Declension of nouns

Slovak nouns follow several different declension patterns. Each gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) has its own patterns of declension, represented by model nouns. In order to use Slovak nouns correctly, we need to know both the gender of the noun, and also the declension pattern that it follows.

Example: The noun mama is declined according to the model of žena.

Also: babka, vnučka, dcéra, rodina, priateľka...

The noun chlapec is declined according to the model of chlap.

^*for easier pronunciation: -ami, not *chlapcmi

Also: vnuk, dedko, otec, syn, priateľ, študent, muž...

Noun declensions

Masculine

Hint:

^*Living nouns are nouns that designate people (muž, žena, Peter, žiak, dievča...) or animals (pes, vlk, vták, medveď, líška...)
^**non-living nouns are all nouns other than living nouns (dom, počítač, obed, auto, počasie, kniha...)

Living masculine nouns are declined in the singular according to the model of chlap, and in the plural according to the model of dub (if the noun ends in a hard or bilabial consonant), or according to the model of stroj (if the noun ends in a soft consonant).

Model chlap

The following nouns are declined like chlap:

• living masculine nouns ending in a consonant or -o: chlapec, otec, syn, dedo, Jano, pes, vnuk, spolužiak
• only in singular form - animal nouns: pes, vlk, vták, lev, medveď, kôň

Note: Words in the nominative plural can also end with -ovia (synovia, otcovia, dedovia...) and -ia (učitelia, bratia...).

Model hrdina

The following nouns are declined like hrdina:

• (Living) masculine nouns ending in -a: sudca, sluha, hokejista, huslista

Note: Words ending in –ista have the ending -i (huslisti, hokejisti...) in the nominative plural.

Model dub

The following nouns are declined like dub:

• (non-living) masculine substantives ending with a hard or bilabial consonant: potok, dom, strom, obraz, autobus, trolejbus, pondelok, utorok, štvrtok, piatok
• only in plural form — animal nouns ending with a hard or bilabial consonant: slon, had, vlk, lev

Model stroj

The following nouns are declined like stroj:

• (non-living) masculine nouns ending in a soft consonant: kôš, oheň, nôž, čaj, počítač, dážď, máj, kameň
• only in plural form — animal nouns that end in a soft consonant: medveď, kôň, mravec

Model kuli

The following nouns are declined like kuli:

• masculine nouns that are foreign loanwords, masculine names and surnames ending with the vowels i, y, í, e, é, ä, ű, ö, ő: pony, grizly, abbé, Škultéty, Goethe, Krčméry, Nietsche

Feminine

Hint:

Model žena

The following nouns are declined like žena:

• feminine nouns ending in -a. The -a ending is preceded by a hard or bilabial consonant.: mama, dcéra, vnučka, rodina, kniha, cesta, voda, ruka, noha, hlava, streda, sobota

Note: When we add no ending in the genitive plural, the root is elongated.
mama - mám
kniha - kníh
ruka - rúk
noha - nôh

Model ulica

The following nouns are declined like ulica:

• Feminine nouns ending in -a. The vowel -a is preceded by a soft consonant.: práca, stanica, schôdza, tabuľa, ruža, cibuľa, vaňa, fľaša, nedeľa, chvíľa

Note: When we add no ending in the genitive plural, the root is elongated.
stanica - staníc
tabuľa - tabúľ
fľaša - fliaš
chvíľa - chvíľ

Model dlaň

The following nouns are declined like dlaň:

• Feminine nouns ending with a consonant. In the nominative plural, they end in -e (dlane).: pieseň, loď, báseň, reportáž, posteľ, predpoveď

Model kosť

The following nouns are declined like kosť:

• feminine nouns ending ina consonant. In the nominative plural, they end in -i (kosti).: vec, noc, step, pomoc, zmes, radosť, krv

Model gazdiná

The following nouns are declined like gazdiná:

• feminine nouns – only a few words that always designate people, mostly from the feudal period.: princezná, kráľovná, cisárovná, šľachtičná, stryná

Model idea

The conjugation pattern of idea is sometimes used. The following nouns are declined like idea:

• Feminine nouns that are foreign loanwords ending in -ea, -oa, and -ua: orchidea, Andrea, aloa, Nikaragua, Ikea

The words mať (mother) and pani (Mrs.) have their own declensions.

Note: The noun pani is declined only when it stands alone. When combined with a proper noun it is not declined.

Examples:
to je pani Malá
ideme od pani Malej
ideme k pani Malej
vidím pani Malú
etc.

Neuter

Hint:

Model mesto

The following words are declined according to the model of mesto:

• Neuter nouns ending in -o: auto, koleso, jablko, Slovensko, kakao, drevo, dielo, vedro, oko, ucho, brucho, mydlo
• Foreign loanwords ending in -on or -um: epiteton, múzeum

Model srdce

The following words are declined according to the model of srdce:

• Neuter substantives ending in -e: vajce, more, nástupište, pole

Model vysvedčenie

The following nouns are declined like vysvedčenie:

• Neuter nouns ending in -ie: lístie, stretnutie, zahraničie, námestie, umenie

Note: The suffixes are always long, the rhythmic rule is not observed.

Model dievča

The following nouns are declined like dievča:

• Neuter nouns ending in -a or -ä: dieťa, zviera, páža, knieža, mláďa, kura, žriebä

Note: The word dieťa has the following forms in the plural: deti, detí, deťom, deti, o deťoch, s deťmi.