Language/Slovak/Grammar/The-Present-Tense-of-Regular-Verbs
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Introduction: Welcome to Unit 2 of the "Complete 0 to A1 Slovak Course"! In this unit, we will focus on nouns, pronouns, and verbs in the present tense. This unit is essential for building a strong foundation in the Slovak language, as it will enable you to express actions and describe people and things in the present. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense. Let's dive in!
Nouns and Pronouns[edit | edit source]
Before we delve into the present tense of regular verbs, let's refresh our knowledge of nouns and pronouns in Slovak. Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas, while pronouns are words that replace nouns to avoid repetition. In Slovak, nouns and pronouns have gender and case forms, which affect their endings and usage in sentences. Let's explore this further with some examples:
Gender[edit | edit source]
In Slovak, nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun determines the form of other words in the sentence, such as adjectives and articles. Here are some examples of nouns with their corresponding genders:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| muž | [muʒ] | man |
| žena | [ʒɛna] | woman |
| dieťa | [dʲɛcja] | child |
As you can see, the word for "man" (muž) is masculine, the word for "woman" (žena) is feminine, and the word for "child" (dieťa) is neuter. It's important to pay attention to the gender of nouns, as it affects the endings of other words in the sentence.
Case[edit | edit source]
In addition to gender, nouns and pronouns in Slovak also have case forms. Cases indicate the role of a noun or pronoun in a sentence, such as subject, object, or possession. There are six cases in Slovak: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and locative. Each case has its own set of endings, which change depending on the gender and number (singular or plural) of the noun or pronoun. Let's take a look at the different cases using the noun "muž" (man):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | muž | muži |
| Genitive | muža | mužov |
| Dative | mužovi | mužom |
| Accusative | muža | mužov |
| Instrumental | mužom | mužmi |
| Locative | mužovi | mužoch |
As you can see, the endings of the noun "muž" change depending on the case and number. For example, in the nominative case (subject), we say "muž" for singular and "muži" for plural. In the genitive case (possession), we say "muža" for singular and "mužov" for plural. It's important to learn the endings for each case, as they determine how nouns and pronouns are used in sentences.
Now that we have reviewed nouns and pronouns, let's move on to the main topic of this lesson: the present tense of regular verbs.
The Present Tense of Regular Verbs[edit | edit source]
The present tense is used to talk about actions happening in the present or general truths. In Slovak, regular verbs follow a specific pattern when conjugated in the present tense. Let's take a look at the conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense using the verb "hovoriť" (to speak) as an example:
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ja hovorím | [ja ɦovorim] | I speak |
| ty hovoríš | [ti ɦovoriʃ] | you speak (informal) |
| on/ona/ono hovorí | [on/ona/ono ɦovori] | he/she/it speaks |
| my hovoríme | [mi ɦovorimɛ] | we speak |
| vy hovoríte | [vi ɦovoritɛ] | you speak (formal) |
| oni/ony/oni hovoria | [oni/oni/oni ɦovoria] | they speak |
As you can see, the verb "hovoriť" (to speak) is conjugated differently depending on the subject pronoun. The endings of the verb change to match the subject pronoun and indicate the present tense. It's important to note that the verb stem remains the same throughout the conjugation.
Let's practice conjugating regular verbs in the present tense with some more examples:
Example 1: Kupovať (to buy)[edit | edit source]
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ja kupujem | [ja kupujɛm] | I buy |
| ty kupuješ | [ti kupujɛʃ] | you buy (informal) |
| on/ona/ono kupuje | [on/ona/ono kupujɛ] | he/she/it buys |
| my kupujeme | [mi kupujɛmɛ] | we buy |
| vy kupujete | [vi kupujɛtɛ] | you buy (formal) |
| oni/ony/oni kupujú | [oni/oni/oni kupujuː] | they buy |
Example 2: Čítať (to read)[edit | edit source]
| Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ja čítam | [ja tʃiːtam] | I read |
| ty čítaš | [ti tʃiːtaʃ] | you read (informal) |
| on/ona/ono číta | [on/ona/ono tʃiːta] | he/she/it reads |
| my čítame | [mi tʃiːtamɛ] | we read |
| vy čítate | [vi tʃiːtatɛ] | you read (formal) |
| oni/ony/oni čítajú | [oni/oni/oni tʃiːtajuː] | they read |
Now that you have learned how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, it's time to practice what you have learned!
Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]
1. Conjugate the verb "robiť" (to do) in the present tense for each subject pronoun. 2. Conjugate the verb "jesť" (to eat) in the present tense for each subject pronoun. 3. Translate the following sentences into Slovak:
* I speak Slovak. * She buys a new car. * We read books every day.
4. Translate the following sentences into English:
* Oni hovoria po anglicky. * Ty čítaš zaujímavú knihu. * My kupujeme darček pre mamu.
Solutions[edit | edit source]
1. Conjugation of "robiť" (to do) in the present tense:
* ja robím * ty robíš * on/ona/ono robí * my robíme * vy robíte * oni/ony/oni robia
2. Conjugation of "jesť" (to eat) in the present tense:
* ja jem * ty ješ * on/ona/ono je * my jeme * vy jete * oni/ony/oni jedia
3. Translations:
* Hovorím po slovensky. * Kúpi si nové auto. * Čítame knihy každý deň.
4. Translations:
* They speak English. * You read an interesting book. * We buy a present for mom.
Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in Slovak. Keep practicing and using these verbs in your daily conversations to reinforce your understanding. In the next lesson, we will explore the verbs "to be" and "to have" in the present tense. Dovidenia!
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Give your Opinion
- The Imperfective and Perfective
- Conditional Mood
- Future Tense
- Questions
- Prepositions
- Nouns and Pronouns
- Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
- Pronouns
- Nouns
| ◀️ Nouns and Pronouns — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — The Verbs 'To Be' and 'To Have' ▶️ |