Episode Details

Today's episode is about after school activities in socialist Slovakia. In the Slovak lesson, you will learn a few sentence connectors so you can sound more sophisticated speaking in Slovak. You will also learn how to say “Come out!” and “I'm coming.” in Slovak.

Episode notes

In today's episode, I’m talking about after school activities in socialist Slovakia. In the Slovak lesson, you will learn a few sentence connectors so you can sound more sophisticated. You will also learn how to say “Come out!” and “I'm coming.” in Slovak.

Slovak lesson

1. Expressing Contrast & Contradiction

Instead of using ale (but), try these to show a nuanced counter-argument:

• Avšak – However / Yet E.g.: Tento plán má svoje výhody, avšak riziká sú vysoké. (This plan has its advantages, but the risks are high.)
• Napriek tomu – In spite of that / Nonetheless
• Na druhej strane – On the other hand
• Hoci / Hocičo – Although / Even though
• Zatiaľ čo – While / Whereas (great for direct comparisons)

2. Showing Cause & Result

Instead of lebo or pretože (because), use these to establish formal cause-and-effect:

• V dôsledku toho – As a result of this / Consequently
• Z tohto dôvodu – For this reason
• Tým pádom – Consequently / Thereby (slightly more spoken, but highly effective)
• Vzhľadom na – Given that / Considering (requires a noun phrase)
• Preto – Therefore

3. Adding Information & Structuring Arguments

Instead of just repeating a (and) or tiež (also), use these to build a structured point:

• Okrem toho – Furthermore / Besides that
• Navyše – Moreover / In addition
• V prvom rade – In the first place / First and foremost
• Čo sa týka... – As far as ... is concerned / Regarding...
• Zároveň – At the same time / Simultaneously

10 Slovak sentences:

1. Avšak (However)

• Tento víkend sme chceli ísť stanovať do Tatier, avšak predpoveď počasia nám úplne prekazila plány.
   (We wanted to go camping in the Tatras this weekend; however, the weather forecast completely ruined our plans.)

2. Napriek tomu (In spite of that / Nevertheless)

• Môj brat bol po celom dni v práci unavený, napriek tomu s nami išiel večer do kina.
   (My brother was tired after a whole day at work; nevertheless, he came to the cinema with us in the evening.)

3. Na druhej strane (On the other hand)

• Dovolenka pri mori je skvelý relax, na druhej strane ma však láka aj turistika na horách.
  (A vacation by the sea is a great way to relax; on the other hand, hiking in the mountains also tempts me in the summer.)

4. Hoci (Although)

• Hoci sme sa s kamarátmi zo strednej školy nevideli roky, hneď sme si mali čo povedať.
   (Although I hadn't seen my high school friends for years, we immediately had plenty to talk about.)

5. Zatiaľ čo (While / Whereas)

• Moja sestra miluje varenie nových receptov, zatiaľ čo ja radšej upečiem nejaký koláč.
   (My sister loves cooking new recipes, while I prefer to bake a cake.)

6. Okrem toho (Furthermore / Besides that)

• Kúpili sme rodičom lístky na concert a okrem toho sme im zarezervovali aj peknú večeru v reštaurácii.
   (We bought our parents concert tickets; furthermore, we also booked them a nice dinner at a restaurant.)

7. Navyše (Moreover / In addition)

• V nedeľu sme upiekli skvelý domáci chlieb, navyše nám starká priniesla čerstvý med zo záhrady.
   (On Sunday we baked a great homemade bread; moreover, grandma brought us fresh honey from the garden.)

8. V prvom rade (In the first place / First and foremost)

• Keď plánujeme rodinnú oslavu, musíme v prvom rade vybrať dátum, kt