Czech · Porucha / odtah
The car broke down on the motorway and you call a tow truck: what to say in Czech
Your car broke down on the motorway and you call a tow truck.
💡
How it's done. For roadside help there is the Czech ÚAMK (number 1230) and other clubs; in case of danger or an accident call 112, and the police is 158.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Dobrý den, auto se mi porouchalo na dálnici. Potřebuji odtah.
DOH-brih dayn, OW-toh seh mee POH-roh-oo-khuh-loh nuh DAHL-nee-tsee. POTR-sheh-booy-ee OT-tuhkh.
Good day, my car has broken down on the motorway. I need a tow.
THEY SAY
Kde přesně jste? Na které dálnici?Gdeh PRSHES-nyeh ysteh? Nuh KTEH-reh DAHL-nee-tsee?
Where exactly are you? On which motorway?
They might also say:
Řekněte mi, kde přesně stojíte.
RZHEK-nyeh-teh mee, gdeh PRSHES-nyeh STOY-ee-teh.
Tell me exactly where you are standing.
2
YOU FINISH
Na dálnici, kousek před Humpolcem, směr Praha.
Nuh DAHL-nee-tsee, KOH-oo-sek prshed GOOM-pol-tsem, smnyehr PRAH-guh.
On the motorway, a little before Humpolec, direction Prague.
THEY SAY
Dobře, pošleme odtahovku. Bude tam asi za čtyřicet minut.DOBR-zheh, POSH-leh-meh OT-tuh-gof-koo. BOO-deh tahm AH-see zah CHTIR-zhee-tset MEE-noot.
All right, we'll send a tow truck. It will be there in about forty minutes.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Czech for life in Czechia”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Dobrý
DOH-brih
adjective
good
den
dayn
noun
day
auto
OW-toh
noun
car
porouchalo
POH-roh-oo-khuh-loh
verb
broke down
dálnici
DAHL-nee-tsee
noun
motorway (accusative)
Potřebuji
POTR-sheh-booy-ee
verb
I need
22 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Můžete to zopakovat, prosím?
MOO-zheh-teh toh ZOH-puh-koh-vuht, PROH-seem?
Can you repeat that, please?
Můžete mluvit pomaleji, prosím?
MOO-zheh-teh MLOO-veet POH-muh-lay-ee, PROH-seem?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Ještě neumím dobře česky.
YEHSH-tyeh NEH-oo-meem DOBR-zheh CHES-kih.
I don't speak Czech well yet.
Děkuji!
DYEH-kooy-ee!
Thank you!
Similar situations
After a minor accident you talk to the other driverPorucha / odtah · B1 in the app
→After a minor accident you fill in an accident report with the other driverPorucha / odtah · B1 in the app
→You phone your insurer to report a claimPorucha / odtah · A2 in the app
→You buy a car and register it in your nameRegistrace / pojištění · A2 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report