When I get rich

Hello and welcome to another edition of SoundCzech in which you can learn new phrases with the help of song lyrics. Today’s song is by the group Alkehol and is called “Až já budu bohatej” - when I get rich. The word to listen out for is “prachy” which is a frequently used slang expression for money – and the choice is no coincidence –what with the economic crisis and a looming record budget deficit next year money is the operative word in most conversations these days.

Velký prachy jsem vždycky chtěl …. “I always wanted to make big money, but I have given up on that dream. What a life I could have had if I’d been born right-a grand villa, garden and a fast car in the garage. How come I still don’t have them when I work like a dog ” the lyrics of the song go – a sentiment that many people are likely to share. If you hear someone called a “pracháč” then you are looking at a rich man. You can also say “ten je v balíku” meaning he’s loaded, “je zazobanej”“he’s riding a gravy train” or “ten může penězma vytapetovat byt” he has so much money he can use it as wallpaper – unlike our singer here.

Although you are likely to hear the word “prachy” everywhere, the proper expression for money is “peníze” and there are various ways to say that someone has money to burn. You can say he has “peněz jako babek” as much money as he has babkas - babka being a type of mushroom which grows everywhere, or “peněz jako smetí”–as much money as garbage – in other words a never ending supply. A difficult one to explain is “peněz jako želez” meaning someone has as much money as bits and pieces of iron around the house. This is an old saying based on the fact that in the old days people relied on DIY and had boxes of nails, screws, hammers and other iron things around the house.

If you want to say a company is making big profits you say “tam se prachy jen točí”. Money sure turns there – in other words it circulates fast. People who are aspiring to be rich – like the singer in question – otočí každou korunu dvakrát - turn over every crown twice in their hand before reluctantly parting with it. They believe in the saying “co je doma, to se počítᔓmoney that stays at home counts” or “kdo šetří, má za tři” he who saves has enough for three – a saying that the Czech finance minister Eduard Janota, who is pushing an austerity package for 2010, would doubtless put his signature to. And that brings us to the end of today’s SoundCzech – this is Daniela Lazarová saying thanks for learning Czech with me and na shledanou.