Podstatné mená - Nouns
There are three genders: masculine, femenine and neuter.
These genders cannot be recognized according to the article (like in Spanish or French) as there is no article in Slovak (good news :-)!).
There are four patterns for each gender. We are going to discuss them step by step.
Plural and seven cases of nouns are formed according to these patterns.
At this beginner level vocabulary will be written with f for femenine, m for masculine and n for neuter.
Examples:
žena /ʒena/, f = woman; kniha /kňiha/, f = book; škola /ʃkola/, f = school
chlapec /xlapec/, m = boy; dom /dom/, m = house; shop /ʃop/, m = obchod
dievča /dyevʧa/, n = girl; pero /pero/, n = pen; auto /auto/, n = car
Masculine patterns (Vzory pre mužský rod):
A. For living things: chlap /xlap/, hrdina /hrďina/
B. For non-living things: dub /dub/, stroj /stroy/
Pattern CHLAP (Vzor chlap)
Cases - Singular:
1. (who? what?) chlap /xlap/
Tam je nejaký chlap. /Tam ye neyaki: xlap./ = There is a man.
2. (from?) chlapa /xlapa/
Je to od chlapa. / Ye to od xlapa/ = It is from a man.
3. (to) chlapovi /xlapovi/
Je to pre tohto chlapa. / Ye to pre tohto xlapa/ = It is for this man.
4. (whom? what?) chlapa /xlapa/
Vidím nejakého chlapa. / Vidi:m neyake:ho xlapa/ = I can see a man.
5. case in not used any more
6. (about) chlapovi /xlapovi/
Hovoríme o tom chlapovi. /Hovori.me o tom xlapovi/ = We are talking about the man.
7. (with) chlapom /xlapom/
Bývam s chlapom. /Bi:vam s xlapom/ - I live with a man.
Cases Plural:
1. chlapi /xlapi/ - dvaja chlapi /dvaya xlapi/ = two men
2. chlapov /xlapov/ - from men
3. chlapom /xlapom/ = to men
4. chlapov /xlapov/ = e. g. I can see two men.
5. is not used any more
6. chlapoch /xlapox/ = about men
7. chlapmi /xlapmi/ = with men
We know, it seems to be a bit complicated, may be it is, but on the other hand there are just three tenses used in Slovak!
You can study and follow all the rules we define in grammar parts of the lessons, or you can study just speaking and vocabulary, and in use rely on your "language intuition".
Hovorenie = Speaking
I.
Prepáčte, kde je supermarket? /prepa:ʧte, gďe ye supermarket/ = Excuse me, where is a supermarket?
(pošta, autobusová stanica, železničná stanica... see vocabulary lesson 1)
- Je tamto. /ye tamto/ = It is over there.
Vďaka. /vďaka/ = Thanks.
II.
Prepáčte, kde je hotel Forum? /prepa:ʧte, gďe ye hotel Forum/ = Excuse me, where is hotel Forum?
(pošta, autobusová stanica, železničná stanica... see vocabulary lesson 1)
- Je to blízko (ďaleko). /ye to bli:zko (ďaľeko)/. Choďte rovno a potom doľava (doprava). /xoďťe rovno a potom doľava (doprava)/ = It is near (far). Go straight ahead and then turn left (right).
Vďaka. /vďaka/ = Thanks.
III.
Prepáčte, kde je parkovisko? /prepa:ʧte, gďe ye parkovisko/ = Excuse me, where is a car park?
(pošta, autobusová stanica, železničná stanica... see vocabulary lesson 1)
- Choďte rovno a potom prvá ulica vľavo (vpravo). /xoďťe rovno a potom prva: ulica vľavo (vpravo)/ = Go straight ahead and then take the first street on the left (on the right).
Vďaka. /vďaka/ = Thanks. or Ďakujem. /ďakujem / = Thank you.
prvá ulica /prva: ulica/ = first street
druhá /druha:/ = second
tretia /tretya/ = third
štvrtá /ʃtvrta:/ = fourth
piata /pyata/ = fifth