Eye contact during the clink is a genuine social norm in Czech drinking culture — skipping it can come across as slightly rude or inattentive, though it's unlikely to cause serious offense. The toast 'Na zdraví' is used across generations and settings, from casual beer halls to formal dinners. Czechs are serious about their beer culture (they lead the world in per-capita beer consumption), so getting the toast right is a small but appreciated gesture.
Planning this trip?
🤝 Check our free Local Etiquette & Taboos Checker before you go.
Try the Local Etiquette & Taboos Checker →A close English approximation is 'nah ZDRA-vee' — the 'zdr' cluster is the trickiest part for English speakers. Don't stress too much about perfection; Czechs will appreciate the effort even if your accent isn't flawless.
Some Czechs hold a folk belief that toasting with water (or other non-alcoholic drinks) brings bad luck, similar to a superstition found in several European countries. It's not universally observed and younger or less traditional crowds often ignore it, but if you want to play it safe, you can simply raise your glass without clinking when drinking water.
In smaller groups, yes — it's customary to clink with each person individually rather than just raising your glass generally. In a very large group this becomes impractical and a collective raise of the glass is fine, but for a table of four to six people, going around to each person is the norm.