Slovak (slovenčina) is spoken by around 5.5 million people, mostly in Slovakia. Very close to Czech (mutually intelligible), it belongs to the West Slavic family. With this kit, you have the bare essentials for Bratislava, the High Tatras and the Carpathian villages.
Slovak (slovenčina) has been the official language of Slovakia since independence in 1993, following the peaceful split from the Czech Republic. With its 5.5 million speakers, it is a West Slavic language that enjoys mutual intelligibility with Czech but possesses its own spelling, pronunciation and literature. The Latin alphabet enriched with hacek diacritics (š, č, ž, ť, ď, ň, ľ) and long accents (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý) accurately captures the richness of Slavic phonetics: palatalised consonants, long vowels, liquid syllables r and l. The country offers a fascinating travel destination: Bratislava and its castle overlooking the Danube, the High Tatras with their two-thousand-metre peaks, the wooden Carpathian villages listed by UNESCO, castles like Spis and Bojnice, and a generous cuisine built around bryndza, halusky and slivovica. This kit gathers the bare essentials to handle an arrival at M.R. Stefanik airport in Bratislava, a train or taxi ride, an order at a typical kolkarna or reštaurácia, a medical emergency and a smooth departure. You will find greetings adapted to formal Slovak address, phrases for finding your way around a city or a mountain path, key words for eating and sleeping, plus cultural tips to distinguish Slovakia from its Czech cousin. Memorise these expressions before leaving and you will gain confidence from your arrival in Bratislava or Kosice.
Here is how these phrases play out in real life. Each scene sets the stage and gathers the useful expressions.
You land at M.R. Stefanik airport in Bratislava. An agent meets your gaze, you greet him according to the time of day, thank him and ask for directions to the exit.
The taxi driver loads your suitcase and asks for your destination. You give the address, you want to check the price before leaving, then ask him to stop right in front of the hotel.
You enter a reštaurácia in the old town in the early evening. The waiter seats you and hands you the menu. You order coffee, a glass of water, then ask for the bill and thank them.
You feel sick after a meal and you need help. You explain that you need something, that you do not understand and ask if anyone speaks English.
On the morning of departure, you want to catch a taxi to the airport. You greet the hotel staff one last time, warmly thank them and take your formal leave.
What you need to know before travelling to a slovak-speaking country.
Slovak uses the pronoun vy as the standard formal address, always lowercase (unlike Czech which sometimes capitalises it). With strangers, shopkeepers or elders, using the informal form is perceived as inappropriate.
Although Slovak and Czech are mutually intelligible, do not confuse the two. Slovaks appreciate having their distinct language respected. Say Ďakujem (Slovak) rather than Děkuji (Czech) in Slovakia.
Bryndza, a fresh sheep cheese, is the soul of Slovak cuisine. The national dish bryndzove halusky (potato dumplings with bryndza and bacon) is served everywhere. Refusing a taste may be seen as lack of curiosity.
The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) are sacred to Slovaks: marked hiking trails, mountain refuges, protected wildlife. Respect the walking rules, stay on the paths and greet fellow hikers you meet.
Slivovica (plum brandy) is the national drink, often offered as early as the morning in villages. Politely refusing after one glass is acceptable. Toasting while looking the other person in the eye is a non-negotiable rule.
History is sensitive: Slovakia has been independent since 1993 (peaceful split from Czechoslovakia). Avoid referring to Czechoslovakia in the present tense. Slovakia has its own distinct West Slavic identity.
Restaurant tipping is around ten percent, given directly to the waiter by stating the total. In rural areas, simply rounding up the amount is enough. No coins left on the table.
Mentioning national figures such as Ľudovít Štúr (codifier of modern Slovak in the 19th century) or folk songs (ľudove piesne) opens conversations. Slovak linguistic pride runs deep.
Preview. The full glossary (30 words) and all the phrases are in the PDF.
Áno
A-no
Yes
Nie
NYE
No
Ďakujem
DYA-koo-yem
Thank you
Prosím
PRO-seem
Please
Voda
VO-da
Water
Chlieb
KHLYEB
Bread
Mlieko
MLYE-ko
Milk
Mäso
MA-so
Meat
Ryba
RI-ba
Fish
Káva
KA-va
Coffee
A hundred words, thirty key phrases, as a printable PDF. Instant download, also sent by e-mail.
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Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.
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