Learn Hardcore Czech: Ahoj, jsem Eva.

You pronounce Ahoj roughly like "ah-hoy" in English. The first syllable is short and sounds like "ah," and the second is similar to the English word "hoy" (like part of "ahoy").

Is Ahoj formal or informal?

Ahoj is quite informal, similar to "Hi" or "Hey" in English. It’s typically used with friends, peers, or anyone you are on casual terms with. If you need to be more formal, you could use Dobrý den ("Good day").

Why do we use jsem instead of something else?

Jsem is the first-person singular present tense of the verb být ("to be") in Czech. It corresponds to "am" in English. If you want to say "I am…" in Czech, you use jsem.

Can I change the word order to Eva jsem?

In general, Czech allows some word order flexibility. However, Eva jsem would sound unnatural as a simple introduction. The most typical and straightforward introduction is Jsem Eva ("I am Eva").

Are there other ways to introduce myself more formally?

Yes. Instead of Ahoj, jsem Eva, you could say Dobrý den, jmenuji se Eva, which is more polite and formal—comparable to "Hello, my name is Eva" in English.