I can say hello and goodbye in the morning, afternoon, and evening, thank someone, apologize, and invite someone in, and choose the ty form for a friend and the vy form for Ms. Nováková.
Dobrý deň or Ahoj: what to say to whom
Dobrý deň or Ahoj: what to say to whom
These phrases come up every day. Learn them whole and choose them by the situation, not by the translation.
Look at WHO you are talking to. Use ty with friends, family, children, students your age; vy with adults you don't know, a teacher, a doctor, a neighbor, at work. With vy: pán / pani + last name (pán Varga, pani Nováková); with ty: the first name (Lucia).
Some phrases add -te for vy: maj sa → majte sa, prepáč → prepáčte, vitaj → vitajte, poď ďalej → poďte ďalej. Ahoj is only for ty; dobrý deň and dovidenia are for vy.
Time of day: dobré ráno early in the morning, dobrý deň during the day, dobrý večer when meeting in the evening, dobrú noc before bed. On the phone: haló.
Two kinds of “please” (table): prosím to ask and in reply to ďakujem; nech sa páči when handing something over or inviting someone in. Dobrú chuť before a meal; na zdravie as a toast and “bless you”. Yes: áno; no: nie. Slečna: to a young unmarried woman; in business, pani.
A long syllable isn't stressed: in prosím the stress is on pro-, and -sím is just long.
Common mistakes:
• × “Ahoj, pán Horváth!” → Dobrý deň, pán Horváth! (ahoj is only for ty)
• × “Maj sa, pani Balážová!” → Majte sa, pani Balážová!
• × “Prosím” when handing someone a book → Nech sa páči.
• × “Nech sa páči” in reply to “Ďakujem” → Prosím.
What to say to whom: ty and vy
In some set phrases the vy version adds -te. Ahoj is only for ty.
| What to say | With ty: to a friend, a child, a fellow student your age | With vy: to an adult you don't know, a teacher, a neighbor, at work |
|---|---|---|
| saying hello | ahoj | dobrý deň |
| saying goodbye | ahoj, maj sa | dovidenia, majte sa |
| apologizing | prepáč | prepáčte |
| welcoming a guest | vitaj | vitajte |
| inviting someone in | poď ďalej | poďte ďalej |
| form of address | Lucia | pani Nováková, pán Varga |
Two kinds of “please”
English “please” is only for asking; Slovak uses two different phrases.
| Situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| asking for something | prosím |
| in reply to ďakujem | prosím |
| handing something over | nech sa páči |
| inviting someone in | nech sa páči / poďte ďalej |
Lesson notes
Dobrý deň or Ahoj: what to say to whom
These phrases come up every day. Learn them whole and choose them by the situation, not by the translation.
Look at WHO you are talking to. Use ty with friends, family, children, students your age; vy with adults you don't know, a teacher, a doctor, a neighbor, at work. With vy: pán / pani + last name (pán Varga, pani Nováková); with ty: the first name (Lucia).
Some phrases add -te for vy: maj sa → majte sa, prepáč → prepáčte, vitaj → vitajte, poď ďalej → poďte ďalej. Ahoj is only for ty; dobrý deň and dovidenia are for vy.
Time of day: dobré ráno early in the morning, dobrý deň during the day, dobrý večer when meeting in the evening, dobrú noc before bed. On the phone: haló.
Two kinds of “please” (table): prosím to ask and in reply to ďakujem; nech sa páči when handing something over or inviting someone in. Dobrú chuť before a meal; na zdravie as a toast and “bless you”. Yes: áno; no: nie. Slečna: to a young unmarried woman; in business, pani.
A long syllable isn't stressed: in prosím the stress is on pro-, and -sím is just long.
Common mistakes:
• × “Ahoj, pán Horváth!” → Dobrý deň, pán Horváth! (ahoj is only for ty)
• × “Maj sa, pani Balážová!” → Majte sa, pani Balážová!
• × “Prosím” when handing someone a book → Nech sa páči.
• × “Nech sa páči” in reply to “Ďakujem” → Prosím.