Bedeutung
Being confused or disoriented.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In rural Slovakia, mint was often used as a calming herb. There is a subtle irony in the idiom: the herb meant to calm you is used to describe a state where you are 'too' calm or dazed. Many Slavic languages have similar 'walking' idioms for confusion, often involving ghosts or fog, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage of using movement to describe mental states. Slovak 'Z-generation' uses this idiom ironically in TikToks about 'brain rot' or being overwhelmed by schoolwork. Classic authors used this to describe the 'village idiot' or a character in love, showing its long history in the national consciousness.
Use it for Jet Lag
Slovaks love using this for travel tiredness. It makes you sound very natural.
Don't use for Drunk
While it can describe a dazed state, 'nadrbaný' or 'opitý' are more specific for being drunk. 'V mätách' is more about confusion than alcohol.
Bedeutung
Being confused or disoriented.
Use it for Jet Lag
Slovaks love using this for travel tiredness. It makes you sound very natural.
Don't use for Drunk
While it can describe a dazed state, 'nadrbaný' or 'opitý' are more specific for being drunk. 'V mätách' is more about confusion than alcohol.
Combine with 'nejaký'
Saying 'Dnes som nejaký v mätách' (I'm somehow in mints today) adds a nice native touch of uncertainty.
The 'ä' sound
In modern Slovak, many people pronounce 'ä' as a simple 'e'. Don't worry if you can't get the wide 'ä' perfect.
Teste dich selbst
Which situation best fits the idiom 'chodiť ako v mätách'?
Peter didn't sleep all night and now he is putting salt in his coffee.
Option 'a' uses the correct fixed form of the idiom.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Po tej zlej správe Jana ______ ako v mätách.
Jana is feminine singular, so the past tense verb must be 'chodila'.
Match the person to the description.
Kto chodí ako v mätách?
The idiom describes someone who is confused or dazed, often due to sadness or shock.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
3 AufgabenPeter didn't sleep all night and now he is putting salt in his coffee.
Option 'a' uses the correct fixed form of the idiom.
Po tej zlej správe Jana ______ ako v mätách.
Jana is feminine singular, so the past tense verb must be 'chodila'.
Kto chodí ako v mätách?
The idiom describes someone who is confused or dazed, often due to sadness or shock.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is always plural: 'v mätách'.
Yes, but keep it for casual conversations with colleagues, not a presentation to the CEO.
No, it means you are temporarily confused or tired. It's not a comment on your intelligence.
No, it's always used with a verb like 'chodiť', 'motať sa', or 'byť'.
Linguistically no, but culturally people often associate the two.
'To be in a daze' or 'to walk around in a fog'.
Yes, it's very common to say this about a sleepy child.
It's a classic, but still very much in use today.
No, 'bežať' (to run) doesn't fit the dazed meaning. Stick to 'chodiť'.
Not at all. It's a gentle, descriptive idiom.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Byť mimo
synonymTo be out of it
Mať hmlu pred očami
similarTo have fog before one's eyes
Chodiť ako bez hlavy
contrastTo walk like one has no head
Byť v siedmom nebi
contrastTo be in seventh heaven
