Language/Slovak/Grammar/Questions

Slovak Grammar - Questions

Hi Slovak learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be focusing on Slovak questions. Asking questions is an essential part of daily conversations and language learning. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good understanding of how to form questions in Slovak and how to use them in different contexts.

Forming Questions

In Slovak, there are two types of questions: yes-no questions and information questions.

Yes-No Questions

Yes-no questions are formed by changing the intonation of a sentence, using the words "áno" (yes) or "nie" (no) at the beginning or at the end of a sentence, or adding the question particle "či".

For example:

Slovak	Pronunciation	English
Rozprávaš po slovensky.	['roʒpra:vaʃ po 'sloʋenskɪ]	Do you speak Slovak?
Ideme domov.	['ɪdeme 'domow]	Are we going home?
Máš hlad.	[ma:ʃ l̩at]	Are you hungry?

In the first example, the intonation rises at the end of the sentence to indicate that it is a question. In the second example, "či" is added to the sentence to form a question. In the third example, "áno" or "nie" can be used to answer the question.

Information Questions

Information questions are formed by using question pronouns, such as "kto" (who), "čo" (what), "ako" (how), "kedy" (when), "kde" (where), "prečo" (why), and "ako sa volá" (what is the name of).

For example:

Slovak	Pronunciation	English
Kto je to?	['kto je to]	Who is it?
Čo to je?	[ʧo to je]	What is it?
Ako sa voláš?	[ako sa volta:ʃ]	What is your name?

In Slovak, the word order for information questions is the same as for statements, but the question pronoun is placed at the beginning of the sentence. The intonation of the sentence usually rises at the end to indicate that it is a question.

Using Questions in Conversations

Now that we know how to form questions in Slovak, let's see how we can use them in daily conversations. Here are some examples:

• Dialogue 1:

Person 1: Ahoj, ako sa máš? ('[ahoj, ako sa ma:ʃ]' - Hi, how are you?) Person 2: Dobre, ďakujem. A ty? ('[dobre, ɟakujeɱ. a tɪ]' - Good, thank you. And you?)

• Dialogue 2:

Person 1: Kde si bol? ('[kde sɪ bol]' - Where were you?) Person 2: Bol som na obede. ('[bol som na obede]' - I was at lunch.)

• Dialogue 3:

Person 1: Kedy začínaš pracovať? ('[kedy zaʧɪnaʃ pratsova:t]' - When do you start working?) Person 2: Zajtra ráno. ('[zajtra ra:no]' - Tomorrow morning.)

In these examples, we can see how questions are used to initiate conversations, ask for information, and engage in small talk.

Implications for Grammar

Understanding how to form and use questions in Slovak also has implications for grammar. For example, using question particles like "či" requires a different word order than statements. Additionally, the use of question pronouns requires familiarity with noun declension and adjective agreement.

For further study, you can check out the Slovak Grammar section on the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Conclusion

Asking questions is an important part of language learning and daily conversations. In this lesson, we have covered how to form yes-no and information questions in Slovak and how to use them in different contexts. Remember to practice these skills and to engage in conversations with native speakers to improve your communication skills in Slovak.

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Slovak grammar
• Slovak language