Episode 19: Meet Your Family in Slovak
In this episode of Slovak Sound Check, we dive into the core vocabulary you need to talk about your family in Slovak. From “mama” (mother) and “otec” (father) to “brat” (brother), and “sestra” (sister), you’ll learn the most common words for close relatives, along with tips on how they fit into simple sentences. We also touch on plurals, gender, and even a quick peek at how cases affect these words in context. A practical step to help you introduce your family with confidence!
Vocabulary
rodičia = parents
matka = mother (formal)
mama = mother (common)
otec = father (formal)
tato / oco = dad / father (common)
dieťa = child (singular, neutral)
deti = children (plural)
dcéra = daughter
syn = son
sestra = sister
brat = brother
súrodenci = siblings
Mama a otec sú rodičia. = Mother and father are parents.
Rodičia majú dve deti - jedného syna a jednu dcéru. = Parents have two children - one son and one daughter.
Brat a sestra sú súrodenci. = Brother and sister are siblings.
Recap
rodina = family
Note 1: The number one — “jeden” — changes with gender, just like adjectives, taking on the gender of the noun it describes. For example: “jeden syn” (one son, masculine), “jedna dcéra” (one daughter, feminine), and “jedno dieťa” (one child, neutral).
Note 2: In Slovak, the verb “mať” (to have) requires the accusative case. That’s why nominative forms like “jeden syn” or “jedna dcéra” change when used as objects: “Mám jedného syna” (I have one son) or “Mám jednu dcéru” (I have one daughter). Some words, like “dieťa”, stay the same even in the accusative: “Mám jedno dieťa”.
Note 3: In Slovak, the official terms for parents — “matka” (mother) and “otec” (father) — sound quite formal and even distant. That’s why in everyday life, people almost always use “mama” and “oco” or “tato” instead. On top of that, children often use affectionate and diminutive forms within families, such as “maminka” or “tatinko”.
SSCH_Ep19_Final
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