-te / -me

Commands with -te and -me

Level 2

Start from the singular command: sadni si → Sadnite si (Sit down, to several people or politely). poď → Poďme! (Let's go!)

How It Works

How to form them

Add -te or -me to the singular command. See Commands to One Person.

  • rob → robte (do), robme (let's do)
  • čítaj → čítajte, čítajme (read, let's read)
  • počkaj → počkajte, počkajme (wait, let's wait)
  • buď → buďte, buďme (be, let's be)
  • poď → poďte, poďme (come, let's go)
  • jedz → jedzte, jedzme (eat, let's eat)

If the singular ends in -i, keep the i and add the ending: pozri → pozrite, pozrime; sadni si → sadnite si.

The -te form: speaking to vy

  • To a group: Deti, umyte si ruky. (Children, wash your hands.)
  • Politely to one person: Pán Kováč, počkajte chvíľu, prosím. (Mr Kováč, please wait a moment.)

Use it with anyone you address as vy, see Informal ty and Polite vy. A very common polite phrase is Poďte ďalej. (Come in.)

The -me form: let's

The -me form includes you and the people you speak to: Poďme do kina! (Let's go to the cinema!) To wish something for a third person, Slovak uses nech instead, see Let Him or Her: nech.

Little words such as si, sa and mi follow the command: Sadnite si. Pozrime sa. (Let's have a look.)

Examples (6)

  1. Poďte ďalej, prosím.

    Come in, please.

    Word by Word: Come further, please.

    A polite invitation, to one person or to several.

  2. Sadnite si.

    Sit down.

    Sadni si + -te. Si still follows the verb.

  3. Poďme do kina!

    Let's go to the cinema!

    Poď + -me means let's go.

  4. Deti, umyte si ruky.

    Children, wash your hands.

    The -te form for a group.

  5. Pán Kováč, počkajte chvíľu, prosím.

    Mr Kováč, please wait a moment.

    The -te form for one person addressed politely as vy.

  6. Pozrime sa na mapu.

    Let's have a look at the map.

    Pozri ends in -i, so the i stays: pozrime.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the -i of the singular command before -te.

    Pozrte!
    Pozrite!

    When the singular command ends in -i, the i stays: pozri → pozrite, sadni si → sadnite si.

  • Using the ty command for someone you mean to address politely.

    Pani Nováková, sadni si.
    Pani Nováková, sadnite si.

    Sadni si is the ty form, which sounds too familiar for someone you call Pani Nováková. For polite vy, use the -te form, even to one person.

How It Connects

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

-te / -meLevel 2Commands with -te and -me

Learn This First

Before Commands With -te and -me, learn Commands to One Person and Informal ty and Polite vy. -te and -me are added to the singular command form. -te is used for vy, several people or one person addressed politely.