🍽️ Ideme do reštaurácie
„Poďme sa dnes najesť do reštaurácie.“
„Dobre, ale poďme teraz. Som hladná.“
„Ako chceš, cica.“
„Nevolaj ma cica. Nemám to rada.“
„Dobre, dobre. A čo tak Mucko? Môžem ťa volať Mucko?“
„A čo to znamená? Nerozumiem.“
„Hmmm… no, to je také milé slovo. Ja som Mucko, aj ty si Mucko.“
„Dobre, Mucko, tak poďme. Som hladnááá!“
„Chceš vyskúšať slovenskú kuchyňu?“
„Môže byť.“
🍴 V reštaurácii
„Dobrý deň,“ greeted us a smiling waiter in his fifties.
„Dobrý deň,“ we answered in unison.
„Čo si dáte na pitie?“
„Ja si prosím Kofolu.“
„Ja si dám Vineu,“ said Peter.
„Malú alebo veľkú?“
„Ja malú.“
„Ja veľkú.“
„Čo si dáte na jedenie?“
Finally.
Food.
„Áno!“ I almost shouted.
The waiter laughed.
„Sekundičku, prinesiem vám jedálny lístok.“
He disappeared and was back in a flash.
📖 Objednávame
„Polievku si dáte?“
„Áno, slepačí vývar,“ said Peter.
„Aj ja si dám.“
I love this soup.
„Dobre, takže dva slepačie vývary.“
„A druhý chod?“
„Čo odporúčate?“
„Máme výborné bryndzové halušky.“
„Dobre, ja si dám halušky, Mucko.“
I smiled at the kind waiter, proudly using my brand-new Slovak nickname.
I noticed his confused expression, so I explained.
„Ja som Mucko, aj ty si Mucko.“
The waiter smiled politely.
„Ďakujem, ste veľmi milá.“
Then he turned to Peter.
One look at his face and I knew.
Oh no.
This was definitely not the right word.
„A vy si čo dáte?“
Peter was trying his absolute best not to laugh.
„Ja si dám buchty na pare.“
„Výborne. Hneď to bude. Ešte niečo?“
„Nie, to je všetko.“
🐰 The Bunny Incident
„Čo sa smeješ?!“ I fired at Peter as soon as the waiter walked away.
„No vieš… Mucko nie je neutrálne slovo. Je to veľmi milá prezývka. Niečo ako miláčik alebo zlatko. Doslova je to malý zajačik.“
Have I just called the waiter BUNNY?
„Ty si hrozný učiteľ!!!!“
„Prepáč,“ Peter replied apologetically.
„Ale veď nevadí. Bolo to milé.“
„Jasnéeee.“
I rolled my eyes.
🥔 Bryndzové halušky
The food arrived.
When they put the plates in front of us, I thought the portions were for lunch, dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast.
„Vaše halušky.“
The waiter looked at me with a cheeky grin.
I wanted to disappear.
„A vaše buchty. Dobrú chuť prajem.“
„Ďakujeme.“
I took my first bite.
Hmmmm…
„Chutí ti?“
„Výborné,“ I replied.
Well…
That was a lie.
I still hadn’t swallowed it.
It wasn’t what I expected at all.
Meanwhile, Peter’s food looked incredible.
And the speed at which he was eating it told me everything I needed to know.
He suddenly stopped and looked at me suspiciously.
„Nechutí ti to, však?“
I swallowed.
„Nie, nechutí.“
At exactly that moment, my stomach growled loudly, announcing my hunger to the entire restaurant.
„Chceš si vymeniť? Ešte mám dve buchty.“
„Áno, prosím. Prepáč, nemám rada halušky.“
„Nevadí. Dám ti moje buchty ako ospravedlnenie za toho Mucka!“
„Ani nehovor!“
I laughed.
„Hmmm, tie sú výborné.“
„Aj halušky sú výborné.“
„Keď myslíš…“
💳 Účet, prosím
We polished off every last bite.
The waiter returned.
„Je všetko v poriadku? Chutilo vám?“
„Áno, ďakujeme,“ Peter replied.
„Dáte si ešte niečo?“
„Nie, ďakujeme. Zaplatíme. Môžem poprosiť účet?“
„Samozrejme. Platíte spolu alebo osobitne?“
„Spolu a platím kartou.“
„V poriadku. Hneď to bude.“
A few moments later, the waiter returned with the card machine and a small box.
He handed the card machine to Peter and the box to me.
„Toto je pre teba, Mucko.“
He smiled at me and winked at Peter.
I peeked inside.
Buchty!
If my ears weren’t there, my smile would have gone all the way around my head.
Not every language disaster ends in disaster.
Sometimes, it ends with free dessert.
Although…
I was definitely never calling another waiter Bunny again. 😅
POĎME NA TO!
❓Quiz Time
📘Slovník (Phrase Glossary)
| Slovak | English explanation |
|---|---|
| Poďme sa najesť. | Let’s go eat. |
| Čo si dáte na pitie? | What would you like to drink? |
| Čo si dáte na jedenie? | What would you like to eat? |
| Polievku si dáte? | Will you have soup? |
| Čo odporúčate? | What do you recommend? |
| Ešte niečo? | Anything else? |
| Je všetko v poriadku? | Is everything alright? |
| Chutilo vám? | Did you enjoy the food? |
| Môžem poprosiť účet? | Can I have the bill, please? |
| Platíte spolu alebo osobitne? | Are you paying together or separately? |
📚 Slovíčka (Vocabulary List)
| Slovak | English |
|---|---|
| reštaurácia | restaurant |
| jedálny lístok | menu |
| čašník | waiter |
| slepačí vývar | chicken broth |
| bryndzové halušky | potato dumplings with sheep cheese |
| parené buchty | steamed sweet buns |
| porcia | portion |
| účet | bill |
| platiť kartou | to pay by card |
| odporúčať | to recommend |
| chutí | tastes good |
| nechutí | doesn’t taste good |
| veľký | big |
| malý | small |
| ospravedlnenie | apology |
🍽️ Language & Culture Note: Bryndzové Halušky
Bryndzové halušky are one of Slovakia’s most famous dishes.
They are small potato dumplings served with sheep cheese (bryndza) and often topped with bacon.
Many foreigners are told:
👉 “You HAVE to try bryndzové halušky.”
Some love them immediately.
Others discover sheep cheese is not their thing. 😅
And that’s perfectly okay.
🧠 Grammar explained – Dám si vs Chcem
🍽️ Welcome to Restaurant Slovak
You already know:
Chcem = I want
But in restaurants, Slovaks usually say:
Dám si = I’ll have
It sounds much more natural.
Formula
dám + si + food/drink
Examples:
☕ Dám si Kofolu.
🥟 Dám si halušky.
🥣 Dám si slepačí vývar.
Negative
❌ Nedám si polievku.
❌ Nedám si dezert.
💡 Bacha na to!
All three are correct:
Chcem Kofolu. → I want Kofola.
Prosím si Kofolu. → I’d like Kofola.
Dám si Kofolu. → I’ll have Kofola.
The more Slovak you learn, the more often you’ll hear dám si.
🤓 Now you try it!
🎯 What Did You Learn in this Slovak graded story?
In this Slovak graded story, you practised ordering food in a restaurant, asking for recommendations, paying the bill, and using one of the most natural Slovak expressions: dám si.
You also discovered that trying a new word immediately can sometimes lead to funny misunderstandings. 😅
After all, language learning is not about being perfect. It’s about being brave enough to use the words you know.
👉 Continue Your Slovak Journey
Sarah has now survived Peter’s family, Peter’s friends, a Slovak pub, and even a Slovak restaurant. But one challenge still awaits real-life Slovaks outside Peter’s safety net. 😅
In Episode 5, Sarah will have to navigate another everyday situation on her own and discover that Slovak can always find a new way to surprise her.