Foreign and Not Foreign. On the Close Relationship of Slovak and Czech Languages
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Slovak and Czech languages have a special relationship. Although they are two distinctive languages, they are considered to be mutually intelligible. This implies that Slovaks and Czechs can understand each other when conversing in their respective languages. For example, if you are a Czech student in Slovakia or a Slovak student in the Czech Republic, you can use your native language throughout your studies, including during entrance exams.
Slovak and Czech belong to the West Slavic group of Indo-European languages. Their close relationship is characterized not only by genetic and typological similarities but, more importantly, by shared historical, cultural, and geographical aspects. The closeness of the two languages was most pronounced and supported during the common state of Czechs and Slovaks—Czechoslovakia (1918-1992). The nationwide media were bilingual, and there were extensive social, work-related, and cultural contacts between Slovak and Czech speakers.
The situation changed after the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The contacts became less intense. It might seem that the languages are growing apart. This is particularly evident in the younger generations of Slovaks and Czechs. However, the close affinity between the languages persists so the communication barriers can be easily overcome. Slovaks have been more exposed to the Czech language than vice versa. Many Slovaks grew up in daily passive contact with Czech through television broadcasts or literature. Czech has often served as the supplementary language alongside the Slovak mother tongue. Conversely, in the Czech environment, Slovak has not been that present in the media. However, there's an increase in direct language interactions as thousands of Slovak students and people working in various fields reside in the Czech Republic.
Differences between Slovak and Czech language
The similarities in grammatical structure and closely related vocabulary between Slovak and Czech result from their shared origin and centuries of direct contact. However, notable differences can be observed with some letters and sounds.
Distinctive Czech letters and sounds:
ř, ou, ů, ě
Distinctive Slovak letters and sounds:
ä, ia, ie, iu, ô, ľ, ĺ, ŕ, dz, dž
Let’s have a look at some examples:
Slovak: Mám sa dobre
Czech: Mám se dobře
English: I'm fine
Slovak: Trpieť
Czech: Trpět
English: Suffer
Slovak: Môj dom
Czech: Můj dům
English: My house
Slovak: Smiať sa
Czech: Smát se
English: (To) laugh
There are also words that sound totally different in each language. For example:
Slovak: Raňajky
Czech: Snídaně
English: Breakfast
Slovak: Cencúľ
Czech: Rampouch
English: Icicle
Slovak: Čučoriedka
Czech: Borůvka
English: Blueberry
Slovak: Vankúš
Czech: Polštář
English: Pillow
And then there are words that sound the same but the meaning is completely different:
Czech: Chudý člověk = poor person
Slovak: Chudý človek = skinny person
Czech: Syrový = raw, uncooked
Slovak: Syrový = cheese (adj.)
Czech: Vedro = hot weather
Slovak: Vedro = bucket
While Slovakia and the Czech Republic no longer share a common state, numerous connections persist between the two countries. One notable aspect is the enduring closeness of their languages, as demonstrated by the examples above, which can sometimes lead to amusing situations.
Would you like more examples of Slovak words alongside their Czech equivalents? Test your language distinction skills with our small quiz.
Andrea, OLS Community Manager – Slovak
