So here we are, another year, another maintenance guy visit. Another opportunity for me to put my foot in it and accidentally use the 'Ty' form of the verb instead of the polite 'you', 'Vy' form with a complete stranger. Way to go, me! Nice one. Without enough practise of talking to people I don't know who are older than me and require a certain polite demeanour as a result, it's bound to slip in there once, no matter how hard I try! Damn. And I was doing so well on the other stuff.
Lesson one: Kitchen vocab:
Tap (or 'faucet' to my non-existent American readers) = kohout*
Sink = dřez
Lightbulb = žárovka
Cooker = sporák
Screw = šroubek
Greasy = mastný
Firmly = pevně
Torch (or again, 'flashlight' in American English)= baterka
Glue = lepidlo
(*This unfortunately also means 'cockerel'. How odd. But in-keeping with the kind of language these sorts of things sound like, according to an old 'Bit of Fry and Laurie' sketch)
All of these words formed part and parcel of the delightful conversation that I had with the lovely maintenance guy. Who of course, had to go out to his van in between to get a part he didn't have on him, but I was quite impressed he didn't do the 'worried intake of air through his teeth', nor go on to tell me about not having the part, having to order the part, how long it would take and how much it would cost me. I'm amazed. I thought that tactic was universal.
So all, in all, a good Czech lesson was had for free and now my flat has things that work in it. Which is both a revelation and a delight.
No comments:
Post a Comment