Bedeutung
Disagreeing with a statement.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The concept of 'Pravda' is central to Slovak identity, appearing in the national motto 'Pravda víťazí'. Disagreeing with facts is often seen as a moral duty. Directness is valued. Saying 'To nie je pravda' is not considered rude if you are factually correct, unlike in some Asian cultures where 'saving face' is more important. The phrase is frequently used by the 'Polícia SR - Hoaxy a podvody' Facebook page to debunk misinformation. During the communist era, 'pravda' was often manipulated, leading to a modern skepticism and a strong desire to call out what 'nie je pravda'.
Softening the blow
Add 'asi' (probably) or 'podľa mňa' (according to me) to sound less aggressive: 'To asi nie je pravda.'
The 'Neni' trap
Don't use 'neni' in written exams or formal emails, even though you'll hear it everywhere on the street.
Bedeutung
Disagreeing with a statement.
Softening the blow
Add 'asi' (probably) or 'podľa mňa' (according to me) to sound less aggressive: 'To asi nie je pravda.'
The 'Neni' trap
Don't use 'neni' in written exams or formal emails, even though you'll hear it everywhere on the street.
Emphasis
If you want to be very emphatic, stress the 'nie': 'To NIE JE pravda!'
Directness
Don't be offended if a Slovak says this to you; they are usually just being helpful by correcting a fact.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing verb to complete the phrase.
To ___ je pravda.
The full negation is 'nie je'. Since 'je' is already there, you only need 'nie'.
Which of these is the most common informal way to say 'That's not true'?
Vyberte neformálnu možnosť:
'Neni' is the ubiquitous informal contraction used in spoken Slovak.
Complete the dialogue with the most appropriate response.
A: 'Vraj si včera vyhral milión eur!' B: '___'
The context of winning a million euros usually triggers a denial or shock.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are in a formal debate and want to disagree politely.
'Obávam sa' (I'm afraid) softens the statement for a formal context.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenTo ___ je pravda.
The full negation is 'nie je'. Since 'je' is already there, you only need 'nie'.
Vyberte neformálnu možnosť:
'Neni' is the ubiquitous informal contraction used in spoken Slovak.
A: 'Vraj si včera vyhral milión eur!' B: '___'
The context of winning a million euros usually triggers a denial or shock.
Situation: You are in a formal debate and want to disagree politely.
'Obávam sa' (I'm afraid) softens the statement for a formal context.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, omitting the 'To' is common in fast speech, but 'To nie je pravda' is more complete.
Generally no, it's neutral. However, tone of voice matters a lot.
'Pravda' is truth (opposite of a lie), 'skutočnosť' is reality (opposite of a dream or fiction).
Add 'však?' at the end: 'To nie je pravda, však?'
Slovak lost the 't' ending for the verb 'to be' centuries ago. 'Nie je' is the standard modern form.
No, for moral issues use 'To nie je správne'.
It's more of a dialectal/colloquial form than slang. It's used by all ages.
Use the past tense: 'To nebola pravda.'
Simply 'To je pravda' (That is true).
Yes, 'nepravda' is a noun meaning 'untruth', but it sounds more literary and less natural in speech.
Verwandte Redewendungen
To je lož
synonymThat is a lie.
To nie je tak
similarIt's not like that.
Mýlite sa
similarYou are mistaken.
Pravdaže
contrastOf course / Naturally.
V skutočnosti
builds onIn reality / Actually.
