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Slovak declension

See also: Slovak language. Many Slovak words are given without translation on this page, for a translation see e. g. this (not very good) dictionary Slovak-English-Slovak Dictionary

Table of contents
1 Introduction
2 Legend
3 Nouns
4 Adjectives
5 Pronouns
6 Numerals
7 External links:

Introduction

The Slovak language, like most Slavic languages or like Latin, is an inflected language, meaning that the endings (and sometimes also the stems) of most words (nouns, adjectives, pronouns and numerals) change depending on the given combination of the grammatical gender, the grammatical number and the grammatical case of the particular word in the particular sentence:

a)Gender: All Slovak nouns and adjectives, as well as some pronouns and numerals are either masculine, feminine, or neuter

b)Number: Like in English, there is the singular and the plural

c)Cases:

    * in certain contexts

Legend

Nouns

For each gender, there are four basic declension paradigms (i. e. declension models).

Note that many nouns (especially those following the paradigm chlap) have different endings then those of the paradigms in one or several grammatical cases. They are neither defined, nor listed in the following

A very small number of foreign nouns is not declined (i. e. the stem and ending never change).

The Masculine Gender

 

animate and ends in anything except -a

animate and ends in -a

inanimate and ends in a hard or neutral consonant

inanimate and ends in a soft consonant

 

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

Nmužmužihrdinahrdinoviadubdubystrojstroje
Gmužamužovhrdinuhrdinovduba dubovstrojastrojov
Dmužovimužomhrdinovihrdinomdubudubomstrojustrojom
Amužamužovhrdinuhrdinovdubdubystrojstroje
Lmužovimužochhrdinovihrdinochdube dubochstrojistrojoch
Imužommužmihrdinomhrdinamidubomdubmistrojomstrojmi

There is also a 5th paradigm for foreign nouns ending in .-i , -y, -e, -í, -é, -ě, -ä (e. g. pony, kuli, Tököli, Goethe, Krejčí, abbé, Poupě) and foreign personal names ending in -ü, -ö (e. g. Jenö), which goes as follows:

Masculine animal nouns are declined like chlap in the singular, but in plural usually like dub (if they end in a hard or neutral consonant) or like stroj (otherwise)

Notes on chlap:

Notes on hrdina: -

Notes on dub:

Notes on stroj:

The Feminine Gender

 

ends in -hard or neutral consonant + a

ends in -soft consonant + a (or in -ia / -ya)

ends in a consonant other then for kosť (next column).

ends in -c /s / p / v / sť

 

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

sg.

pl.

Nženaženyulicaulicedlaňdlanekosťkosti
Gženyžienuliceulícdlanedlaniachkostikostí
Dženeženámuliciuliciamdlanidlaniamkostikostiam
Aženuženyulicuulicedlaňdlanekosťkosti
Lženeženáchuliciuliciachdlanidlaniachkostikostiach
Iženouženamiulicouulicamidlaňoudlaňamikosťoukosťami

There is also a 5th paradigm for feminine nouns ending in -ná or -ovná (e. g. princezná), where the singular and N pl and A pl are like pekná (see under adjectives) and the remaining plural is like žena. In the G pl, there are changes in the stem: if the noun ends in -vowel + ná, then this vowel receives an acute (e. g. švagriná - švagrín), but otherwise an -ie- is inserted (e. g. princezná - princezien).

There is also a 6th paradigm for the feminine nouns ending in -ea (idea, Kórea), which goes like žena, except that D sg and Lsg are idei, and G pl is ideí without change in the stem.

Notes on žena:

Notes on ulica:
Notes on dlaň:
The following nouns are declined like dlaň, not like kosť: obec, päsť, čeľusť, päsť.
  • The following feminine nouns are not declined like dlaň, but like kosť: jar, zver, chuť, ortuť, pamäť, smrť, pleť, sneť, rukoväť, smeť, púť, spleť, svojeť, reč, seč, meď, soľ, hluš, myš, voš, lož, bel, Sereď, Sibír, Budapešť, Bukurešť, Lešť and a few other nouns. The words myseľ, chuť, raž, tvár, hneď can be declined like dlaň or like kosť in the singular, but only like dlaň in the plural. The word hrsť is declined like dlaň in the singular, but like kosť in the plural.
  • most nouns in -eň lose the e in all cases except N sg and A sg (e. g. úroveň - úrovne)

  • Notes on kosť:

    The Neuter Gender

     

    ends in - o

    ends in - e (except -ie)

    ends in - ie

    ends in - a or -ä

     

    sg.

    pl.

    sg.

    pl.

    sg.

    pl.

    sg.

    pl.

    Nmestomestásrdcesrdciavysvedčenievysvedčeniadievča dievčatá / dievčence
    Gmestamiestsrdcasŕdcvysvedčeniavysvedčenídievčaťadievčiat/ dievčeniec
    Dmestumestámsrdcusrdciamvysvedčeniuvysvedčeniamdievčaťudievčatám/ dievčencom
    Amestomestásrdcesrdciavysvedčenievysvedčeniadievčadievčatá/ dievčence
    Lmestemestáchsrdcisrdciachvysvedčenívysvedčeniachdievčatidievčatách / dievčencoch
    Imestommestamisrdcomsrdcamivysvedčenímvysvedčeniamidievčaťomdievčatami / dievčencami

    For (any) neuter nouns ending in -vowel+um/on (e. g. štúdium, ganglion) there is actually a 5th paradigm (štúdium), which is declined like mesto except that the -um- / -on- is omitted in all cases except N sg and A sg. , L sg ends in -u (štúdiu),and G pl in -í (štúdií).

    Notes on mesto:

    Notes on srdce: Notes on vysvedčenie: -

    Notes on dievča:

    Adjectives

    Paradigms

    Pekný

    This paradigm is used for adjectives ending in -a hard or neutral consonant + ý [in the masculine gender]

     

    masculine

    neuter

    feminine

    plural

    Npeknýpeknépeknápekné (masc. animate: pekní)
    Gpeknéhopeknéhopeknejpekných
    Dpeknémupeknémupeknejpekným
    Apekný (animate: pekného)peknépeknúpekné (masc. animate: pekných)
    Lpeknompeknompeknejpekných
    Ipeknýmpeknýmpeknoupeknými

    Cudzí

    This paradigm is used for adjectives ending in -a soft consonant + í [in the masculine gender] (including the comparative and superlative, see below )

    Forms: They are like with pekný, but within the endings (i. e. in what follows after pekn-) always replace ý by í, é by ie, á by ia, and ú by iu., e.g.: pekný - cudzí, pekné(ho) - cudzie(ho), pekný(m) - cudzí(m), pekná - cudzia, peknú - cudziu.

    Otcov

    This paradigm is used for adjectives ending in -ov / -in [in the masculine gender] (e. g. otcov (“father’s“ ), mamin (“mather’s“)). All of them are, by the way, possessive adjectives ( adjectives in -ov for masculine persons, adjectives in -in for feminine persons)

     

    masculine

    neuter

    feminine

    plural

    Notcovotcovootcovaotcove (masc. animate: otcovi)
    Gotcovhootcovhootcovejotcových
    Dotcovmuotcovmuotcovejotcovým
    Aotcov (animate: otcovho)otcovootcovuotcove (masc. animate: otcových)
    Lotcovomotcovomotcovejotcových
    Iotcovýmotcovýmotcovouotcovými

    The Comparative and Superlative

    The comparative is formed by replacing the adjective ending -ý/y/i/í by -ejší or -ší. There are exact rules for the choice between these two endings and there are several irregular comparatives. Examples:
    Regular: hrozný – hroznejší, bohatý - bohatší . . .
    Irregular: veľký - väčší, malý - menší, dobrý - lepší, zlý - horší, pekný - krajší, čierny - černejší, blízky-bližší, ďaleký - ďalší, hlboký – hlbší . . .
    The comparative forms are declined like cudzí

    The superlative (i. e. biggest, most difficult etc. )is formed as follows: naj+comparative . Examples: pekný - krajší - najkrajší, hrozný- hroznejší – najhroznejší . . .

    The comparative and superlative of adverbs (which by the way end in -o, -e or -y in the basic form)is formed by simply replacing the -(ej)ší from the adjective by -(ej)šie (e. g. pekne - krajšie - najkrajšie, hrozne - hroznejšie - najhroznejšie, teplo - teplejšie - najteplejšie, pomaly - pomalšie - najpomalšie)

    Pronouns

    Personal pronouns

     

    I

    you (sg)

    he

    she

    it

    we

    you (pl. or polite form)

    they (masculine animate, or mixed genders)

    they (otherwise)

    Njatyononaonomyvyoniony
    Gma (mňa)ťa (teba) ho (jeho, neho,-ňho, -ň)ju ho (jeho, neho, -ňho, -ň) násvásich (nich)ich (ne)
    Dmne (mi)tebe (ti)mu (jemu, nemu,-ňmu)jej (nej)mu (jemu, nemu,-ňmu)námvámim (nim)im (nim)
    Ama (mňa)ťa (teba) ho (jeho, neho, -ňho, -ň, -eň)ju ho (-ň, -eň) násvásich (nich)ich (ne)
    Lmnetebeňomnejňomnásvásnichnich
    Imnoutebounímňounímnamivaminiminimi

    There is also the reflexive pronoun sa, which is declined as follows: N: -, G: seba , D: sebe /si, A: seba/sa, L: sebe, I: sebou

    Notes:

    Demonstrative Pronouns

     

    masculine

    neuter

    feminine

    plural

    Ntentotie (masc. animate: tí)
    Gtohotohotejtých
    Dtomutomutejtým
    Aten (masc. animate: toho)totie (masc. animate: tých)
    Ltomtomtejtých
    Itýmtýmtoutými

    like ten (that, the) are declined: tamten (that one), henten (that one), tento (this one), tenže (the same). . .

    like adjectives are declined: e. g. istý (certain, same), každý (each), iný (other), taký / onaký (such), všetok (all), sám (-self), onen (that one),and žiaden=žiadny (no one) . . .

    Interrogative (and Relative) and Indefinite pronouns

    who: N: kto - G:koho -D:komu - A:koho - L:kom - I:kým [always masculine animate]
    what: N: čo - G:čoho - D:čomu - A: čo -L: čom -I:čím [always neuter]

    like kto/čo are declined: nikto (nobody), niekto/dakto (someone), niečo/dačo (something), hocikto (who ever), nič (nothing), ktosi (someone), čosi (something) . . .

    like adjectives are declined:čí (whose), niečí /dačí / hocičí (someone’s), ničí (noone’s), ktorý (which), aký (what, which), nejaký / dajaký / (some), nijaký / niktorý (no), čísi (someone’s), číkoľvek (whose ever). akýsi (some), ktorýsi (some), ktorýkoľvek (which ever). . .

    Possessive pronouns

     

    masculine

    neuter

    feminine

    plural

    Nmôjmojemojamoje (masc. animate: moji)
    Gmôjhomôjhomojejmojich
    Dmôjmumôjmumojejmojim
    Amôj (animate: môjho)mojemojumoje (masc. animate: mojich)
    Lmojommojommojejmojich
    Imojímmojímmojoumojimi

    like môj (my) are declined:

    not declined are:

    Numerals

    Cardinal Numerals (one, two, three. . . )

    Paradigms

    jeden (one): is declined like the adjective pekný

    dva (two): N: dvaja (masc. animate); dva (masc. inanimate); dve (otherwise) - G: dvoch - D: dvom - A: dvoch (masc. animate); dva (masc. inanimate); dve (otherwise) - L: dvoch - I: dvoma

    N: dvaja/dva (masc. animate); dva (otherwise)
    A: dvoch /dva (masc. animate); dva (otherwise)

    tri (three): N: traja (masc. animate); tri (otherwise) - G: troch - D: trom - A: troch (masc. animate); tri (otherwise) - L: troch - I: troma / tromi

    N: traja/tri (masc. animate); tri (otherwise)
    A: troch/tri (masc. animate); tri (otherwise)

    päť (five): N: piati / päť (masc. animate); päť (otherwise) - G: piatich - D: piatim - A: piatich / päť (masc. animate); päť (otherwise) - L: piatich - I: piatimi

    100, 200, 300, . . . 900; 1000, 2000, 3000, . . . 9000: not declined, but 1000 can be declined like päť

    Compound Numerals

    Ordinal Numerals (first, second . . . . )

    They are declined like adjectives (paradigms pekný and cudzí)

    Note: Ordinal numerals are formed by adding adjective endings to the (slightly modified) cardinal numbers, e. g.

    5: päť - 5th: piaty,
    20: dvadsať - 20th: dvadsiaty

    External links: