What is the Czech word for beer?

The Czech word for beer is pivo. It is a standard Czech noun and the everyday word used for the drink in Czech-speaking regions.

Czech beer culture is especially associated with lager, and the country is the birthplace of the Pilsner style. The style takes its name from Plzeň, known in English as Pilsen, where Pilsner Urquell was first brewed in 1842. Czech pubs, called hospody, traditionally serve beer alongside hearty foods such as goulash, dumplings, and pickled sausages.

Visitors may encounter related forms of the word. Pivovar means brewery, while pivo is the beverage itself. Pivní means “beer” as an adjective, as in pivní sýr, or beer cheese. The word changes form with Czech grammar: pivo is the basic form, while piva and pivu appear in different grammatical contexts.

Czech beer is often ordered by serving size or style rather than by simply saying the English word “beer.” A světlé pivo is a pale beer, tmavé pivo is dark beer, and řezané pivo is a blend of pale and dark beer.