These articles were published in the Spectacular Slovakia travel guide, published annually by The Slovak Spectator since 1996. The latest editions can be obtained from our online shop.

Some useful Slovak phrases

Language

Slovak is one branch in the Slavic language tree, though Slovaks will insist (we agree) that their language is the cleanest of them all. Regardless, it’s a tough language, laced with conjugations and myriad endings, depending on the case being used. Take heart, though, more and more Slovaks speak English, German or both, and if not, the little phrase you pucker out will impress them mightily. We’ve included a little guide for those hardy souls who want to wrestle with the language.

Pronunciation

Assume a British accent, if you don’t already have one, for the following examples.

Vowels

The vowels a, e, i, o, u are pure sounds, as in Spanish or Italian, rather than English. Vowels can be either short (a, ä, e, i, o, u, y) or long (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý). Long vowels are simply prolonged versions of their short counterparts, preserving the same color.

Consonants

The consonants b, d, f, g, l, m, n, s, v, and z are pronounced approximately as in English. Meanwhile, k, p, and t are like in English, but without aspiration. The carrot “ v “ over some consonants softens them. Example: čo, pronounced /choh/, which means what. To complicate things, d, n, and t are usually softened when followed by e or i, becoming equivalent to ď, ň or ť. Examples: deti /dye-tyee/ children, neviem /nye-vyem/ I don’t know, držte /drzh-tye/ hold on, hold this.

Select Glossary

Numbers

199 is said as one hundred ninety-nine, sto deväťdesiat deväť, but without “and.”

The year 2001 is two thousand one, dve tisíc jedna.

Basic phrases

Useful phrases at a restaurant

Days of the Week

Months

Food and Drink

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