Prosím vás, je pekárna blízko náměstí, nebo musím jít ještě rovně?

Here Prosím vás is a polite way to get someone’s attention, similar to Excuse me or Please at the start of a question.

• prosím = please / I ask
• vás = you (formal or plural)

In this sentence, it does not literally mean I beg you. It functions as a polite conversational phrase.

It is very common in Czech to begin a question to a stranger with Prosím vás to sound polite.

So:

• Prosím vás, je pekárna blízko náměstí...? = Excuse me, is the bakery near the square...?

Without it, the sentence is still grammatical, but it can sound more direct.

Because this is a yes/no question. In Czech, yes/no questions are often formed mainly by intonation, and the verb commonly comes first:

• Je pekárna blízko náměstí? = Is the bakery near the square?

The version Pekárna je blízko náměstí? is possible in speech, but Je pekárna... is the more standard question pattern.

Pekárna is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

• je pekárna blízko... = is the bakery near...

The noun being asked about stays in the nominative.

Because blízko typically takes the genitive case in Czech.

The noun náměstí has the same form in nominative and genitive singular, so you do not see a change here:

• nominative: náměstí = square
• genitive: náměstí = of the square / near the square

So:

• blízko náměstí = near the square

This is normal Czech grammar.

Náměstí means town square or public square, not just any open area.

It is a very common word in directions, because Czech towns often have a central square.

Nebo means or.

It connects the two alternatives:

• je pekárna blízko náměstí
• nebo musím jít ještě rovně

So the speaker is asking: Is the bakery near the square, or do I need to keep going straight?

Because after a modal verb like muset (must / have to), Czech uses the infinitive of the main verb.

• musím = I must / I have to
• jít = to go

So:

• musím jít = I have to go

This works like English:

• I must go not
• I must go am

Jít means to go on foot in one direction. Since the sentence is about walking somewhere and asking for directions, jít is the natural choice.

Compare:

• jít = to go, to walk
• jet = to go by vehicle
• chodit = to go regularly / to walk habitually

Here the speaker means one specific movement on foot, so jít is correct.

Ještě rovně means something like:

• still straight ahead
• further straight on
• keep going straight a bit more

The parts are:

• ještě = still / yet / some more
• rovně = straight, straight ahead

So musím jít ještě rovně? means Do I need to keep going straight a bit further?

Rovně is an adverb. It describes how you go.

• jít rovně = to go straight ahead

It does not change for gender, number, or case.

Not always. Ještě is a very flexible word in Czech. Depending on context, it can mean:

• still
• yet
• more
• another
• a bit further

In this sentence, ještě rovně means further straight ahead or continue straight.

Because Czech has no articles like a or the.

So:

• pekárna can mean a bakery or the bakery
• náměstí can mean a square or the square

You understand which one is meant from the context.

Yes, it is usually polite and often formal, especially when speaking to a stranger.

• vás is the formal/plural form of you
• So Prosím vás is appropriate when asking someone for directions

With friends, you would usually speak differently.

Sometimes yes, but the meaning changes a little.

• Prosím? can mean Pardon?, Yes?, or Please?
• Prosím vás is more clearly an attention-getter: Excuse me

So in this sentence, Prosím vás sounds more natural and polite when approaching someone.

Yes, it is normal here because the sentence has two coordinated parts joined by nebo:

• je pekárna blízko náměstí
• nebo musím jít ještě rovně

The comma helps separate the two clauses clearly.

A fairly literal breakdown is:

• Prosím vás = Excuse me / please
• je = is
• pekárna = bakery
• blízko = near
• náměstí = the square
• nebo = or
• musím = must / have to
• jít = go
• ještě = still / further
• rovně = straight

So a literal version would be:

Excuse me, is the bakery near the square, or do I have to go further straight ahead?

Roughly:

naa-MNYES-tee

A few helpful points:

• á is a long vowel
• mě sounds approximately like m-nye
• í is a long ee

The stress in Czech is almost always on the first syllable, so: NÁ-městí

Yes, that is a very natural translation for the second part:

• musím jít ještě rovně? = Do I need to keep going straight?

A more literal translation includes still/further, but in natural English that is often not necessary.