily one of emphasis rather than meaning.
Či is the literary or formal variant. It appears frequently in established phrases such as “tak či onak” (one way or another) and “být či nebýt” (to be or not to be — echoing Hamlet’s famous question). In modern conversational Czech, či sounds elevated or bookish.
Buď...nebo (or buď...anebo) creates the “either...or” construction for exclusive alternatives. This paired structure emphasizes that exactly one of the options applies. Note that buď...nebo is not used in questions.
Neboli (and its synonym čili) means “or” in the sense of “also known as” or “that is to say.” It introduces an alternative name or explanation for something: “chlorid sodný neboli kuchyňská sůl” (sodium chloride, or table salt).
Aneb is archaic and survives mainly in book titles and formal headings, such as “Hobbit aneb Cesta tam a zase zpátky” (The Hobbit, or There and Back Again).
Word Order Considerations
Czech word order is flexible, but nebo typically appears between the elements it connects. In questions, the alternatives follow naturally: “Chceš čaj nebo kávu?” The verb-subject order may shift for emphasis, but the conjunction’s position between alternatives remains stable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers sometimes insert a comma before nebo as they would with “or” in complex English sentences. In Czech, commas before coordinating conjunctions follow different rules — generally, no comma is needed when nebo connects equal elements. Also avoid confusing nebo (or) with nebe (sky/heaven), which are pronounced differently: /nɛbo/ versus /nɛbɛ/.
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Frequency and Register
The conjunction nebo ranks among the most common words in Czech, appearing constantly in both spoken and written language. Its variants allow speakers to modulate tone: nebo for neutral everyday speech, anebo for slight emphasis, and či for formal or literary effect.
The Hamlet Connection
The phrase “být či nebýt” (to be or not to be) demonstrates how Czech uses či in literary contexts. This famous question from Shakespeare’s Hamlet has become a cultural touchstone in Czech as well, and speakers sometimes playfully reference it with phrases like “platit či neplatit?” (to pay or not to pay?).
Regional Considerations
Czech is relatively uniform compared to some languages, though slight preferences for nebo versus anebo may vary by region or individual style. Slovak, the closely related language, uses alebo where Czech uses nebo — a useful distinction for learners encountering both languages.
Idiomatic Expressions
Several fixed expressions use variants of “or”: “tak či onak” (one way or another), “dříve či později” (sooner or later), and “více či méně” (more or less). These phrases often retain či even in conversational speech because they function as set units.
The Title Convention
The archaic aneb persists in book and film titles, lending them a classical or whimsical flavor. When Czechs see aneb in a title, they recognize it as a deliberate stylistic choice evoking older literary traditions.
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From Karel Čapek’s “R.U.R.” (Rossum’s Universal Robots), 1920
Karel Čapek (1890–1938) was one of the most influential Czech writers of the twentieth century. He introduced the word “robot” to the world through this play, deriving it from the Czech verb “robotovat” (to work, to drudge). The play explores themes of technology, humanity, and artificial life.
Part F-A: Interlinear Text
Lidé budou jen odpočívat nebo hrát na housle nebo se procházet. Lidé (lɪdɛ) people budou (budoʊ) will jen (jɛn) only odpočívat (otpotʃiːvat) rest-INF nebo (nɛbo) or hrát (ɦraːt) play-INF na (na) on housle (ɦoʊslɛ) violin nebo (nɛbo) or se (sɛ) REFL procházet (prɔxaːzɛt) stroll-INF
Part F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Lidé budou jen odpočívat nebo hrát na housle nebo se procházet. “People will only rest, or play the violin, or take walks.”
Part F-C: Original Czech Text
Lidé budou jen odpočívat nebo hrát na housle nebo se procházet.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This sentence from Čapek’s vision of a robot-served utopia demonstrates nebo connecting three infinitive phrases in parallel: “odpočívat” (to rest), “hrát na housle” (to play the violin), and “se procházet” (to take walks). The construction shows how nebo can chain multiple alternatives. The reflexive “se procházet” (to stroll, take a walk) illustrates Czech reflexive verbs. The future tense “budou” with infinitives creates the future meaning. Čapek’s use of simple, everyday nebo rather than the literary či fits the conversational tone of the play’s dialogue.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
31.16a “Co budeme dělat v sobotu nebo v neděli?” 31.16b Co (tso) what budeme (budɛmɛ) we-will dělat (ɟɛlat) do-INF v (f) on sobotu (sobotu) Saturday-ACC nebo (nɛbo) or v (f) on neděli (nɛɟɛlɪ) Sunday-ACC
31.17a “Můžeme jít do parku nebo do muzea.” 31.17b Můžeme (muːʒɛmɛ) we-can jít (jiːt) go do (do) to parku (parku) park-GEN nebo (nɛbo) or do (do) to muzea (muzɛa) museum-GEN
31.18a “Nebo bychom mohli zůstat doma a číst.” 31.18b Nebo (nɛbo) or bychom (bɪxom) we-would mohli (moɦlɪ) could zůstat (zuːstat) stay doma (doma) at-home a (a) and číst (tʃiːst) read-INF
31.19a “Anebo navštívíme babičku?” 31.19b Anebo (anɛbo) or-alternatively navštívíme (naʃciːviːmɛ) we-will-visit babičku (babɪtʃku) grandmother-ACC
31.20a “To je dobrý nápad. Buď pojedeme autem, nebo vlakem.” 31.20b To (to) that je (jɛ) is dobrý (dobriː) good nápad (naːpat) idea Buď (buɟ) either pojedeme (pojɛdɛmɛ) we-will-go autem (aʊtɛm) by-car-INST nebo (nɛbo) or vlakem (vlakɛm) by-train-INST
31.21a “Vlakem je to rychlejší, ale autem pohodlnější.” 31.21b Vlakem (vlakɛm) by-train-INST je (jɛ) is to (to) it rychlejší (rɪxlɛjʃiː) faster ale (alɛ) but autem (aʊtɛm) by-car-INST pohodlnější (poɦodln̩ɛjʃiː) more-comfortable
31.22a “Tak či onak, musíme vyrazit brzy ráno.” 31.22b Tak (tak) so či (tʃɪ) or onak (onak) otherwise musíme (musiːmɛ) we-must vyrazit (vɪrazɪt) set-out-INF brzy (brzɪ) early ráno (raːno) morning
31.23a “Máš pravdu. Odjedeme v osm nebo v devět hodin.” 31.23b Máš (maːʃ) you-have pravdu (pravdu) truth-ACC Odjedeme (odjɛdɛmɛ) we-will-leave v (f) at osm (osm) eight nebo (nɛbo) or v (f) at devět (dɛvjɛt) nine hodin (ɦoɟɪn) hours-GEN
31.24a “Co vezmeš? Dárek nebo květiny?” 31.24b Co (tso) what vezmeš (vɛzmɛʃ) you-will-take Dárek (daːrɛk) gift nebo (nɛbo) or květiny (kvjɛcɪnɪ) flowers
31.25a “Obojí — dárek i květiny.” 31.25b Obojí (obojɪː) both dárek (daːrɛk) gift i (ɪ) and květiny (kvjɛcɪnɪ) flowers
31.26a “Výborně! Babička bude mít radost.” 31.26b Výborně (viːborn̩ɛ) excellent Babička (babɪtʃka) grandmother bude (budɛ) will mít (miːt) have-INF radost (radost) joy
31.27a “Zůstaneme na oběd nebo jen na kávu?” 31.27b Zůstaneme (zuːstanɛmɛ) we-will-stay na (na) for oběd (objɛt) lunch nebo (nɛbo) or jen (jɛn) only na (na) for kávu (kaːvu) coffee-ACC
31.28a “Nejspíš na oběd. Babička vždycky vaří.” 31.28b Nejspíš (nɛjspiːʃ) probably na (na) for oběd (objɛt) lunch Babička (babɪtʃka) grandmother vždycky (vʒdɪtskɪ) always vaří (var̝̊iː) cooks
31.29a “A potom? Půjdeme na procházku nebo zůstaneme uvnitř?” 31.29b A (a) and potom (potom) then Půjdeme (puːjdɛmɛ) we-will-go na (na) for procházku (prɔxaːsku) walk-ACC nebo (nɛbo) or zůstaneme (zuːstanɛmɛ) we-will-stay uvnitř (uvnɪtr̝̊) inside
31.30a “Uvidíme podle počasí. Buď bude hezky, nebo bude pršet.” 31.30b Uvidíme (uvɪɟiːmɛ) we-will-see podle (podlɛ) according-to počasí (potʃasiː) weather-GEN Buď (buɟ) either bude (budɛ) it-will-be hezky (ɦɛskɪ) nice nebo (nɛbo) or bude (budɛ) it-will pršet (prʃɛt) rain-INF
Part B: Natural Sentences
31.16 “Co budeme dělat v sobotu nebo v neděli?” “What shall we do on Saturday or Sunday?”
31.17 “Můžeme jít do parku nebo do muzea.” “We can go to the park or to the museum.”
31.18 “Nebo bychom mohli zůstat doma a číst.” “Or we could stay home and read.”
31.19 “Anebo navštívíme babičku?” “Or perhaps we’ll visit grandmother?”
31.20 “To je dobrý nápad. Buď pojedeme autem, nebo vlakem.” “That’s a good idea. We’ll either go by car or by train.”
31.21 “Vlakem je to rychlejší, ale autem pohodlnější.” “By train it’s faster, but by car it’s more comfortable.”
31.22 “Tak či onak, musíme vyrazit brzy ráno.” “One way or another, we have to set out early in the morning.”
31.23 “Máš pravdu. Odjedeme v osm nebo v devět hodin.” “You’re right. We’ll leave at eight or nine o’clock.”
31.24 “Co vezmeš? Dárek nebo květiny?” “What will you take? A gift or flowers?”
31.25 “Obojí — dárek i květiny.” “Both — a gift and flowers.”
31.26 “Výborně! Babička bude mít radost.” “Excellent! Grandmother will be pleased.”
31.27 “Zůstaneme na oběd nebo jen na kávu?” “Will we stay for lunch or just for coffee?”
31.28 “Nejspíš na oběd. Babička vždycky vaří.” “Probably for lunch. Grandmother always cooks.”
31.29 “A potom? Půjdeme na procházku nebo zůstaneme uvnitř?” “And then? Will we go for a walk or stay inside?”
31.30 “Uvidíme podle počasí. Buď bude hezky, nebo bude pršet.” “We’ll see according to the weather. Either it will be nice, or it will rain.”
Part C: Czech Text Only
31.16 “Co budeme dělat v sobotu nebo v neděli?”
31.17 “Můžeme jít do parku nebo do muzea.”
31.18 “Nebo bychom mohli zůstat doma a číst.”
31.19 “Anebo navštívíme babičku?”
31.20 “To je dobrý nápad. Buď pojedeme autem, nebo vlakem.”
31.21 “Vlakem je to rychlejší, ale autem pohodlnější.”
31.22 “Tak či onak, musíme vyrazit brzy ráno.”
31.23 “Máš pravdu. Odjedeme v osm nebo v devět hodin.”
31.24 “Co vezmeš? Dárek nebo květiny?”
31.25 “Obojí — dárek i květiny.”
31.26 “Výborně! Babička bude mít radost.”
31.27 “Zůstaneme na oběd nebo jen na kávu?”
31.28 “Nejspíš na oběd. Babička vždycky vaří.”
31.29 “A potom? Půjdeme na procházku nebo zůstaneme uvnitř?”
31.30 “Uvidíme podle počasí. Buď bude hezky, nebo bude pršet.”
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue demonstrates nebo in natural conversational flow. Several grammatical points emerge:
The dialogue shows all three main variants: nebo (standard), anebo (emphatic alternative in 31.19), and či (in the idiomatic phrase “tak či onak” in 31.22). The buď...nebo construction appears twice (31.20 and 31.30) for exclusive either/or situations.
Notice how nebo connects various grammatical elements: nouns (dárek nebo květiny), prepositional phrases (v sobotu nebo v neděli), and entire clauses (bude hezky nebo bude pršet).
The instrumental case appears with transportation: “autem” (by car), “vlakem” (by train). Czech uses the instrumental without a preposition for means of transport.
The word “obojí” (both) in 31.25 shows how Czech responds to an either/or question by rejecting the binary choice altogether — a useful conversational pattern.
Future tense forms dominate this planning dialogue: “budeme dělat,” “můžeme jít,” “pojedeme,” “odjedeme,” “zůstaneme.” The construction “bude + infinitive” (bude pršet = it will rain) creates impersonal future statements about weather.
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Pronunciation of “nebo”
The word nebo is pronounced /ˈnɛbo/ with stress on the first syllable, as is standard in Czech. The vowels are short and clear: “e” as in “bet,” “o” as in “pot.” Do not confuse this with nebe (sky/heaven), pronounced /ˈnɛbɛ/ with two “e” sounds.
The háček (ˇ)
Several words in this lesson feature the háček, the distinctive Czech diacritic: č (as in “čaj,” pronounced /tʃ/ like English “ch”), š (as in “pěšky,” pronounced /ʃ/ like English “sh”), ž (as in “žízeň,” pronounced /ʒ/ like “s” in “measure”), and ř (the distinctive Czech sound in “přijdeš,” a voiced alveolar trill fricative unique to Czech).
The čárka (´)
Long vowels are marked with the čárka: á, é, í, ó, ú/ů. Note “kávu” /kaːvu/ with long “a,” and “zítra” /ziːtra/ with long “i.”
Stress Pattern
Czech stress falls consistently on the first syllable of each word. In phrases, prepositions typically form a unit with the following word, with stress shifting to the preposition: “do parku” is stressed on “do.”
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This lesson is part of a systematic Czech language course following the Latinum Institute methodology, which has been producing online language learning materials since 2006. The course uses a frequency-based vocabulary approach, teaching the most common words first through the construed reading method.
Each lesson focuses on one high-frequency word, building comprehension through authentic contextual examples. The interlinear format allows learners to see how Czech grammar functions in practice, while the literary citations connect vocabulary to the rich tradition of Czech literature.
The 1000-word frequency system ensures that learners acquire the vocabulary that matters most for practical communication. By mastering these core words, students gain the foundation needed to understand approximately 80% of everyday Czech.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
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This lesson was created for English speakers learning Czech. The construed reading method presents grammar in context rather than through abstract rules, allowing natural acquisition of language patterns.
[NEXAL-CODE: CZ-031-NEBO-OR-CONJUNCTION]
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