Personal Pronouns (Osobné zámená)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Personal pronouns replace nouns to identify who is performing an action, and in Slovak, they are often omitted when the verb conjugation is clear.
- Use 'ja' for I and 'ty' for you (informal). Example: 'Ja som študent.'
- Use 'on/ona/ono' for he/she/it. Example: 'Ona je učiteľka.'
- Use 'my/vy/oni/ony' for we/you(pl)/they. Example: 'My sme tu.'
Personal Pronouns Overview
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
|
ja (I)
|
my (we)
|
|
2nd
|
ty (you)
|
vy (you pl/formal)
|
|
3rd
|
on/ona/ono (he/she/it)
|
oni/ony (they)
|
Meanings
Personal pronouns are words used to substitute for nouns representing people or things. They indicate the grammatical person, number, and gender of the subject.
Subject Pronouns
Used as the subject of a sentence.
“Ja som hladný.”
“Ty si doma.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Ja som tu.
|
|
Negative
|
Pronoun + ne-Verb
|
Ja nie som tu.
|
|
Question
|
Verb + Pronoun?
|
Si ty tu?
|
|
Formal
|
Vy + Verb
|
Vy ste pán.
|
|
Plural
|
My/Vy/Oni + Verb
|
My sme doma.
|
Spectre de formalité
Prídete? (Invitation)
Prídete? (Invitation)
Prídeš? (Invitation)
Dojdeš? (Invitation)
Pronoun Categories
Singular
- ja I
- ty you
Plural
- my we
- vy you
Exemples par niveau
Ja som Peter.
I am Peter.
Ty si študent.
You are a student.
Ona je učiteľka.
She is a teacher.
My sme tu.
We are here.
On nepracuje dnes.
He is not working today.
Ony sú v kine.
They (feminine) are at the cinema.
Vy ste pripravení?
Are you (plural) ready?
Ono je to dobré.
It is good.
Povedal som to ja.
I said it.
Vy ste pán profesor?
Are you Professor?
Oni tam neboli.
They were not there.
Ony sa hrajú.
They (feminine) are playing.
Ja to urobím, nie ty.
I will do it, not you.
Vy ste sa rozhodli správne.
You have decided correctly.
Ony, tie dievčatá, sú milé.
They, those girls, are nice.
My sme sa na tom dohodli.
We agreed on that.
On sám to nevedel.
He himself did not know it.
Vy, ktorí ste tu, počúvajte.
You, who are here, listen.
Ony, tie staré stromy, padli.
They, those old trees, fell.
Ja, ako váš priateľ, vám pomôžem.
I, as your friend, will help you.
Oni, muži činu, sa nebáli.
They, men of action, were not afraid.
Ony, tie myšlienky, ma trápia.
They, those thoughts, trouble me.
Ja som to bol, kto to začal.
It was I who started it.
Vy ste to boli, kto nás zachránil.
It was you who saved us.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up masculine animate vs others.
Erreurs courantes
Ja som študentka, on je študentka.
Ja som študentka, ona je študentka.
Oni sú stoličky.
Ony sú stoličky.
Ja som ísť domov.
Ja idem domov.
Oni, tie ženy, prišli.
Ony, tie ženy, prišli.
Structures de phrases
___ som ___.
Real World Usage
Idem domov.
Drop it!
Smart Tips
Omit pronouns to sound natural.
Prononciation
Vowel length
The 'a' in 'ja' is short.
Question
Prídeš? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'Ja' (I) is like 'Ya' in English. 'Ty' is like 'Tea' for you.
Association visuelle
Imagine a mirror: 'Ja' is looking at myself. 'Ty' is pointing at a friend.
Rhyme
Ja som tu, ty si tam, my sme spolu, to ti dám.
Story
I (Ja) went to the store. You (Ty) met me there. We (My) bought bread. They (Oni) were happy.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about your day, then try removing the pronouns to see if the sentence still makes sense.
Notes culturelles
Using 'Vy' for strangers is a sign of respect.
Proto-Slavic roots.
Amorces de conversation
Ako sa voláš?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ som Slovák.
Score: /1
Exercices pratiques
1 exercises___ som Slovák.
Score: /1
FAQ (1)
Yes, if the verb conjugation is unique.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ich/du/er/sie/es
Pro-drop.
je/tu/il/elle
Pro-drop.
yo/tú/él/ella
Slovak has more gendered plural forms.
watashi/anata
Slovak uses pronouns for grammatical person.
ana/anta
Slovak has different gender systems.
wǒ/nǐ
Slovak conjugation determines the subject.
