A2 Prepositions 1 min read Facile

Genitive with Prepositions 'z' and 'do'

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Slovak, the prepositions 'z' (from) and 'do' (to/into) always require the noun following them to be in the Genitive case.

  • Use 'do' + Genitive for movement into a destination: 'Idem do školy' (I am going to school).
  • Use 'z' + Genitive for movement away from a source: 'Som z Bratislavy' (I am from Bratislava).
  • Remember that masculine inanimate nouns often add '-a' in the Genitive: 'do lesa' (into the forest).
do/z + [Noun in Genitive Case]

Genitive Case Endings (Common)

Gender Nominative Genitive Example
Masculine (Inanimate)
obchod
obchodu
do obchodu
Masculine (Animate)
brat
brata
od brata
Feminine
škola
školy
do školy
Neuter
mesto
mesta
do mesta
Feminine (ending in -ia)
kaviareň
kaviarne
do kaviarne
Neuter (ending in -e)
more
mora
do mora

Meanings

These prepositions define directionality. 'Do' indicates movement towards or into a space, while 'z' indicates movement from or out of a space.

1

Spatial Direction

Physical movement to or from a location.

“Idem do kina.”

“Vraciam sa z dovolenky.”

2

Origin/Provenance

Indicating where someone or something is from.

“Som z Česka.”

“Je to darček z Paríža.”

3

Time/Duration

Indicating the start or end of a time frame.

“Pracujem od pondelka do piatka.”

“Z rána je chladno.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Genitive with Prepositions 'z' and 'do'
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
do + Genitive
Idem do školy.
Affirmative
z + Genitive
Som z Bratislavy.
Negative
nie do + Genitive
Nejdem do školy.
Negative
nie z + Genitive
Nie som z Bratislavy.
Question
Ideš do + Genitive?
Ideš do kina?
Question
Si z + Genitive?
Si z Nitry?

Spectre de formalité

Formel
Odchádzam do obchodu.

Odchádzam do obchodu. (Daily life)

Neutre
Idem do obchodu.

Idem do obchodu. (Daily life)

Informel
Idem do obchodu.

Idem do obchodu. (Daily life)

Argot
Valím do obchodu.

Valím do obchodu. (Daily life)

Directional Prepositions

Genitive Case

Movement

  • do into/to
  • z from/out of
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Exemples par niveau

1

Idem do školy.

I am going to school.

2

Som z Bratislavy.

I am from Bratislava.

3

Idem do obchodu.

I am going to the store.

4

Vraciam sa z kina.

I am returning from the cinema.

1

Vchádzam do domu.

I am entering the house.

2

Pijem čaj z citróna.

I am drinking tea with lemon.

3

Cesta do Prahy je dlhá.

The trip to Prague is long.

4

Som z veľkej rodiny.

I am from a big family.

1

Musím ísť do práce.

I have to go to work.

2

Vyšiel som z budovy.

I walked out of the building.

3

Do konca roka to stihnem.

I will finish it by the end of the year.

4

Je to z druhej ruky.

It is second-hand.

1

Vstúpil do miestnosti bez slova.

He entered the room without a word.

2

Z tohto dôvodu som odišiel.

For this reason, I left.

3

Do akej miery je to pravda?

To what extent is this true?

4

Vzal si knihu z police.

He took a book from the shelf.

1

Do poslednej chvíle som váhal.

I hesitated until the last moment.

2

Z hľadiska logiky to nedáva zmysel.

From a logical standpoint, it makes no sense.

3

Všetko sa zmenilo do základov.

Everything changed to its foundations.

4

Vypadol z konceptu.

He lost his train of thought.

1

Dozaista sa vráti z cesty.

He will certainly return from the trip.

2

Dozaista sa ponoril do úvah.

He certainly immersed himself in thoughts.

3

Z hĺbky duše ho nenávidí.

He hates him from the bottom of his soul.

4

Do bodky splnil úlohu.

He fulfilled the task to the letter.

Facile à confondre

Genitive with Prepositions 'z' and 'do' vs do vs. na

Both can mean 'to'. 'Do' is for interior spaces, 'na' for open/public spaces.

Genitive with Prepositions 'z' and 'do' vs z vs. od

Both can mean 'from'. 'Z' is from a place, 'od' is from a person.

Genitive with Prepositions 'z' and 'do' vs v vs. do

Both relate to a place. 'V' is static (in), 'do' is dynamic (into).

Erreurs courantes

✗

Idem do škola

✓

Idem do školy

Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -y in Genitive.
✗

Som z Bratislava

✓

Som z Bratislavy

Proper nouns also decline in the Genitive.
✗

Idem do obchod

✓

Idem do obchodu

Masculine inanimate nouns add -u.
✗

Vraciam z školy

✓

Vraciam sa z školy

Missing reflexive pronoun 'sa'.
✗

Idem do dom

✓

Idem do domu

Masculine noun needs -u.
✗

Som z Praha

✓

Som z Prahy

Feminine proper noun declension.
✗

Vraciam z práce

✓

Vraciam sa z práce

Reflexive verb usage.
✗

Do konce roka

✓

Do konca roka

Neuter noun ending -o changes to -a.
✗

Z hľadisko logiky

✓

Z hľadiska logiky

Genitive of hľadisko is hľadiska.
✗

Vzal z police

✓

Vzal z police

Correct, but ensure context is clear.
✗

Do bodku

✓

Do bodky

Idiomatic expression requires correct Genitive.
✗

Z hĺbky duša

✓

Z hĺbky duše

Genitive of duša is duše.
✗

Do miery

✓

Do akej miery

Needs correct pronoun agreement.
✗

Z koncept

✓

Z konceptu

Masculine inanimate declension.

Structures de phrases

Idem do ___.

Som z ___.

Vraciam sa z ___.

Do ___ to stihnem.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Idem do mesta, prídeš?

Travel very common

Kedy odchádzaš do Prahy?

Job Interview common

Som z oblasti marketingu.

Food Delivery occasional

Objednávam z reštaurácie.

Social Media very common

Pozdrav z dovolenky!

Directions common

Vstúpte do budovy.

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💡

Check the gender

Always check if the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter before applying the Genitive ending.
⚠️

Don't forget the case

The most common error is using the Nominative. Always pause and think: 'Is this after do or z?'
🎯

Use flashcards

Create flashcards with 'do + [noun]' to memorize the Genitive forms quickly.
💬

Listen to natives

Listen to how Slovaks say 'z' and 'do' in podcasts; it will help you internalize the rhythm.

Smart Tips

Always learn the Genitive form with the noun.

škola → škola (Gen: školy)

Pause before the noun to recall the case.

Idem do škola → Idem do... školy

Check your endings against a declension table.

Som z Bratislava → Som z Bratislavy

Identify the preposition and the case.

do obchodu → do (prep) + obchodu (Gen)

Prononciation

z školy -> s školy

Preposition 'z'

Pronounced as 's' if followed by a voiceless consonant.

Statement

Idem do školy. ↘

Falling intonation for declarative sentences.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Do is for Destination, Z is for Zero (starting point).

Association visuelle

Imagine a 'do' door you are walking into, and a 'z' zipper you are opening to get something out.

Rhyme

Do is for where you go, Z is where you're from, you know!

Story

I walk 'do' the shop to buy bread. I come 'z' the shop with a bag. I am 'z' Slovakia, going 'do' the world.

Word Web

dozškolaprácamestodomkino

Défi

Write 5 sentences about your daily routine using 'do' and 'z'.

Notes culturelles

Slovaks are very precise about movement. Using the wrong preposition can change the meaning entirely.

These prepositions are of Proto-Slavic origin, maintaining their directional functions for millennia.

Amorces de conversation

“

Odkiaľ si?

“

Kam ideš dnes večer?

“

Odkiaľ máš tú knihu?

“

Kedy sa vraciaš z dovolenky?

Sujets d'écriture

Describe your morning routine.
Where are you from and what is it like there?
Write about a trip you took recently.
Reflect on your career goals.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct form.

Idem do ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školy
Feminine -a to -y.
Choose the correct preposition. Choix multiple

Som ___ Bratislavy.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: z
Origin requires 'z'.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem do obchod.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do obchodu
Masculine inanimate needs -u.
Change to Genitive. Sentence Transformation

Mesto -> do ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mesta
Neuter -o to -a.
Match the preposition. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: do-to, z-from
Basic directional meaning.
Genitive of 'dom'. Conjugation Drill

Idem do ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: domu
Masculine inanimate.
Order the words. Sentence Building

do / školy / idem

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do školy
Standard word order.
Is this true? True False Rule

Do and z require the Genitive case.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Fundamental rule.

Score: /8

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Fill in the correct form.

Idem do ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školy
Feminine -a to -y.
Choose the correct preposition. Choix multiple

Som ___ Bratislavy.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: z
Origin requires 'z'.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem do obchod.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do obchodu
Masculine inanimate needs -u.
Change to Genitive. Sentence Transformation

Mesto -> do ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mesta
Neuter -o to -a.
Match the preposition. Match Pairs

Match: do/z

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: do-to, z-from
Basic directional meaning.
Genitive of 'dom'. Conjugation Drill

Idem do ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: domu
Masculine inanimate.
Order the words. Sentence Building

do / školy / idem

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do školy
Standard word order.
Is this true? True False Rule

Do and z require the Genitive case.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Fundamental rule.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

Slovak uses cases to show the function of a noun. 'Do' and 'z' require the Genitive.

Yes, after 'do' and 'z' in a spatial sense, it is always Genitive.

The Genitive plural has different endings, e.g., 'do škôl'.

No, use 'k' + Dative for people.

Because 'Bratislava' is feminine, and -a changes to -y.

Some nouns are irregular, but the rules cover 90% of cases.

Usually by the ending: -a is feminine, -o is neuter, consonant is masculine.

Yes, phonetically it becomes 's' before voiceless consonants.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

German moderate

zu/von

Slovak uses case endings; German uses prepositions.

French low

à/de

French relies on prepositions, not noun endings.

Spanish low

a/de

Spanish nouns do not change based on prepositions.

Japanese low

e/kara

Particles follow the noun; Slovak prepositions precede it.

Arabic low

ila/min

Arabic cases are marked by vowels, not suffix changes.

Chinese none

dao/cong

Chinese uses word order and prepositions.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Connected Grammar

Nominative Case

Prerequisite

Base form knowledge.

Dative Case

Contrast

Used for movement to people.

Locative Case

Contrast

Used for static location.

Genitive of Negation

Builds On

Expands Genitive usage.

Previous
Genitive Singular Endings
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