In this episode of Slovak Sound Check, we explore how to sound polite and confident in Slovak. Learn how to use polite addresses like “pán”, “pani”, and “slečna”, how feminine surnames are formed in Slovak, and why professions change depending on gender. If you’ve ever wondered why Slovak grammar seems to change everything — even names — this episode will finally make it clear.
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Vocabulary
pán (pl. páni) = Mr.; sir (pl. gentlemen)
pani (pl. panie) = Mrs.(pl. women)
slečna = Miss
dáma = lady
dámy a páni = ladies and gentlemen
Novák = male surname (example)
Nováková (-ová) = female surname (feminised form)
Novákovci (-ovci) = the Novák family
profesor = (male) professor
profesorka (-ka) = (female) professor
vážený pán profesor = dear / respected Mr. Professor
vážená pani profesorka = dear / respected Mrs. Professor
vedúci = (male) manager / boss / leader
vedúca (-a) = (female) manager / boss / leader
kolega = (male) colleague
kolegyňa (-yňa) = (female) colleague
Recap
tykanie = informal address (using “ty”)
vykanie = formal address (using “vy”)
ty = you (informal, sg.)
vy = you (formal sg. / informal pl.)
Bonus
oslovenie = form of address
prechyľovanie = feminisation of surnames
Note 1: Slovak distinguishes between informal and formal address. “Tykanie” means using the informal you — “ty” — typically with friends, family, or children. “Vykanie” means using the formal you — “vy” — when speaking to someone you don’t know well, someone older, or in professional situations. Grammatically, “vy” takes the same verb form as the plural you, so the verb changes accordingly.
Note 2: The basic formal titles are “pán” (Mr.), “pani” (Mrs./Ms.), and “slečna” (Miss). When “pán” and “pani” stand alone, they have plural forms — “páni” and “panie”. However, when used before a surname or profession, they function as fixed titles and do not change form. For example: “pán Novák”, “pani Nováková”, “vážený pán professor”, “vážená pani profesorka”. In modern usage, “pani” is often the safest and most neutral option for addressing women.
Note 3: In Slovak, surnames usually change according to gender. This process is called “prechyľovanie”, meaning feminisation of surnames. Typically, the suffix -ová is added to the masculine form: “Novák → Nováková”. This has traditionally been standard and grammatically natural in Slovak, even though it may sound unusual when applied to foreign names (for example, Julia Robertsová). Today, however, some women choose to keep the original, non-feminised form. To refer to a whole family, Slovak commonly adds the suffix -ovci to the masculine surname. For example, “Novákovci” means the Novák family, similar to the Novaks in English.
Note 4: Professions, roles, and nationalities in Slovak also change according to gender. A common feminine ending is -ka, for example “profesor → profesorka”. In some cases, the feminine form simply ends in -a, such as “vedúci → vedúca”. If the masculine form already ends in -a, another common feminine suffix is -yňa, as in “kolega → kolegyňa” or “sudca → sudkyňa”. These patterns help signal grammatical gender, although — as always in Slovak — there are occasional exceptions.
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