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Slovak → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives

Welcome to another exciting lesson in our "Complete 0 to A1 Slovak Course"! Today, we are diving into the world of adjectives. Adjectives are essential building blocks of language; they help us describe people, places, and things, making our conversations more vivid and engaging. In Slovak, adjectives don't just stand alone—they change form to agree with the nouns they describe in terms of gender, number, and case. This might sound a bit complex, but don't worry! By the end of this lesson, you will feel confident using adjectives in Slovak.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• The importance of adjectives in Slovak

• Types of adjectives and their endings

• How adjectives agree with nouns

• Practical exercises to reinforce your learning

Let's get started!

The Importance of Adjectives in Slovak

Adjectives add flavor to our speech and writing. In the Slovak language, they help to convey not only the characteristics of nouns but also emotions and states. For example, instead of just saying "the book," you can say "the interesting book," which paints a clearer picture in the listener's mind.

In Slovak, adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular or plural), and case (nominative, genitive, etc.). Understanding this agreement is key to mastering Slovak adjectives.

Types of Adjectives and Their Endings

Slovak adjectives can be categorized based on gender and number. Here’s a brief breakdown:

Masculine Adjectives

Masculine adjectives typically end in -ý in the nominative singular form.

Feminine Adjectives

Feminine adjectives usually end in -á in the nominative singular form.

Neuter Adjectives

Neuter adjectives generally end in -é in the nominative singular form.

To illustrate this further, let's take a look at some examples:

Slovak	Pronunciation	English
pekný	ˈpɛk.ɲiː	beautiful (masculine)
pekná	ˈpɛk.naː	beautiful (feminine)
pekné	ˈpɛk.nɛː	beautiful (neuter)
starý	ˈsta.riː	old (masculine)
stará	ˈsta.raː	old (feminine)
staré	ˈsta.rɛː	old (neuter)

Plural Adjectives

For plural adjectives, regardless of gender, the ending changes to -í.

For example:

Slovak	Pronunciation	English
pekní	ˈpɛk.niː	beautiful (plural)
starí	ˈsta.riː	old (plural)

How Adjectives Agree with Nouns

Understanding how adjectives agree with nouns is crucial in Slovak. The adjective must match the noun in gender, number, and case.

For example:

• If you want to say "the beautiful girl," you would say "pekna dievča" (feminine, singular).

• For "the beautiful boys," you would say "pekni chlapci" (masculine, plural).

Let's look at some more examples to clarify this:

Slovak	Pronunciation	English
krásny chlapec	ˈkraːs.niː ˈxla.pɛts	handsome boy
krásna dievčina	ˈkraːs.na ˈdʲɛv.tʃi.na	pretty girl
krásne auto	ˈkraːs.nɛ ˈau̯.tɔ	beautiful car
starí muži	ˈsta.riː ˈmu.ʒi	old men
staré domy	ˈsta.rɛː ˈdɔ.mi	old houses

Practical Exercises

Now that you understand the basics of Slovak adjectives, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the adjective in parentheses.

1. Mám ___ (krásny) dom.

2. Ona je ___ (šikovná) dievčina.

3. To je ___ (staré) auto.

4. Tí ___ (mladý) muži sú tu.

5. Tieto ___ (nový) knihy sú populárne.

Answers:

1. krásny

2. šikovná

3. staré

4. mladí

5. nové

Exercise 2: Match the Adjective to the Noun

Match the adjectives to the correct nouns.

A. pekný

B. stará

C. nové

D. múdri

1. chlapec

2. kniha

3. autá

4. muži

Answers:

1. A (pekný chlapec)

2. B (stará kniha)

3. C (nové autá)

4. D (múdri muži)

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Slovak.

1. The beautiful girl is here.

2. The old man is my grandfather.

3. The new car is fast.

4. The smart students are studying.

5. The ugly house is for sale.

Answers:

1. Pekná dievčina je tu.

2. Starý muž je môj dedko.

3. Nové auto je rýchle.

4. Múdrí študenti študujú.

5. Ošklivý dom je na predaj.

Exercise 4: Gender Agreement

Identify the gender of the noun and write the correct form of the adjective.

1. dievča (___)

2. chlapec (___)

3. auto (___)

4. ženy (___)

5. muži (___)

Answers:

1. pekná

2. pekný

3. pekné

4. múdre

5. múdri

Exercise 5: Plural Forms

Change the following singular adjectives to their plural forms.

1. pekný (___)

2. starý (___)

3. múdry (___)

4. nový (___)

5. krásny (___)

Answers:

1. pekní

2. starí

3. múdri

4. nové

5. krásni

Exercise 6: Create Your Own Sentences

Write sentences using the following adjectives in different forms:

1. dobrý (good)

2. zlý (bad)

3. veľký (big)

4. malý (small)

5. teplý (warm)

Example Answers:

1. Dobrý chlapec je tu. (singular, masculine)

2. Zlá kniha je na stole. (singular, feminine)

3. Veľké autá sú rýchle. (plural, neuter)

4. Malé deti sú šťastné. (plural, feminine)

5. Teplé slnko svieti. (singular, neuter)

Exercise 7: Adjective Agreement in Context

Choose the correct adjective to complete the sentences based on the noun's gender and number.

1. Tí ___ (mladý) muži sú šťastní.

2. Moja ___ (starý) babka je doma.

3. Tieto ___ (nový) knihy sú zaujímavé.

4. Môj ___ (dobrý) priateľ je tu.

5. Tá ___ (krásny) žena sa usmieva.

Answers:

1. mladí

2. stará

3. nové

4. dobrý

5. krásna

Exercise 8: Adjective Synonyms

Find the synonym for the given adjectives.

1. šťastný (___)

2. smutný (___)

3. rýchly (___)

4. pomalý (___)

5. krásny (___)

Answers:

1. veselý

2. nešťastný

3. rýchly

4. pomalý

5. nádherný

Exercise 9: Adjective to Adverb

Transform the following adjectives into their corresponding adverbs.

1. rýchly (___)

2. šťastný (___)

3. pomalý (___)

4. krásny (___)

5. múdry (___)

Answers:

1. rýchlo

2. šťastne

3. pomaly

4. krásne

5. múdro

Exercise 10: Write a Short Paragraph

Using at least five different adjectives, write a short paragraph in Slovak describing your favorite place.

Sample Answer:

Môj obľúbený park je krásny a zelený. V lete sú tam veselé deti, ktoré hrajú. Mám rád staré stromy a čerstvý vzduch.

Congratulations on completing this lesson on Slovak adjectives! Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep using adjectives in your conversations and writing. They will make your Slovak language skills richer and more colorful.

Table of Contents - Slovak Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Unit 1: Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introductions
• Nationalities and Languages

  ---

Unit 2: Nouns, Pronouns, and Verbs in the Present Tense

• Nouns and Pronouns
• The Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• The Verbs 'To Be' and 'To Have'
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Unit 3: Slovak Culture and Society

• Slovak History
• Slovak Traditions and Customs
• Slovak Food and Drink

  ---

Unit 4: Daily Activities and Routine

• Daily Routine
• Free Time
• Chores and Errands

  ---

Unit 5: Cases and Prepositions

• The Genitive Case
• The Locative Case
• Prepositions

  ---

Unit 6: Slovak Geography and Nature

• Regions of Slovakia
• Slovak Nature
• Slovak Folk Tales and Legends

  ---

Unit 7: Travel and Transportation

• Transportation
• Travel and Accommodation
• Directions

  ---

Unit 8: Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
• The Imperfective and Perfective

  ---

Unit 9: Slovak Art and Music

• Slovak Art
• Slovak Music
• Slovak Film and Literature

  ---

Unit 10: Time and Dates

• Telling Time
• Days of the Week and Months of the Year
• Holidays and Celebrations

Sources

• Slovak declension - Wikipedia
• Lesson 2 Grammar: Adjectives and Genders - Slovak language ...
• Lexicalization after grammaticalization in the development of Slovak ...

Other Lessons

• How to Use Be
• Pronouns
• Questions
• Plurals
• Nouns
• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• How to Use Have
• Negation

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