Slovak

Slovak

A primer on the Slovak language

Slovak is a Western Slavonic language spoken by about 5.6 million people in Slovakia and also in Canada, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the USA. Slovak is closely related to Czech, Polish, and Sorbian.

Map of areas where the Slovak language is commonly spoken.

Slovak alphabet (slovenská abeceda) & pronunciation

Slovak Alphabet

English Sound

Pronunciation Example

• A a a as in apple
• Á á aː as in father
• Ä ä æ, ɛ as in aerial
• B b b as in brother
• C c t͡s as in cats
• Č č t͡ʃ as in match
• D d d as in do
• Ď ď ɟ, dʲ as in dew
• Dz dz d͡z as in beds
• Dž dž d͡ʒ as in John
• E e e as in enter
• É é eː as in their
• F f f as in foot
• G g ɡ as in go
• H h ɦ as in house
• Ch ch x as in the German Bach
• I i ɪ as in sit
• Í í iː as in sea,
• J j j as in you
• K k k as in king
• L l l, l̩ as in love
• Ĺ ĺ l̩ː as in Luvre
• Ľ ľ ʎ, lʲ as in million
• M m m as in mother
• N n n as in net
• Ň ň ɲ, nʲ as in news
• O o ɔ as in orbit
• Ó ó ɔː as in door
• Ô ô u̯o as in won't
• P p p as in power
• Q q kv as in kvet
• R r r, r̩ as in rain
• Ŕ ŕ r̩ː as in Roma
• S s s as in star
• Š š ʃ as in shower
• T t t as in take
• Ť ť c, tʲ as in tube
• U u u as in tuna
• Ú ú uː as in fool
• V v v as in vision
• W w v as in water
• X x ks as in taxi
• Y y ɪ as in city
• Ý ý iː as in feel
• Z z z as in zebra
• Ž ž ʒ as in pleasure

Useful phrases

English Slovak Phrases

Greeting

• Hi! Ahoj!
• Good morning! Dobré ráno!
• Good afternoon! Dobrý deň!
• Good evening! Dobrý večer!
• Welcome! (to greet someone) Vitájte!
• Hello my friend! Ahoj
• How are you? (friendly) Ako sa máš?
• How are you? (polite) Ako sa máte?
• I'm fine, thank you! Som v poriadku, ďakujem!
• And you? (friendly) A ty?
• And you? (polite) A vy?
• Good Dobre
• Not so good Nie veľmi dobre
• Long time no see Dlho sme sa nevideli
• I missed you Chýbal (to a man), chýbala ( to a woman) si mi
• What's new? čo nového?
• Nothing new Nič nového
• Thank you (very much)! Ďakujem (veľmi pekne)!
• You're welcome! (for "thank you") Prosím! Nech sa páči!
• My pleasure Teší ma
• Come in! (or: enter!) Poďte/ (polite) pod´ (friendly) ďalej!
• Make yourself at home! Cíťte sa ako doma

Farewell Expressions

• Have a nice day! Prajem príjemný deň!
• Good night! Dobrú noc!
• Good night and sweet dreams! Dobrú noc a príjemné sny!
• See you later! Vidíme sa neskôr!
• See you soon! Vidíme sa čoskoro!
• See you tomorrow! Uvidíme sa zajtra!
• Good bye! Do videnia!
• Have a good trip! Šťastnú cestu!
• I have to go Musím ísť
• I will be right back! Hneď´ som tu!

Holidays and Wishes

• Good luck! Veľa šťastia!
• Happy birthday! Všetko najlepšie k narodeninám!
• Happy new year! Šťastný Nový rok!
• Merry Christmas! Veselé Vianoce!
• Happy Easter! Veselú Veľkú Noc!
• Happy Holidays! Veselé sviatky!
• Congratulations! Blahoželám! Gratulujem!
• Enjoy! (or: bon appetit) Dobrú chuť!
• Bless you (when sneezing) Na zdravie!
• Best wishes! Všetko najlepšie!
• Cheers! (or: to your health) Na zdravie!
• Accept my best wishes Prajem Vám (polite) /ti (friendly) všetko najlepšie!

How to Introduce Yourself

• What's your name? Ako sa voláš? (friendly) Ako sa voláte? (polite)
• My name is (John Doe) Volám sa..
• Nice to meet you! Teší ma!
• Where are you from? Odkiaľ pochádzate (polite) pochádzaš?(friendly)
• I'm from (the U.S/ Slovakia) Ja som zo/z ..
• I'm (American/ Slovak) Ja som..
• Where do you live? Kde bývate?(polite) Kde bývaš?(friendly)
• I live in (the U.S/ Slovakia) Bývam v/na..
• Do you like it here? Páči sa Vám (polite) /ti (friendly) tu?
• Slovakia is a beautiful country Slovensko je krásna krajina
• What do you do for a living? Čo robíte? Kde pracujete?
• I'm a (teacher/ student/ engineer) Ja som (učiteľ / študent / inžinier)
• Do you speak (English/ Slovak)? Hovoríte(polite)/hovoríš(friendly) po (slovensky, anglicky)?
• Just a little Len trochu
• I like Slovak Páči sa mi slovenčina
• I'm trying to learn Slovak Snažím sa učiť po slovensky
• It's a hard language Je to ťažký jazyk
• It's an easy language je to ľahký jazyk
• Oh! That's good! O, to je dobre! Skvele!
• Can I practice with you? Môžem mať nejakú prax s vami?
• I will try my best to learn Urobím všetko aby som sa naučil
• How old are you? Koľko máte(polite) /máš (friendly)š rokov?
• I'm (twenty one, thirty two) years old Mám (dvadsať jeden, tridsať dva) rokov
• It was nice talking to you! Bolo príjemne sa s tebou/vami porozprávať
• It was nice meeting you! Tešilo ma!
• Mr.../ Mrs. .../ Miss... Pán, pani, slečna
• This is my wife Toto je moja manželka
• This is my husband Toto je môj manžel
• Say hi to Thomas for me Pozdravuj Tomáša

Romance and Love Phrases

• Are you free tomorrow evening? Si voľná (to a woman)/voľný (to a man) zajtra večer?
• I would like to invite you to dinner Chcel (a man)/ chcela (a woman) by som vás pozvať na večeru
• You look beautiful! (to a woman) Vyzeráte krásne!
• You have a beautiful name Máš krásne meno
• Can you tell me more about you? Môžeš mi povedať viac o sebe?
• Are you married? Si ženatý (to a man) /si vydatá (to a woman) ?
• I'm single Som slobodný ( a man)/slobodná (a woman)
• I'm married Som ženatý (a man) /vydatá (a woman)
• Can I have your phone number? Môžem poprosiť vaše telefónne číslo?
• Can I have your email? Môžem poprosit vašu e-mailovú adresu?
• Do you have any pictures of you? Máš/mate nejakú tvoju/vašu fotografiu?
• Do you have children? Máš detí?
• Would you like to go for a walk? Chceš/chcete sa prejsť?
• I like you Mám ťa rád
• I love you Milujem ťa / ľúbim ťa
• You're very special! Si veľmi neobyčajný (to a man) / neobyčajná (to a woman)
• You're very kind! Si velmy láskavý(to a man)/ láskavá (to a woman)
• I'm very happy Som velmi šťastný ( a man)/ šťastná (a woman)
• Would you marry me? Zoberieš si ma? Vydáš sa za mňa?
• I'm just kidding Ja len žartujem
• I'm serious Moje srdce hovorí jazykom lásky
• My heart speaks the language of love

Solving a Misunderstanding

• Sorry! (or: I beg your pardon!) Ospravedlňujem sa!
• Sorry (for a mistake) Prepáčte!
• No problem! Nie je problém
• Can you repeat please? Môžete zopakovať, prosím?
• Can you speak slowly? Môžete hovoriť pomaly?
• Can you write it down? Môžete si to opísať?
• Did you understand what I said? Pochopili ste čo som povedal?
• I don't understand! Nerozumiem tomu!
• I don't know! Ja neviem!
• What's that called in Slovak? Ako to tomu hovorí po slovensky?
• What does that word mean in English? Čo znamená toto slovo po anglický?
• How do you say "thanks" in Slovak? Ako sa povie "ďakujem", po slovensky?
• What is this? čo je to?
• My Slovak is bad Moja slovenčina nie je dobrá
• Don't worry! Nebojte sa!
• I agree with you Súhlasím s vami
• Is that right? Je to správne?
• Is that wrong? Nie je to správne?
• What should I say? Čo mám povedať?
• I just need to practice Potrebujem prax
• Your Slovak is good Vaša/Tvoja slovenčina je dobrá
• I have an accent Mám prízvuk
• You don't have an accent Nemáte prízvuk

Asking for Directions

• Excuse me! (before asking someone) Prepáčte prosím!
• I'm lost Som sa stratil/a
• Can you help me? Môžete mi prosím pomôcť?
• Can I help you? Môžem vám nejako pomôcť?
• I'm not from here Nie som odtiaľto
• How can I get to (this place, this city)? Ako sa dostanem do ?
• Go straight choďte priamo
• Then Potom
• Turn left Zabočte vľavo
• Turn right Zabočte vpravo
• Can you show me? Môžete mi ukázať?
• I can show you! Môžem vám ukázať!
• Come with me! Poďte so mnou!
• How long does it take to get there? Ako dlho môže trvať cesta tam?
• Downtown (city center) Centrum mesta
• Historic center (old city) Historické centrum
• It's near here Je to odtiaľto blízko
• It's far from here Je to odtiaľto ďaleko
• Is it within walking distance? Dá sa tam ísť peši?
• I'm looking for Mr. Smith Hľadám pána Smitha
• One moment please! Chvíľočku, prosím
• Hold on please! (when on the phone) Vydržte chvíľu, prosím
• He is not here Nie je tu
• Airport Letisko
• Bus station Autobusová stanica
• Train station Vlaková stanica
• Taxi Taxík
• Near Blízko
• Far Ďaleko

Emergency Survival Phrases

• Help! Pomoc!
• Stop! Stop!
• Fire! Požiar!
• Thief! Zlodej!
• Run! Utekaj!
• Watch out! (or: be alert!) Dajte si pozor!
• Call the police! Zavolajte políciu!
• Call a doctor! Zavolajte doktora!
• Call the ambulance! Zavolajte záchranku!
• Are you okay? Si v poriadku?
• I feel sick Je mi zle
• I need a doctor Potrebujem lekára
• Accident Nehoda
• Food poisoning Otrava jedlom
• Where is the closest pharmacy? Kde je najbližšia lekáreň?
• It hurts here Bolí ma tu
• It's urgent! Je to naliehavé/urgentné
• Calm down! Upokoj sa!
• You will be okay! Budete v poriadku
• Can you help me? Môžete mi pomôcť?
• Can I help you? Môžem vám nejako pomôcť?

Hotel Restaurant Travel Phrases

• I have a reservation (for a room) Mám rezervovanú izbu
• Do you have rooms available? Máte voľne izby?
• With shower / With bathroom So sprchou/s kúpeľnou
• I would like a non-smoking room Prosím si nefajčiarsku izbu
• What is the charge per night? Aká je cena za jednu noc?
• I'm here on business /on vacation Som na služobnej ceste/ som na dovolenke
• Dirty špinavý
• Clean čistý
• Do you accept credit cards? Beriete kreditne karty?
• I'd like to rent a car Rád by som si požičal auto
• How much will it cost? Koľko to bude stať?
• A table for (one / two) please! Stôl pre (jedného, dvoch) prosím!
• Is this seat taken? Je toto miesto obsadené?
• I'm vegetarian Som vegetarián
• I don't eat pork Nejem bravčové
• I don't drink alcohol Nepijem alkohol
• What's the name of this dish? Ako sa volá toto jedlo?
• Waiter / waitress! čašník, čašnícka
• Can we have the check please? účet prosím
• It is very delicious! Nepáči sa mi to
• I don't like it ​Je veľmi chutné!

Shopping Expressions

• How much is this? Koľko je to, koľko to stojí?
• I'm just looking Len sa pozerám
• I don't have change Nemám drobné
• This is too expensive je to príliš drahé
• Expensive drahý
• Cheap lacný

Daily Expressions

• What time is it? Koľko je hodín?
• It's 3 o'clock Je tretia hodina
• Give me this! Daj mi to
• Are you sure? Si si istý?
• Take this! (when giving something) Nech sa páči! Tu máš.
• It's freezing (weather) Mrzne
• It's cold (weather) Zima
• It's hot (weather) Horúco
• Do you like it? Páči sa ti to
• I really like it! Moc sa mi to páči
• I'm hungry Som hladný
• I'm thirsty Som smädný
• He is funny On je vtipný
• In The Morning Ráno
• In the evening Večer
• At Night V noci
• Hurry up! Poponáhľajte sa!

Cuss Words (polite)

• This is nonsense! (or: this is craziness) To je nezmysel
• My God! (to show amazement) Bože môj
• Oh gosh! (when making a mistake) Jáj
• It sucks! (or: this is not good) Jáj
• What's wrong with you? čo je s tebou?
• Are you crazy? Zbláznil/Zbláznila si sa?
• Get lost! (or: go away!) zmizni, chod' preč
• Leave me alone! Nechaj ma!
• I'm not interested! Nemám záujem

Writing a Letter

• Dear John Milý John
• My trip was very nice Môj výlet bol veľmi dobrý
• The culture and people were very interesting Kultúra a ľudia boli veľmi zaujímavé
• I had a good time with you Dobre som strávil čas s Vami
• I would love to visit your country again Chcel by som zase navštíviť vašu/tvoju krajinu
• Don't forget to write me back from time to time Nezabúdaj mi občas napísať

Short Expressions and words

• Good Dobre
• Bad Zle
• So-so (or: not bad not good) tak nejako,
• Big Veľký
• Small Malý
• Today Dnes
• Now Teraz
• Tomorrow Zajtra
• Yesterday Včera
• Yes Áno
• No Nie
• Fast Rýchly
• Slow Pomalý
• Hot Horúci
• Cold Hladný
• This Tento
• That Ten
• Here Tu
• There Tam
• Me (ie. Who did this? - Me) ja som
• You Ty ( singular) Vy (plural)
• Him Jeho
• Her Jej
• Us Nás
• Them Ich
• Really? Naozaj
• Look! Pozrite sa!
• What? Čo?
• Where? Kde
• Who? Kto
• How? Ako
• When? Kedy
• Why? Prečo

Numbers

• Zero Nula
• One Jeden, jedna, jedno
• Two Dva, dve, dve
• Three Tri
• Four Štyri
• Five Päť
• Six Šesť
• Seven Sedem
• Eight Osem
• Nine Deväť
• Ten Desať