Basic phrases in Slovak language
The official language in Slovakia and therefore also in Bratislava is Slovak. You may be wondering if there is any need to learn any Slovak before visiting Bratislava. Of course, you can speak English in Bratislava as well, but many older people speak only Slovak or German or Russian as their second language rather than English (for historical reasons). And although the Slovak language is difficult to learn, learning even a few basic words of Slovak please the locals and can be helpful even for short-term trips in Slovakia. Moreover, it´s an integral part of getting to know about another culture. So - why not to learn some handy basic phrases of the beautiful Bratislava language?
Basics of "Bratislava language" you should definitely know
Áno - Yes
Nie - No
Možno - Maybe
Prepacte - Sorry
Prosim - Please / You are welcome
Ďakujem - Thank you
Nie je za čo - Not at all
Neviem - I don´t know
Ako sa volate? - What is your name?
Potrebujem pomoc - I need help
Prepáčte, nerozumiem vám - Sorry, I don´t understand you.
Ospravedlňte ma, nehovorím po slovensky - Excuse me, I don´t speak Slovak.
Milujem Slovensko - I love Slovakia. :)
Slovak phrases by topics
Choose words or phrases you would like to learn by looking at the following sections of our Slovak Language Guide:
Greetings and Wishes - Pozdravy a prianie
On the Street - Na ulici
In Restaurants - V restauracii
Hotels and Other Accommodations - Ubytovanie
Love and Friendship - Laska a priatelstvo
Numbers - Cislovky
Days of the Week - Dni v tyzdni
Months - Mesiace
Drinks - Napoje
Soups - Polievky
Appetisers - Predjedla
Main Dishes - Hlavne jedla
Side Dishes - Prilohy
Desserts - Dezerty
Fruits and Vegetables - Ovocie a zelenina
Learn Slovak - few more tips
If you are serious about learning Slovak, have a look at the online course developed by Studia Academica Slovaca.
Duolingo app now has the Czech language, which is very similar to Slovak so it might be a decent start. If you accept some minor inaccuracies in the translation, Google Translate is also always at hand. Or just use your hands. Do not worry. Slovaks are nice people and will be happy to help you. You should be able to survive. :)