Slovak verbs may seem unpredictable — but there is a pattern. In this episode of Slovak Sound Check, we explore how regular verbs ending in -ať change in the present tense. Step by step, we break down the conjugation pattern, explain how endings work for each person, and look at why long vowels sometimes shorten.
SSCH_Ep39
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Vocabulary
slovesá = verbs
časovanie = conjugation
neurčitok = infinitive
Examples of verbs with the infinitive suffix -ať:
mať = to have
volať = to call
bývať = to live
spievať = to sing
hrať = to play
snívať = to dream
Verbs with a long á in the final syllable:
ja mám /(hrám/volám) = I have /(play/call)
ty máš /(hráš/voláš) = you (sg) have /(play/call)
on/ona/ono má /(hrá/volá) = he/she/it has /(plays/calls)
my máme /(hráme/voláme) = we have /(play/call)
vy máte /(hráme/voláme) = you (pl/formal) have /(play/call)
oni/ony majú /(hrajú/volajú) = they have /(play/call)
Verbs with a short a in the final syllable:
ja bývam /(snívam/spievam) = I live /(dream/sing)
ty bývaš /(snívaš/spievaš) = you (sg) live /(dream/sing)
on/ona/ono býva /(sníva/spieva) = he/she/it lives /(dreams/sings)
my bývame /(snívame/spievame) = we live /(dream/sing)
vy bývate /(snívate/spievate) = you (pl/formal) live /(dream/sing)
oni/ony bývajú /(snívajú/spievajú) = they live /(dream/sing)
Note 1: In Slovak, verbs in their basic, neutral form — called the “neurčitok”(infinitive) — typically end in -ť, pronounced as a soft “t.” When verbs are conjugated — “časovanie slovies”, they change their endings according to person and number. For many regular verbs, there are recognisable patterns, and one key factor is what comes before the final -ť in the infinitive. This helps learners identify how a verb will behave when conjugated.
Note 2: Many verbs that end in -ať in the infinitive follow a regular pattern in the present tense: -ám, -áš, -á, -áme, -áte, -ajú. These endings typically contain a long vowel á. However, Slovak generally avoids placing two long syllables next to each other. If the verb stem already includes a long vowel or a diphthong — such as bý-in“bývať”(to live) or spie- in“spievať” (to sing) — the following syllable is shortened. That’s why we say “bývam” and “spievam”, not “bývám” or “spievám”. This shortening applies consistently across the conjugation pattern.
