Jed

Pronounced: yet

Drug!

Important things to know about it: drugs are male, following the dub pattern.

Example:
"Kedy som t'a blízko nemôžem jedy dat', všakže." = "When I'm near you I cannot take drugs, innit."

Related words:
marihuana - marijuana
kokaín - cocaine
opiť sa - to get high/blasted/zonked/wasted/rat-arsed

Vesmír

Pronounced: Ves-meer

Vesmír = the universe

Important things to know about it: the universe is male, of the dub variety.

Example:
"Vesmír je väčšie ako nič si predstaviš." = "The universe is bigger than anything you can imagine."

Related words:
hviezda - star
planéta - planet
svetlo - light

Hnačka

Pronounced: h-nyach-ka

Means 'diarrhoea'.

Important things to know about it: it is female, and follows the noun pattern of žena

Example (from Google):
"Vracanie a hnacka u labradora." - "Vomiting and diarrhoea in labradors."

Related words:
vracanie - vomiting

Určite

Pronounced: U-r-chee-tye

It is an adverb, and means certainly, assuredly, definitely. To make it an adjective you just need to alter the last letter to ý, é, or á, depending on the gender of the noun it modifies.

It is the same as isté, with the smallest of differences. Isté is marginally (really) less certain than určite.

Example:
"Určite pride." - "He will come for sure."

Related words:
naozaj - really
samozrejme - of course

časopis

Pronounced: chah-soh-pees

It is a periodical... so, comic, magazine, newspaper, journal, &c...

Important things to know about it: it is masculine, follows the noun pattern of 'dub'.

Example:
"Kupil si časopis dňa?" - "Did you buy today's copy?"

Related words:
noviny - newspaper
dennik - diary

Kopat'

Pronounced: koh-pah-ty

Today's word of the day is 'kopať' . It has got many meanings, but the main ones are 'to dig' and 'to kick'. In Slovakia we say that electricity 'kicks' people, when you touch a wire, so we say: 'Kopla ma elektrina.'

Important things to know about it: verb, follows 'a' verb conjugation, imperative is '(ty) kop', '(vy) kopte'; past sense is 'kopal(f)/kopol(m/n)', 'kopali/kopli'.

Examples:
"Kopla ma elektrina." - "I got an electric shock."
"On kopol ma." - "He kicked me."
"Kopol som ho/ju." - "I kicked him/her."
"Kto druhému jamu kope, sám do nej padne." - "You can fall into your own trap (lit. he who kicks the second hole falls into it)."

Vyskúšať

Pronounced: vee-skoo-sha-ty

It has several English translations: try on, give a go, to prove, to check out.

Important things to know about it: it follows the conjugation of 'a' verbs, the root of the verb is 'vyskúš-'.

Example:
"Chcel by som t'a vyskúšať šaty." - "I would like to see you try on the dress."

Related words:
vyskúšať v teréne - field test

Potknúť sa

Pronounced: poht-kh-noo-ty suh

It means 'to stumble' or 'to trip up'.

Important things to know about it: it follows the conjugation of e-verbs and the root of the verb is 'potkn-', it is a reflexive verb, so must always be accompanied by 'sa'.

Example:
"Aj kôň má 4 nohy a predsa sa potkne." - "Even though a horse has 4 legs it still stumbles."

Related words:
zakopnúť - to bowl over
klesnúť- to sink or sag

Drevo

Pronounced: d-rr-eh-vho

The general name for 'wood'.

Important things to know about it: neutral gender, follows the noun pattern of mesto.

Examples:
Nom: "Drevo je hned'." - "Wood's brown."
Acc: "Mám drevo." - "I've got wood."
Gen: "Môj telefón je vyrobený z dreva." - "My telephone is made of wood."
Loc: "Anatomický útvar v dreve.." - "Anatomical parts in wood..."

Related words:
drevokaz - wood rot

Dub

Pronounced: doob

It is an oak tree. This word is important. It is one of the 12 words used to demonstrate the noun declension patterns. A general tree is known as 'strom'.

Things you should know about it: masculine, follows the noun pattern of dub.

Examples:
"To je vysoký dub." - "That's a tall oak tree."
"Kmeň dubu je hned'." - "The oak tree has a brown trunk."

Related words:
strom - tree
dubček - oakling

Sebavedomie

Pronounced: seh-bah-veh-doh-mye

The English definition of this word is 'esteem'.

Important things you should know about it: noun, neutral, follows the noun pattern of vysvedčenie.

Example:
"Mám vysoké/nízke sebavedomie." - "I've got high/low self esteem."

Related word(s):
sebavedomý - adjective => assured/pretentious

Pavúk

Pronounced: pah-vook

It means spider. :)

Important things to know about it: masculine, follows the noun pattern of chlap in singular and dub in plural (just to be confusing and this applies to all animals following masculine patterns).

Examples:
"Ide pavúk po stene." - "The spider walks on the wall (lit.: goes on the wall)."

Related words:
pavučina - spider web
pavúkovitý - spider-like

časopis

Pronounced: chas-oh-pees


A periodical magazine or comic.
Important things to know about it: masculine, follows the noun pattern of 'dub'.
Examples:
"Aký časopis čitaš?" - "What type of magazine are you reading?"

Related words:
časopisy - journalistic

Podoba

Pronounced: Poh-doh-buh

It is the resemblance, or appearance of something.

Important things to know about it: feminine, follows the noun pattern of žena.

Examples:
"Podobní sú ako vajce vajcu." - "They're like two peas in a pod (lit. They're like eggs)."
"Podobný prípad sa stal aj včera." - "A similar thing happened yesterday."
(Stat' sa - to happen/to occur)

Related words:
podobat' - to resemble
pod'obaný - pock-marked

Trápny

2 today, because I missed Thursday. :P

Pronounced: tr-arp-nee

Translates as 'silly'.

Important things to know about it: adjective, follows adjectival pattern of pekný.

Example:
"Tento priklad je trápny." - "This example is silly."
"Musíme vyplnit' toto trápne ticho. Rýchlo." - "We must fill this awkward silence. Quickly."

Related words:
strápnit' - to make a fool of someone

Vojna

Pronounced: voy-na

Means 'war'.

Important things to know about it: feminine, follows the noun pattern of žena.

Example: 
"Vo vojne a v láske je dovolené všetko." - "Anything goes in war and love."
Related words:
vojna proti - war against
vojsko - army
vojnový - adjective

Naháňačka

Pronounced: Na-har-nyach-ka

Naháňačka is a kids hunting game, like 'tag'.

Important things to know about it: Feminine, follows the noun pattern of žena.

Example:
"Chod' do zahrady hrat' naháňačku." - "Go to the garden to play tag."

Related words:
naháňat' sa - to pursue

Víťaz

Pronounced: vee-tya-zh

First Slovak word of the day is "víťaz". It means winner/champion.

Important things to know about it: Masculine, animate, follows the noun pattern of 'chlap'.

Example:
"Víťaz je len jeden." - "There is just one winner."

Related words:
víťazka - feminine form
vit'azi - plural form
vit'azny - adjectival form
víťazoslávny - triumphant
víťazstvo - conquest