Slovak Language Lessons for Beginners - Lesson 8

[Lesson Overview] [Personal Website]

[Lesson 1] [Lesson 2] [Lesson 3] [Lesson 4] [Lesson 5] [Lesson 6] [Lesson 7] [Lesson 8] [Lesson 9] [Lesson 10] 

[Lesson 11] [Lesson 12] [Lesson 13] [Lesson 14] [Lesson 15] [Lesson 16] [Lesson 17] [Lesson 18] [Lesson 19] [Lesson 20] 

[Lesson 21] [Lesson 22] [Lesson 23]

Pozor! = Attention! (often used on warnings)

varovanie = warning

zákaz = literally: prohibition (used on signs that prohibit various activities)

dámy a páni = ladies and gentlemen

Presne tak. = That's right. (literally: 'Exactly so.')

To je jedno. = It doesn't matter. (literally: 'It is one [and the same].")

To je mi jedno. = I don't care. (literally: "It is one [and the same] to me.")

Čo znamená _____ ? = What does _____ mean?

vetrovka (or bunda) = winter/warm jacket, anorak

kabát = coat

šál = scarf

rukavica, rukavice = glove, gloves

mikina = a fleece, a hoodie

sveter = sweater

pulóver = pullover

blúzka = blouse

tričko = T-shirt

košeľa = shirt

sako = formal jacket

kravata = tie

nohavice = trousers/pants

rifle (alebo džínsy) = jeans 

tepláky = sweatpants

opasok = belt

sukňa = skirt

spodné prádlo = underwear

slipy = briefs

trenírky = boxers (or shorts)

nohavičky = panties

podprsenka = bra

topánka, topánky = shoe, shoes

ponožka, ponožky = sock, socks

čižma, čižmy = boot, boots

čiapka = hat (for cold weather)

klobúk = a traditional, gentleman's hat

šiltovka = cap

prsteň = ring

náramok = bracelet

náhrdelník = necklace

When an item's owner is male, we use - depending on the grammatical gender of the owned item - the suffixes -ov, -ova, or -ovo:

Michalov počítač = Michal's computer

Michalova košeľa = Michal's shirt

Michalovo auto = Michal's car

When an item's owner is female, we use the suffixes -in, -ina, or -ino. If the female name ends in a vowel (such as -a) - as it often does - the vower is typically dropped:

Janin počítač = Jana's computer

Janina košeľa = Jana's shirt

Janino auto = Jana's car

Consider these examples:

Bratislava je Jurajovo obľúbené mesto. = Bratislava is Juraj's favorite city.

Karolova košeľa je príliš veľká, ale jeho nohavice sú akurát. = Karol's shirt is too big, but his pants are just right.

Zuzanina červená sukňa je celkom pekná, ale jej tričko je škaredé. = Zuzana's red skirt is quite nice, but her T-shirt is ugly. 

Prepáč, ale naozaj neviem, kde je Máriina čierna topánka. = I'm sorry, but I really don't know where Mária's black shoe is.

Ako často ____? = How often ____?

nikdy = never

niekedy = sometimes

často = often

vždy = always

príležitostne = occasionally

raz za čas (or sem-tam) = once in a while

telo = body

hlava = head

krk = neck

hruď = chest

prsia = breasts, female chest

brucho = stomach (tummy)

zadok = bottom

vlasy = hair

brada = chin, beard

fúzy = mustache

obočie = eyebrows

čelo = forehead

líce = cheek (neuter)

oko, oči = eye, eyes

ucho, uši = ear, ears

nos = nose

ústa = mouth

zub, zuby = tooth, teeth

jazyk = tongue

hrdlo = throat

In Slovak, we do not distinguish between arms and hands, between legs and feet, and between fingers and toes:

ruka, ruky = hand/arm, hands/arms

noha, nohy = foot/leg, feet/legs

prst = finger/toe

päsť = fist

lakeť = elbow

koleno = knee

stehno = thigh

lýtko = calf

päta = heel

srdce = heart (neuter)

mozog = brain

žalúdok = stomach

pľúca = lungs

In the present tense, the verb mať (to have) takes on these forms:

ja mám (I have)                                 my máme (we have)

ty máš (you have - sing. informal)        vy máte (you have - sing. formal, and plural)       

on má (he has)                                 oni majú (they have - group of males, and mixed groups)

ona má (she has)                             ony majú (they have - group of females)

ono má (it has; for neuter - rare)

To negate the verb mať, use the usual prefix ne-:

ja nemám (I don't have)                                 my nemáme (we don't have)

ty nemáš (you don't have)                               vy nemáte (you don't have)       

on nemá (he doesn't have)                             oni nemajú (they don't have)

ona nemá (she doesn't have)                         ony nemajú (they don't have)

ono nemá (it doesn't have)

When a word is used as the direct object in a Slovak sentence, we use the accusative case. What we have seen so far, by contrast, are nouns and adjectives in their nominative case form - the form they take on when they are the subject (i.e., the actor) in a sentence. I have underlined direct objects in these English examples:

I have a younger sister.

I see the green house.

I heard the music yesterday.

In this lesson, we will only learn how to deal with a direct object that consists only of one noun. We will learn how to say things like 'I have a car.' 

In a later lesson, we'll also cover direct objects that include adjectives: 'I have a new car.'

How we form the accusative case in Slovak depends on the grammatical gender of the direct object.

Masculine gender: If the direct object is a person or an animal, we add the -a suffix. Otherwise, the word remains unchanged.

 nominative case (basic form)                  accusative case (direct object)                   example:

 brat = brother                                       brata                                                       Jozef má brata. = Jozef has a brother.

 počítač = computer                              počítač                                                    Naša domácnosť má počítač. = Our household has a computer.

Feminine gender: We change the final -a into a -u ending.

 nominative case (basic form)                  accusative case (direct object)                   example:

 kravata = tie                                        kravatu                                                   Milan má vždy kravatu. = Milan always has a tie.

 čiapka = hat                                        čiapku                                                     Jej otec má niekedy čiapku. = Her father sometimes has a hat.

Neuter gender: The word does not change.

 nominative case (basic form)                  accusative case (direct object)                   example:

 okno = window                                     okno                                                        Ich dom má okno. = Their house has a window.

 divadlo = theater                                 divadlo                                                    Mesto Nitra má divadlo. = The city of Nitra has a theater.

Recall all the interrogative pronouns we have already learned:

kto = who

čo = what

kedy = when

kde = where

koľko = how many, how much

ako = how

aký = what kind of

We can use the suffix -koľvek in the same way that -ever is used in English:

ktokoľvek = whoever

čokoľvek = whatever

kedykoľvek = whenever

kdekoľvek = wherever

koľkokoľvek = however many, however much

akokoľvek = however (meaning: in whichever way)

akýkoľvek = any (meaning, roughly: whatever kind of)

We can also use the prefix hoci- in the same way that any- is used in English:

hocikto = anyone

hocičo = anything

hocikedy = anytime

hocikde = anywhere

hocikoľko = however many, however much

hocijako = in any way 

hocijaký = any (meaning, roughly: whatever kind of, any kind of)

ONLY, AS MANY AS...

iba = only 

len = only

až = as many as (emphasizes that there is a lot of something)

Toto lacné auto stojí iba päťtisíc eúr, ale tamto drahé stojí až šesťdesiattisíc. = This cheap car costs only 5,000 euros, but that expensive one over there costs as much as 60,000.

Zajtra bude veľmi chladno - len dva stupne. = Tomorrow will be very cold - only two degrees.

There are several newspapers (noviny) with a national circulation, as well as a number of regional publications. Among the serious newspapers, SME, Denník N ('The N Daily') and Pravda ('The Truth') are most widely read. The most popular tabloid is Nový čas ('New Time') - infamous for its overblown headlines that usually focus on scandalous celebrity affairs.

SME: [http://www.sme.sk/]

Denník N: [http://www.dennikn.sk/]

Pravda: [http://www.pravda.sk/]

Nový čas: [http://www.cas.sk/]

Popular weekly magazines include Plus sedem dní ('Plus seven days'), Život ('Life') and Týždeň ('Week'):

Plus sedem dní: [https://plus7dni.pluska.sk/]

Život: [https://zivot.pluska.sk/]

Týždeň: [http://www.tyzden.sk/]

Slovakia has a state-owned TV company called Slovenská televízia ('Slovak Television'), much like the American PBS, which broadcasts on three channels. Private TV channels are more popular, however, and include TV Markíza and Joj. There is also a channel called TA3 (a pun on Tatry, the mountain range) that only broadcasts news all day. You can watch shows from these TV channels online at the following websites:

Markíza: [http://www.markiza.sk]

Joj: [http://www.joj.sk]

Slovenská televízia: [http://www.stv.sk/]

TA3: [http://www.ta3.com/]

There is also a state-owned radio company Slovenský rozhlas ('Slovak Radio Broadcasting'), not unlike NPR in the United States, which broadcasts on several radio stations. The most popular private radio station today is Rádio Expres, which plays a lot of pop music. You can listen to these radio stations online:

Slovenský rozhlas: [http://www.rozhlas.sk/]

Rádio Expres: [http://www.expres.sk/]