„Dnes ideme s kamošmi na pivo. Poď so mnou.“
„Hovoria po anglicky?“
„Jasné.“
„Dobre, idem.“
I like making new friends, and I was relieved that Peter had friends who spoke English. This would be fun, and I could finally relax instead of searching for every Slovak word in my head.
The more I tried to remember Slovak, the faster I seemed to forget it. Then I ended up asking for vodka instead of water when I met Peter’s parents.
I was never going to live that one down.
👋 V krčme
„Ahojte!“
„Serus, Peťo! Čo nové?“
„Všetko po starom. Predstavím ti moju priateľku. Toto je Fero. Fero, toto je Sarah, moja priateľka.“
„Teší ma. Ako sa máš?“
„Dobre, ďakujem.“
„Ja som Ďuro.“
„Ja som Sarah. Teší ma.“
„Čauko kakavko!“
A girl with bright pink hair danced into the pub.
„To je ona?“
She looked at me and winked.
„Áno, to je Sarah.“
„Teší ma,“ I said and stretched out my hand.
With my hand hanging awkwardly in the air, I suddenly found myself trapped in a giant hug and a kiss on each cheek.
Right.
So boys shake hands and girls hug.
Noted.
Na Slovensku po slovensky
„Takže ty si Sarah. Hovoríš po slovensky?“
„Áno, trochu.“
„Odkiaľ si?“
„Z Írska.“
„Ja som zo Slovenska, haha.“
I smiled politely.
Then I asked the question that would decide the fate of my evening.
„Hovoríte po anglicky?“
The whole group looked at me.
„Ta čo si!“
„Jasné!“
I sighed with relief.
Then Katka added:
„Ale ty hovoríš lepšie po slovensky ako my po anglicky.“
Everyone laughed.
I wasn’t sure whether she was joking or telling the truth.
„Ty klamár!“ I poked Peter.
I could already see a very long evening ahead of me.
Fero suddenly put on a serious face.
„Hovoríme po anglicky, ale teba naučíme po slovensky, lebo…“
The entire table joined in:
„Na Slovensku po slovensky!“
And they all burst out laughing.
Wonderful.
I was doomed.
🥤 Čo si dáte?
We found a table near a giant television screen.
The pub was packed with football fans.
A waiter appeared almost immediately.
„Čo si dáte?“
„Ja chcem pivo,“ said Fero.
„A ty, Sarah?“
„Nemám rada pivo. Prosím si vodu.“
I made sure to pronounce every syllable carefully.
„Nechceš vodku?“ whispered Peter.
„Nechcem!“
I kicked him under the table.
„Ja si dám Kofolu,“ said Katka.
„Ja si dám Vineu,“ said Peter.
„Nuda!“ complained Fero.
Then Katka turned to me.
„Máš rada futbal?“
„Ani nie. Nemám rada futbal.“
„A čo máš rada?“
„Mám rada kone.“
„Kone?“
Her eyes lit up.
„Aj ja mám rada kone!“
„Naozaj?“
„Jasné. Nemám rada futbal, ale mám rada kone.“
„Ja mám rád futbal,“ interrupted Fero.
„A ja mám rád hokej,“ added Ďuro.
„A čo ty, Peter?“
Peter looked at me and grinned.
„Ja mám rád Sarah.“
„Somár!“ Katka threw a beer mat at him.
⚽ Futbal
The match started.
Everyone’s eyes were glued to the television.
They spoke so quickly that I could barely understand a word.
I heard:
„Gól!“
„Dávaj!“
„No poď!“
Then Katka returned to our earlier conversation.
„Takže jazdíš na koni?“
„Áno.“
„Aj ja.“
„Môžeme si niekedy zajazdiť.“
Peter suddenly looked over.
„Čo? Kde idete?“
„Jazdiť,“ I replied.
„Na bicykli?“
„Nie, na koni, trdlo,“ said Katka.
„Ahaaaa.“
🤬 The Mystery of Coco and Curva
Suddenly, somebody from the next table jumped up.
„COCOOOO!“
A few minutes later, somebody else shouted:
„CURVA!“
Then another voice:
„PI ČAJ!“
I frowned.
Why were Slovaks constantly talking about coconuts, curves and tea?
A few minutes later I finally gave up.
„Prečo všetci hovoria coco? A kto je curva? Prečo všetci chcú čaj?“
Silence.
Complete silence.
The entire table froze.
I could practically hear the football match stop.
Everyone stared at me.
Then they exploded with laughter.
I could feel my face turning bright red.
Oh no.
I had definitely said something stupid.
Again.
😅 Nadávky
Peter was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
„Miláčik, je čas naučiť ťa slovenské nadávky.“
Uh-oh.
„Kokot je nadávka,“ he explained.
„Kurva je tiež nadávka.“
I buried my face in my hands.
„A piča?“
The whole table laughed even harder.
„To je tiež nadávka. A veľmi škaredá.“
Wonderful.
Five minutes ago I thought Slovaks were discussing coconuts.
Now I was accidentally asking people to explain swear words.
„Dík,“ I muttered.
❣️ Nevadí
„Nemáš za čo, drahá,“ said Peter. „Aj tak ťa ľúbim.“
I smiled.
Another lesson learned.
It turns out things can get much worse than asking for vodka instead of water.
Whenever you learn a new language, you should probably learn the swear words first.
It might save you from accidentally asking a room full of strangers who Curva is and why everyone wants tea. 😅
POĎME NA TO!
❓Quiz Time
📘Slovník (Phrase Glossary)
| Slovak Phrase | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Na Slovensku po slovensky | In Slovakia, speak Slovak |
| Čo si dáte? | What would you like? |
| Prosím si vodu | I’d like water |
| Máš rada futbal? | Do you like football? |
| Nemám rada futbal | I don’t like football |
| Mám rada kone | I like horses |
| Aj ja mám rada kone | I like horses too |
| Môžeme si niekedy zajazdiť | We can go riding sometime |
| Teší ma | Nice to meet you |
| Čo nové? | What’s new? |
| Dávaj! | Come on! / Go on! (used when cheering someone on) |
| No poď! | Come on! / Let’s go! |
| Ta čo si! | No way! / Of course! (Eastern Slovak expression showing surprise or emphasis) |
📚 Slovíčka (Vocabulary List)
| Slovak | English |
|---|---|
| kamoš | friend |
| priateľka | girlfriend |
| pivo | beer |
| voda | water |
| Kofola | A popular Czech-Slovak soft drink, often compared to Coca-Cola. It was created during the communist era when Western drinks were difficult to get. Unlike cola, Kofola has a unique herbal flavour and is less sweet. Many Slovaks still prefer Kofola to Coca-Cola. |
| Vinea | A Slovak soft drink made from grapes. Despite the name, it is not wine and contains no alcohol. It has a sweet grape flavour and is popular with both children and adults. I LOVE IT. |
| futbal | football |
| hokej | hockey |
| kôň | horse |
| kone | horses |
| jazdiť | to ride |
| chcem | I want |
| nechcem | I don’t want |
| dám si | I’ll have / I’d like |
| nedám si | I won’t have / I don’t want |
| krčma / bar | pub / bar |
| obrazovka | screen |
| nápad | idea |
| trdlo | silly person |
| smiať sa | to laugh |
🤬 Language & Culture Note: Slovak Swear Words
In this story, Sarah accidentally hears a few colourful Slovak words.
Some are mild and playful. Others are words you definitely shouldn’t use when meeting someone’s parents. 😅
Mild Insults
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| somár | donkey, fool, idiot |
| trdlo | silly person, dummy |
These are often used jokingly between friends and family.
„Somár!“ = You idiot!
„Nie, na koni, trdlo.“ = No, on a horse, you dummy.
Real Swear Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| kokot | a strong insult |
| kurva | a swear word used when angry or frustrated |
| piča | a very strong vulgar swear word |
You may hear these words:
- during football matches ⚽
- in pubs 🍺
- when somebody drops something 😅
- when somebody drives badly 🚗
That doesn’t mean you should repeat them.
💡 Bacha na to!
If you’re learning Slovak, it’s useful to recognise these words. Understanding them can save you from embarrassing situations. Using them is a completely different lesson. 😄
🧠 Grammar explained – Mám rád / Mám rada (I like)
👉 Slovaks use mať + rád/rada to talk about things they like.
Think of it like: I have a positive feeling towards something.
🔨 How It Works
Good news! You already know most of this grammar. In Episode 1 and 2, you learned the verb mať (to have).
„Mám rada kone.“
the first word is simply:
I have = mám + we add rád/rada
💡 Bacha na to!
Men and Women Speak Differently. The word after mám changes depending on who is speaking.
Man = rád
Woman = Woman
👨 Peter: Mám rád futbal. (I like football.)
👩 Sarah: Mám rada kone. (I like horses.)
Negative Form
To say you don’t like something, simply add ne- to the verb.
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| Mám rada kone. | Nemám rada kone. |
| Mám rád futbal. | Nemám rád futbal. |
Easy. Well… easy for Slovak.
Asking Questions
Want to know what somebody likes? Just use the verb mať in the second person:
| Slovak | English |
|---|---|
| Máš rád futbal? | Do you like football? |
| Máš rada kone? | Do you like horses? |
🤓 Now you try it!
🎯 What Did You Learn in this Slovak graded story?
In this lesson of the 3rd episode of Slovak Graded Story serie, you learned how to talk about your likes and dislikes in Slovak using mám rád and mám rada. You also practised useful phrases for meeting friends, ordering drinks, talking about hobbies, and understanding real-life conversations. Plus, you discovered why it helps to recognise a few Slovak swear words—even if you never plan to use them.
👉 Continue Your Slovak Journey
In this Slovak graded story, you practised talking about hobbies, drinks, and likes and dislikes. Sarah survived Peter’s friends. Barely. What could possibly go wrong next? Quite a lot, actually. Next, Sarah faces a brand-new Slovak challenge.
👉 Continue to Episode 4 and see what happens next (if you dare).