Basic Word Order

Level 1

Neutral: Peter číta knihu. (Peter is reading a book.) Moved: Knihu číta Peter. (It's Peter who is reading the book.)

How It Works

Neutral order

With no special emphasis, the order is usually subject, verb, object: Peter číta knihu.

Endings show the roles

Peter is in the The Nominative Case for Subjects, and knihu is in the The Accusative Case for Objects. The meaning stays the same even if you move them:

  • Peter číta knihu. Peter is reading a book. (What is he reading? A book.)
  • Knihu číta Peter. The book, Peter is reading it. (Who is reading? Peter.)

Compare Tomáša vidí Jana: Tomáša is an object form, so this means Jana sees Tomáš.

New information goes last

Start with what you both already know, and end with what is new: Zajtra idem do Bratislavy. (Tomorrow I'm going to Bratislava.)

Fixed places

  • Question words come first: Kde bývaš? (Where do you live?)
  • Adjectives come before their noun: nové auto (a new car).
  • Short unstressed words like sa, si, som, ho, mi come second in the sentence and never first: Volám sa Jana. See Unstressed Words in Second Position.

More on this in Word Order and New Information.

Examples (6)

  1. Peter číta knihu.

    Peter is reading a book.

    Word by Word: Peter reads book.

    Neutral order: subject, verb, object.

  2. Knihu číta Peter.

    It's Peter who is reading the book.

    Word by Word: Book reads Peter.

    Peter is new information, so it goes last.

  3. Volám sa Jana.

    My name is Jana.

    Word by Word: I-call myself Jana.

    Sa must come second.

  4. Zajtra idem do Bratislavy.

    Tomorrow I'm going to Bratislava.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow I-go to Bratislava.

  5. Kde bývaš?

    Where do you live?

    Word by Word: Where you-live?

    The question word comes first.

  6. Kávu mám rád, ale čaj nie.

    Coffee I like, but not tea.

    Word by Word: Coffee I-have glad, but tea not.

    Starting with the object sets up a contrast.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting a sentence with sa.

    Sa volám Jana.
    Volám sa Jana.

    Short words like sa can never be first. They go in second position.

  • Putting sa after the verb when a pronoun comes first.

    Ja volám sa Jana.
    Ja sa volám Jana.

    Sa goes right after the first word or phrase of the sentence. Here that is ja.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Basic Word OrderLevel 1

Learn This First

Before Basic Word Order, learn The Accusative Case for Objects. Basic word order is built from a subject, a verb and an accusative object.