In this episode of Slovak Sound Check, Veronika and Sean hop on board to explore public transport vocabulary in Slovak. From buses and trams to ticket checks and stops on request, you’ll learn how to talk about everyday commuting like a local. Tune in to hear how to say “idem autobusom” (I’m going by bus), what to do when “zastávka je na znamenie” (a stop is on request), and how to handle a ticket inspection — all while mastering the key grammar and pronunciation tips along the way.
Vocabulary
verejná doprava = public transport
autobus = bus
idem autobusom = I go by bus
trolejbus = trolleybus
idem trolejbusom = I go by trolleybus
električka = tram
idem električkou = I go by tram
nasledujúca zastávka = the next stop
zastávka je na znamenie = the stop is on request
vodič = driver
cestovný lístok = ticket
označiť cestovný lístok = to validate a ticket
električenka = season ticket / travel pass
revízor = ticket inspector
kontrola = ticket inspection / check
Recap
zastávka = stop
stanica = station
Bonuses
MHD (mestská hromadná doprava) = (literally)city mass transport
Choďte električkou / autobusom číslo tri. = Take the tram number three.
číslo = number
metro / idem metrom = metro / I go by metro
kontrola cestovných lístkov = ticket inspection
predplatný cestovný lístok = a prepaid ticket
pokuta = fine
Note 1: When talking about how you travel in Slovak, you use the instrumental case to express “by what means” of transport. In the nominative, the words are “autobus” (bus), “trolejbus” (trolleybus), “električka” (tram), and “metro” (subway). But when you say I go by, the form changes: “Idem autobusom” (I go by bus), “idem električkou” (I go by tram), “idem trolejbusom” (I go by trolleybus), or “idem metrom” (I go by metro). You’ll also hear it in phrases like “Choďte električkou číslo tri” (Take tram number three) where the instrumental again expresses — go by or take what.
Note 2: In Slovak, adjectives always agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. For example, “nasledujúca zastávka” (the next stop) is feminine — matching the feminine noun “(tá) zastávka” — while “(ten) cestovný lístok” (travel ticket) is masculine, and so the adjective “cestovný” appears in its masculine form. This agreement pattern is consistent across all types of descriptive words in Slovak.
Note 3: Slovak often uses colloquial or shortened forms in everyday speech. A good example is “električenka” — literally derived from “električka” (tram) — which is the commonly used word for a season ticket, even though it’s valid for all means of public transport. The official term is “predplatný cestovný lístok”, meaning prepaid ticket, usually valid for a set number of days.
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