Lesson 3 Dialog: How much?
We are still at the restaurant, where you ordered bryndzové halušky and beer. You are still enjoying your meal, when Mišo’s notices his friend Juraj (George).
Juraj passes by. After a short introduction, he asks if we shall have coffee.
Mišo: Juraj, nazdar!
Juraj: Hej Mišo, nazdar! Čo je nové?
Mišo: Nič moc. Tu je môj známy, Michael.
Juraj: Michael? Vy ste Angličan?
You: Nie, ja som Američan. A vy, vy ste Slovák?
Juraj: Áno, som. Dáme si kávu?
You, Mišo: Dobrý nápad!
Mišo flags down the waiter and asks how much is coffee.
Mišo: Pán čašník, koľko stojí káva?
Čašník: Káva je jedno euro (€1).
Mišo: Dobre, doneste štyri (4).
It’s time to pay. Mišo calls the waiter again.
Mišo: Zaplatíme. Koľko je to?
Čašník: Dokopy dvadsať päť eur (€25).
Mišo: Dobre, tu máte tridsať (30).
Juraj has to get going. He thanks for the coffee and says goodbye.
Juraj: Ďakujem za kávu. Už musím.
Mišo: Tak dovi.
Juraj: Dovidenia!
The Dialog, in details:
This dialog starts off with Mišo noticing his friend Juraj. He calls to him: nazdar means something like salut. It’s a common greeting used between friends. Juraj is pleasantly surprised to run into Mišo. Hej Mišo, nazdar! means Oh hey Mišo, howdy!. Juraj then asks what’s happening. Čo je nové? means what is new?. Not a whole lot: nič moc means (bit colloquially) nothing much. He then introduces you. Známy means an acquaintance, and tu je môj známy is here is my acquantance. You guys then talk bit about your nationalities, stuff you learned back in Lesson 1 (Greetings). Piece of cake. Juraj finally suggests to have a coffee. Dáme si …? means Will we have …?. The Slovak word for coffee is káva, but due to the various conjugation rules, it becomes kávu in sentences like this one. For those interested in grammar, this is because coffee is in the accusative case in this sentence. You all think this is a good idea, dobrý nápad.
Mišo thus calls over the (Mr.) waiter pán čašník. It’s customary to show bit of formality when addressing the wait staff. After all, they are the ones in carrying your food. Also, back in the day, the level of customer service was quite different from what you may be used to in the United States. Instead of the waiter coming by every few minutes asking if you need anything, or offering you free refills (which are very rare in Slovakia), you had to go out of your way to flag the waiter down. Things are changing, especially in the big cities, but don’t be surprised if you have to work a bit to get service in a restaurant. This doesn’t mean you are not welcome there, this is just the way things are.
To ask how much something costs, you use koľko stojí …?. Literally, this phrase means how much stands …?. Coffee is one euro, jedno euro. Until January 1st, 2009, the official currency of Slovakia was the Slovak Crown, slovenská koruna. Then Slovakia became the first country of the former eastern block to switch to the euro. The first former communist country to switch was Slovenia (which was part of Yugoslavia), but since Yugoslavia was not as “tight” with the Soviets as was, let’s say, Czechoslovakia, they are not generally considered to had been in the Soviet block. Mišo tells the waiter bring four (coffees), doneste štyri.
Since there never is a free lunch (unless somebody else pays, that’s it), it’s time to pay. Mišo tells the waiter that we will pay, zaplatíme. He again asks how much is it, but this time the phrase is slightly different. Since we are not asking for the price of something in particular, but rather something abstract, we use koľko je to?, how much is it?. Dokopy (altogether) the bill comes to 25 euro. Mišo gives the waiter little extra. Tu máte tridsať is here you have thirty. When I was growing up, tipping consisted of leaving just few pieces of coin on the table – perhaps just the change the waiter brought back. But things are changing, partly due to the influx of foreign tourists who are used to tip the 15% in their home countries.
Finally, it’s time to say good bye. Juraj thanks for the coffee, and says (he) already must (get going), už musím (ísť). The word for goodbye in Slovak is dovidenia, which translates as “to (the next) seeing”. Friends will often use the abbreviated form, dovi, when parting. Tak means in that case. Zatial dovidenia, goodbye for now!
Now continue onto the grammar and vocabulary sections to learn the basics of using numbers and the numbers in Slovak.
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Lesson 2 Dialog: He is hungry
Now that you’ve made some new friends, it’s time to go out and grab something to eat.
V hoteli (in the hotel)
Mišo: Michael, ste hladný?
You: Yes, I am hungry. A vy?
Mišo: Ja som tiež hladný. A čo ty, Lucia?
Lucia: Nie, ja nie som hladná. Ja som smädná. Poďme!
Na ulici (on the street)
Lucia: Tu je Stará Radnica.
You: Oh yes, here is the Old Town Hall. It is pretty.
Lucia: Áno, je pekná. Je aj stará.
You: That’s right. It says here that the tower dates back to the 13th century.
V reštauracií (in the restaurant)
Mišo: Prosím si bryndzové halušky a jedno pivo.
You: That sounds good! I will also have bryndzové halušky and a beer.
Waiter: A vám?
Lucia: Dám si kapustnicu a Kofolu.
Pár minút neskôr (few minutes later)
You: How is your meal?
Mišo: Bryndzové halušky sú výborné. A kapustnica?
Lucia: Kapustnica je tiež dobrá.
You: And how is your beer?
Mišo: Pivo je skvelé! Je studené.
You: A Kofola?
Lucia: Kofola je vždy super!
The dialog, dissected:
Time to go out and sample the excellent Slovak cuisine. Along the way, let’s learn how to describe things using adjectives. After this lesson, you should be ready to make simple dialogs and order your first meal, in Slovak!
The conversation starts with Mišo asking you ste hladný? (are you hungry?). This is the short form of vy ste hladný? As you learned in the previous lesson, ste is the form of the verb to be used with the plural you which is used when addressing somebody formally. You will see that the pronoun is typically omitted. There really is no need for it – you can figure out what you are referring to from the form of the verb. Often when it is used it is done to emphasize the subject.
Good that Mišo asked because you are hungry! Turns out, so is he. Ja som tiež hladný means I am also hungry. This sentence should be quite familiar. It is very similar to the sentences you studied in the previous dialog. He then asks his friend, Lucia: a čo ty? is and what (about) you?. Turns out she is not hungry (hladná), but she is thirsty (smädná). Let’s go! (poďme!)
On your way to the restaurant, you pass by the Old Town Hall, one of the oldest buildings in Bratislava. Tu je Stará Radnica means here is the Old Town Hall. One thing to note is that in Slovak, we don’t have any articles. So tu je Stará Radnica translates directly as here is Old Townhall. Lucia agrees that it is pretty, áno, je pekná (yes, (she) is pretty). She also tells you that it is also old: je aj stará ((she) is also old). Notice that again the pronouns are skipped. And notice those pesky genders! A town hall is feminine? Who would have though?
You finally made it to the restaurant. Mišo goes for a real Slovak dinner: bryndzové halušky with beer. Prosím si means I would like. This phrase comes from ja si prosím, I (for self) beg/ask. This is how you ask for just about anything in Slovakia. Just substitute the noun with whatever it is that you want. In this case, you order the bryndza dumplings and jedno pivo (one beer). They go really well together! The waiter then asks Lucia what would she like. A vám? means and (for) you?. I guess Lucia changed her mind, and orders something to eat, the sauerkraut soup, kapustnica. She also orders Kofola. Dám si means I’ll have.
What on earth is Kofola? The short answer is that it is the most amazing soda ever! One of the side effects of Czechoslovakia becoming a communist country after World War II was that trade with “the West” became 
severely restricted. This doesn’t mean that there were food shortages. At least I have never experienced grocery stores not having food during my lifetime. But the selection was limited to brands made either locally or imported from other Soviet block countries. As such, there was no Coke. Instead, we had the local alternative, Kofola. It tastes nothing like coke, but I love it! It is also the cheapest drink you can order in a restaurant, cheaper than beer and much cheaper than water (which is typically more expensive than beer!). Western items like Coke were actually available, but only in special stores called “Tuzex”. These stores were built so that government officials who frequently traveled oversees could continue buying the goodies they may have come accustomed to on their trips. To prevent locals from getting hooked on Swiss chocolate, you couldn’t use regular money in these stores. Instead, you had to use something called “bony”. But, there was always a supply of shady characters hanging outside these stores more than willing to trade your Czechoslovak crowns for bony. This is for instance how my mom bought me Legos for Christmas, even though Lego was not available in regular stores.
Alright your meal came out. Mišo says his bryndza dumplings are great (výborné). And what about Lucia’s kapustnica? It is also good (dobrá). And the beer? It is also excellent (skvelé). (It) is cold, (ono) je studené. Note that pivo is neuter. And Kofola? Kofola is always amazing (kofola je vždy super)!
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