Customer Rating: 
Summary: The best dictionary available in the U.S.
Comment: I concur with almost everything the reviewers below said. When looking up Czech words beginning with "ch", remember that this combination of letters is pronounced like the "ch" in Scots "loch", beginning with more of an "h" sound that a "c" sound. THEREFORE, quite logically, you will find words beginning with "ch" listed after words beginning with "h" in a Czech dictionary. Not after words beginning with "c"! Also, since Czech words can change radically as they are declined or conjugated, you may not be able to find even some common words listed alphabetically in the dictionary, unless you know their dictionary form. "Vim" means "I know", but you'll find the verb "to know" listed under its infinitive, "vedet". (I had to leave out the two hacek marks because I don't have them on this Amazon keyboard.) Watch out for the prefix "ne" on Czech verbs. This is how Czech verbs are negated, and since this is an invariable rule it would be a waste of time to list negated verbs in a dictionary. "Nevim" means "I don't know." Don't let any of this discourage you from learning Czech--every language has its difficulties.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best Czech-English dictionary I've found
Comment: I agree with the previous reviewer that this is much better than what has previously been available. It is the only Czech-English dictionary I've found that is written for both native Czech speakers AND native English speakers in mind. However, the praise needs to be qualified -- the competition is not every stiff. In one dictionary, I found "Mrs." translated as "mistress."Strong points:
-lacks major mistakes in English
-includes commonly used English words (rather than archaic or obscure English words that are technically correct translations from Czech)
-notes for the user in both English and Czech
-grammar notes (including tables with adjective endings, conjugations of verbs, and noun endings)
-Czech and English abbreviations
-identifies the part of speech, irregular conjugations/ endings in the Czech side
Weak points:
-should have brief English grammar notes for Czech users (including irregular English verbs)
-should include style notes, for both languages, on formal writing structures and proper ways to address people
-missing some obvious abbreviations (like "in"=inch, FBI, USA)
-slightly favors British English in its choice of English words (though much less than any other dictionary I've seen -- it's functional for an American)
-Instructional notes don't tell English-speaking users that words with haceks come after words without them
What this dictionary offers is all of the features that decent French, Spanish, or German dictionaries have offered for years. If this were a German dictionary, I would be disappointed because of its weaknesses. Since this is a Czech dictionary, I am pleased because it is the best I have seen and none of the weaknesses inhibit its use.
I should also note that I purchased a copy in the Czech Republic for 690 Kc, or about $25, significantly cheaper than available stateside.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastický!
Comment: This book is spectacular! I was using Nine Trnka's concise 'dictionary' and this dictionary blows hers out of the water! Almost every definition has a phrase or idiom that accompanies it. The dictionary also contains a great deal of slang, for the more informal colloquial experiences in the Czech Republic. There's even a guide to Czech pronunciation, grammar tables and a guide to numbers. This book is outstanding. 5 Stars.
