Slovak phrasebook for travellers
This phrasebook lists 70 useful Slovak phrases with the English meaning, the correct Slovak spelling and a simple pronunciation guide. Search by English or Slovak, or filter by category such as food, transport or emergencies.
Search ignores accents, so typing "dakujem" finds "Ďakujem". Capital letters in the pronunciation mark the stressed syllable.
How to read the pronunciation guide
The third column is a plain English approximation, not a phonetic standard. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. In Slovak the stress almost always falls on the first syllable of a word, which makes sentences easier to say than they look.
A few sounds are worth knowing. č sounds like ch in "church", š like sh, ž like the s in "measure", and ch is a throaty h as in Scottish "loch". The marks ď, ť, ň and ľ make d, t, n and l softer. An acute accent, as in á or í, makes a vowel longer.
The five phrases that do most of the work
- Dobrý deň for a polite hello in shops, restaurants and hotels.
- Prosím, which means both "please" and "you are welcome", and also "here you are" when handing something over.
- Ďakujem for thank you.
- Prepáčte to get attention or say sorry.
- Účet, prosím to ask for the bill.
Use the formal Dobrý deň with strangers and staff. Ahoj is for friends and people your age in casual settings, and it means both hello and bye.
Masculine and feminine forms
Slovak verbs and adjectives change with the gender of the speaker. Where it matters, the phrasebook shows both forms, for example Som vegetarián for a man and Som vegetariánka for a woman, or Chcel by som and Chcela by som for "I would like". If you use the wrong form you will still be understood.
Will you need Slovak?
English is common in Bratislava, Košice and tourist areas such as the High Tatras, especially among younger people and in hotels. It is less common in small villages and in some shops, buses and train ticket offices. A greeting and a thank you in Slovak are noticed and appreciated. Slovak and Czech are close, so Czech speakers are usually understood.
For a longer read with context, see our guide to Slovak phrases for travellers, and Slovak food to try for words you will see on menus.
Politeness habits worth copying
Slovaks greet shopkeepers, waiters and neighbours when they enter a room or a lift, and say goodbye when they leave. A quiet Dobrý deň on entering a small shop and Dovidenia on leaving is normal. In restaurants you usually wait to be seated at quieter times, and you ask for the bill at the table, because waiters rarely bring it unasked. Tipping is a habit, not a rule; our tipping calculator shows common ranges.
When you cannot say something, point to the phrase on your phone. Slovaks are patient with visitors who try. Learning the numbers from one to ten is also practical, since prices, platform numbers and bus lines are read aloud in Slovak, and it helps you check the total when you pay in cash.
Limits of this phrasebook
It is a short selection for travellers, not a language course. The pronunciation guide is an English-friendly approximation, and native speakers pronounce several sounds more precisely. Menus, signs and forms use more vocabulary than shown here, so keep a translation app on your phone as a backup.
Questions
How do you say thank you in Slovak?
Ďakujem, pronounced roughly DYAH-koo-yem. Ďakujem pekne means thank you very much.
How do you say hello in Slovak?
Dobrý deň is the polite hello at any time of day. Ahoj is informal and also means bye.
How do I ask for the bill in a Slovak restaurant?
Say "Účet, prosím", pronounced roughly OO-chet PRO-seem. Waiters often ask whether you pay together or separately.
Is Slovak the same as Czech?
No, but they are closely related and speakers usually understand each other. Many words differ in spelling and sound.
Where is the stress in Slovak words?
Almost always on the first syllable. That is why the capital letters in the guide fall at the start of each word.
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