Polite request

There are several forms that can be used to express a request in Slovak:

  • Otvorte okno!
  • Otvorte okno, prosím.
  • Prosím vás, otvorte okno.
  • Otvorili by ste, prosím, okno?
  • Neotvorili by ste, prosím, okno?
  • Mohli by ste, prosím, otvoriť okno?
  • Nemohli by ste, prosím, otvoriť okno?

The least polite is the first sentence, which uses the imperative. The conditional mood (often in combination with modal verbs) is used for more polite requests.

Požičal by si mi na chvíľu pero? Would you lend me a pen, please?
Mohli by ste byť tichšie? Could you be quieter?