Language/Slovak/Grammar/Prepositions
As a Slovak language teacher, I always tell my students that prepositions are important to understand the meaning of a sentence. Prepositions are words that establish connections between other words in a sentence. In Slovak grammar, prepositions usually precede nouns or pronouns and can indicate direction, location, time or manner. In this lesson, we will learn how to use prepositions in Slovak.
Basic Prepositions
Let's start with some basic prepositions that you will use frequently:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| s | [s] | with |
| na | [na] | on |
| v | [v] | in |
| do | [do] | to, into |
| za | [za] | behind |
| pred | [preːd] | in front of |
| pod | [pɔt] | under, below |
| nad | [naːt] | over, above |
| medzi | [mɛd.zɪ] | between |
Here are some examples of these prepositions being used:
- "Idem s mojím priateľom." (I am going with my friend.)
- "Mobil je na stole." (The phone is on the table.)
- "Kniha je vo vrecku." (The book is in the pocket.)
- "Chodím do školy." (I go to school.)
- "Mačka behá za myšou." (The cat is chasing the mouse.)
- "Babička stojí pred domom." (Grandmother is standing in front of the house.)
- "Kočka spí pod stolom." (The cat is sleeping under the table.)
- "Letadlo letí nad mestom." (The plane is flying over the city.)
- "Medzi nami sa nič nestalo." (Nothing happened between us.)
Prepositions with Cases
In Slovak, prepositions can be used with different cases. The most common prepositions with cases are:
Prepositions with Genitive
The following prepositions are commonly used with the genitive case:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| bez | [bɛs] | without |
| z | [z] | from |
| od | [od] | from |
| pred | [preːd] | before, in front of |
| podľa | [pɔdʎa] | according to |
| okolo | [ɔkɔlɔ] | around |
| mimo | [mɪmɔ] | aside from, except |
| vďaka | [vdaka] | thanks to |
Here are some examples of these prepositions being used with the genitive case:
- "Je bez peňazí." (He is without money.)
- "Idem z práce." (I am going from work.)
- "Je od svojej rodiny." (He is from his family.)
- "Pred domom stojí auto." (There is a car in front of the house.)
- "Podľa mňa je to v poriadku." (In my opinion, it's okay.)
- "Okolo domu rastú stromy." (Trees are growing around the house.)
- "Mimo toho neviem o ničom." (Aside from that, I don't know anything.)
- "Vďaka tebe sme vyhrali." (Thanks to you, we won.)
Prepositions with Accusative
The following prepositions are commonly used with the accusative case:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| cez | [tse.s] | across, over |
| do | [do] | into, to |
| na | [na] | onto |
| o | [ɔ] | about |
| po | [pɔ] | after, along, following |
| pod | [pɔt] | under |
| pred | [preːd] | ahead of |
Here are some examples of these prepositions being used with the accusative case:
- "Prechádzam cez park." (I am walking across the park.)
- "Ideme do kina." (We are going to the cinema.)
- "Kniha leží na stol." (The book is lying on the table.)
- "Hovoríme o tebe." (We are talking about you.)
- "Po ceste stretla som Janu." (I met Jana on the way.)
- "Pod stol si nedaj nohy." (Don't put your feet under the table.)
- "Pred sebou máme ťažkú úlohu." (We have a difficult task ahead of us.)
Prepositions with Locative
The following prepositions are commonly used with the locative case:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| v | [v] | in, at |
| na | [na] | on, at |
| po | [pɔ] | on, after, along |
| pri | [priː] | near, with |
Here are some examples of these prepositions being used with the locative case:
- "Robíme v kancelárii." (We work in the office.)
- "Kniha je na polici." (The book is on the shelf.)
- "Po obede si čítam." (I read after lunch.)
- "Stojím pri dome." (I am standing by the house.)
Combining Prepositions
Prepositions can also be combined with each other:
- "Idem do školy cez park." (I am going to school through the park.)
- "Kniha leží na stole pred oknom." (The book is lying on the table in front of the window.)
- "Ideme na prechádzku popod most." (We are going for a walk under the bridge.)
- "Kočka sa schováva pod posteľou." (The cat is hiding under the bed.)
Conclusion
Prepositions can be tricky, but with practice, you will start to understand how they work in Slovak. Remember that prepositions can indicate direction, location, time, or manner, and can be used with different cases. Use the examples in this lesson to practice your understanding of prepositions in Slovak. Good luck!