Dobrý den
Neutral Daytime Greeting
Dobrý den literally means good day and is a useful polite hello. There is no fixed clock time at which it becomes incorrect.
How It Works
Choosing a Greeting
Use Dobrý den as a neutral polite hello. Dobré ráno and Dobrý večer name morning and evening. These choices depend on the setting, not a strict 9 AM or 6 PM boundary. Dobrou noc is a good-night farewell, especially before sleep.
Adding a Name or Title
In careful standard Czech, direct address uses the vocative case. Learn the form of the particular name or title rather than adding one ending to every name:
- pan Novák → pane Nováku
- pan doktor → pane doktore
- paní doktorka → paní doktorko
- Petr → Petře
- Jana → Jano
- Marie → Marie
The surnames Nováková and Novotný stay unchanged. Compare paní Nováková, where neither word changes, with pane Novotný, where pan becomes pane. Use the title or form of address appropriate to the person and occasion. In ordinary formal address, pane doktore or pane Nováku is a useful pattern. Formal correspondence has more specific conventions.
Examples
Dobrý den, pane Nováku. (Hello, Mr. Novák.)
Dobrý den, paní doktorko. (Hello, Doctor.)
Dobrý den, Petře. (Hello, Petr.)
Pronunciation
The accent mark in dobrý marks a long vowel. Keep ý longer than a short y; it is not an English-style stress mark.
Examples (5)
- Dobrý den, pane Nováku.
Hello, Mr. Novák.
Word by Word: Good day, Mr. Novák.
Notice the 'Double Vocative' rule: both 'pan' and 'Novák' change to 'pane Nováku' in the vocative case when addressing him directly.
- Dobrý den, paní Nováková.
Hello, Mrs. Nováková.
Word by Word: Good day, Mrs. Nováková.
The title paní and the surname Nováková have the same form in the vocative as in the nominative. Not every name or title changes visibly.
- Dobrý den, jak se máte?
Hello, how are you?
Word by Word: Good day, how yourself have [you]?
Máte can address one person politely or several people. In the polite singular reading here, it fits the relationship with the listener; Dobrý den itself does not make informal forms ungrammatical.
- Dobrý den, máte čerstvý chléb?
Hello, do you have fresh bread?
Word by Word: Good day, have [you] fresh bread?
A very common way to start a polite interaction with a shop assistant.
- Dobrý den, paní doktorko.
Hello, doctor.
Word by Word: Good day, Mrs. doctor.
While 'paní' stays the same, female professional titles must be in the vocative case. 'Doktorka' becomes 'doktorko'.
Common Mistakes
Using the dictionary form (nominative) instead of the vocative case when addressing someone.
Dobrý den, pan Novák.Dobrý den, pane Nováku.In careful standard Czech, direct address uses the vocative. Pan Novák becomes pane Nováku. Some words retain the same visible form, including paní and Nováková.
Using an adjective ending that does not agree with den.
Dobré den.Dobrý den.Den is masculine, so this fixed greeting uses dobrý. Dobré is used in greetings with a neuter noun, such as Dobré ráno.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- AhojInformal Hello and Goodbye
The informal equivalent of 'Hello', used with friends, family, and children instead of Dobrý den.
Level 1 - Dobré ráno / Dobrý večerTime-of-day Greetings
Greetings that specifically name morning and evening. Their use does not create fixed clock-time limits for Dobrý den.
Level 1 - Singular vocative
The mandatory grammatical case used for names and titles immediately following a greeting.
Level 2 - vy jstePolite You with Plural Verb
Polite vy is useful when addressing someone formally. Dobrý den can also occur with people who address each other informally.
Level 1 - Na shledanouNeutral Goodbye
The standard formal goodbye that pairs with Dobrý den as the formal hello.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Dobrý den in Bubblegum
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