A1 Idiom Neutral

Mať na jazyku

To have on the tongue

Bedeutung

Knowing something but unable to recall.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Slovaks often use this phrase while physically snapping their fingers to 'help' the word come out. In many Slavic cultures, forgetting a word is seen as a sign of 'prepracovanosť' (overwork), and this phrase is a socially acceptable way to admit exhaustion. Oral exams are common. Students use this to show they aren't silent because they don't know, but because they are nervous. There is an old belief that if you have something on your tongue and someone else says it, you will have good luck.

🎯

Use with 'to'

90% of the time, Slovaks just say 'Mám to na jazyku.' You don't need to specify what 'it' is.

⚠️

Don't say 'v jazyku'

This is the most common mistake. It sounds like you have a piercing or a disease.

Bedeutung

Knowing something but unable to recall.

🎯

Use with 'to'

90% of the time, Slovaks just say 'Mám to na jazyku.' You don't need to specify what 'it' is.

⚠️

Don't say 'v jazyku'

This is the most common mistake. It sounds like you have a piercing or a disease.

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the missing word in the correct form.

Mám to na _________ (jazyk).

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: jazyku

The preposition 'na' requires the locative case here, which for 'jazyk' is 'jazyku'.

Which sentence is the correct way to say 'I have the name on the tip of my tongue'?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Mám meno na jazyku.

The idiom always uses 'na' (on).

Match the response to the situation.

Someone asks: 'Ako sa volá ten tvoj kamarát?' (What is your friend's name?)

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Mám to na jazyku, hneď si spomeniem.

This is the natural response when you forget a name.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Kde je ten kľúč? B: Je to v tej... v tej... _________!

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: mám to na jazyku

The speaker is struggling to find the word for the location.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

4 Aufgaben
Fill in the missing word in the correct form. Fill Blank A1

Mám to na _________ (jazyk).

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: jazyku

The preposition 'na' requires the locative case here, which for 'jazyk' is 'jazyku'.

Which sentence is the correct way to say 'I have the name on the tip of my tongue'? Choose A1

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Mám meno na jazyku.

The idiom always uses 'na' (on).

Match the response to the situation. situation_matching A2

Someone asks: 'Ako sa volá ten tvoj kamarát?' (What is your friend's name?)

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Mám to na jazyku, hneď si spomeniem.

This is the natural response when you forget a name.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: Kde je ten kľúč? B: Je to v tej... v tej... _________!

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: mám to na jazyku

The speaker is struggling to find the word for the location.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Häufig gestellte Fragen

4 Fragen

It is neutral. You can use it with anyone.

No, it's specifically for words, names, or specific pieces of information. For a task, use 'Vypadlo mi to.'

Máme to na jazyku (We have it on the tongue).

Sometimes people just say 'Na jazyku...' while snapping.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

vziať slovo z úst

similar

To say exactly what someone else was about to say.

🔗

pustiť si jazyk na špacírku

contrast

To talk too much or gossip.

🔗

behať po rozume

similar

To have something on one's mind.

🔗

mať pod čiapkou

contrast

To be a bit drunk.

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