čo sa týka / pokiaľ ide o
As for
Start with čo sa týka (+ genitive) or pokiaľ ide o (+ accusative) to name the topic, add a comma, then say what you want about it: Čo sa týka ceny, ... / Pokiaľ ide o cenu, ...
How It Works
Naming the topic. Both phrases put a topic at the front of the sentence, often to move to a new point or to contrast two points: Čo sa týka jedla, bolo výborné. Pokiaľ ide o obsluhu, tá bola pomalá. (As for the food, it was excellent. As for the service, it was slow.) Starting with the known topic and ending with the new information is typical Slovak word order.
čo sa týka + genitive. The phrase comes from týkať sa (to concern), which takes the genitive: čo sa týka ceny, čo sa týka dopravy. The noun can also stand inside the phrase: čo sa ceny týka. With personal pronouns this is the usual order: čo sa mňa týka, čo sa teba týka. The Slovak form is always týka; týče is Czech.
pokiaľ ide o + accusative. The phrase comes from ísť o (to be about), as in Ide o peniaze. (It is about money.) So the noun or pronoun is accusative: pokiaľ ide o cenu, pokiaľ ide o mňa. This o is not the o of hovoriť o (talk about), which takes the locative (see o, po and pri with the locative).
Punctuation and style. Each phrase contains a verb, so it forms its own clause and is separated by a comma. Both are neutral to formal and very common in discussions, interviews and letters.
Examples (5)
- Čo sa týka ceny, určite sa dohodneme.
As for the price, I'm sure we'll come to an agreement.
Word by Word: What itself concerns of-price, surely we-will-agree.
Ceny is genitive.
- Čo sa mňa týka, môžeme začať hneď.
As far as I'm concerned, we can start right away.
Word by Word: What itself me concerns, we-can start immediately.
- Pokiaľ ide o termín, ešte vám dáme vedieť.
As for the date, we'll let you know.
Word by Word: As-far-as goes about date, still to-you we-will-give to-know.
Termín is accusative.
- Pokiaľ ide o dopravu, najlepšie je ísť vlakom.
As far as transport goes, it's best to go by train.
Word by Word: As-far-as goes about transport, best is to-go by-train.
- S hotelom sme boli spokojní, čo sa týka čistoty aj polohy.
We were happy with the hotel in terms of both cleanliness and location.
Word by Word: With hotel we-were satisfied, what itself concerns of-cleanliness also of-location.
Common Mistakes
Using the Czech form týče.
Čo sa týče ceny, dohodneme sa.Čo sa týka ceny, dohodneme sa.The Slovak verb is týkať sa, so the form is týka. Týče comes from Czech.
Using the accusative after čo sa týka.
Čo sa týka cenu, dohodneme sa.Čo sa týka ceny, dohodneme sa.Týkať sa takes the genitive: cena → ceny.
Using the locative after pokiaľ ide o.
Pokiaľ ide o cene, dohodneme sa.Pokiaľ ide o cenu, dohodneme sa.Ísť o takes the accusative: ide o cenu. The locative cene belongs after o meaning about, as in hovoriť o cene.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before As For, learn Verbs With the Genitive and As Long As: pokiaľ. čo sa týka takes the genitive, like týkať sa. pokiaľ ide o builds on pokiaľ.
Related Patterns
- Word Order and New Information
These phrases move the topic to the front, before the new information.
Level 4 - o / po / pri + LocativeAbout, After and Near: O, Po and Pri
O meaning about takes the locative; the o in pokiaľ ide o takes the accusative.
Level 2 - Object Pronouns
Pokiaľ ide o mňa, o teba, o neho uses accusative pronouns.
Level 2 - vzhľadom na / v súvislosti sWith Regard to and in Connection with
Other formal phrases that relate a statement to a topic or circumstance.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice čo sa týka / pokiaľ ide o in Bubblegum
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