dokonca / ba
Even: Dokonca and Ba
Dokonca means even and goes before the surprising word, usually with aj: dokonca aj minister. Ba links a stronger item to a weaker one: teplo, ba až horúco.
How It Works
dokonca: even
Dokonca points to the most surprising or extreme case. It usually comes with aj just before the highlighted word:
- Prišiel dokonca aj minister. (Even the minister came.)
- Dokonca si pamätal moje meno. (He even remembered my name.)
In a negative sentence use dokonca ani, and the verb keeps its ne-: Dokonca ani mama o tom nevedela. (Not even Mom knew about it.)
ba: even, indeed
As a conjunction, ba follows a first item and adds a stronger one, usually after a comma:
- ba až: Bolo teplo, ba až horúco. (It was warm, even hot.)
- ba aj: Pozvali priateľov, ba aj susedov. (They invited friends and even the neighbours.)
- ba priam, ba dokonca: Bol unavený, ba priam vyčerpaný. (He was tired, in fact exhausted.)
- ba čo viac: what is more. It can also open a new sentence that builds on the one before.
Register. Dokonca is common in speech and writing. Ba sounds more written and rhetorical; in conversation people usually say dokonca or až. For the stronger literary let alone, see nieto and tobôž.
Examples (6)
- Na otvorenie prišiel dokonca aj minister.
Even the minister came to the opening.
Word by Word: To opening came even also minister.
- Bolo teplo, ba až horúco.
It was warm, even hot.
Word by Word: Was warm, even up-to hot.
- Dokonca si pamätal moje meno.
He even remembered my name.
Word by Word: Even self he-remembered my name.
- Dokonca ani mama o tom nevedela.
Not even Mom knew about it.
Word by Word: Even not-even mom about it not-knew.
In a negative sentence dokonca pairs with ani.
- Hovorí piatimi jazykmi, dokonca aj po japonsky.
She speaks five languages, even Japanese.
Word by Word: She-speaks five languages, even also in Japanese.
- Bol unavený, ba priam vyčerpaný.
He was tired, in fact exhausted.
Word by Word: He-was tired, even downright exhausted.
Common Mistakes
Using dokonca aj in a negative sentence.
Dokonca aj brat mi nezavolal.Dokonca ani brat mi nezavolal.With a negative verb, Slovak uses ani for even or either. So the pair becomes dokonca ani, and the verb keeps ne-.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Even: dokonca and ba, learn Also, Too and Not Even. dokonca and ba add an extreme case, like aj.
Related Patterns
- nieto / tobôžLet Alone
A literary step further: let alone.
Level 6 - nielen ... ale ajNot Only ... but Also
Another way to add a second, often more surprising, item.
Level 4 - až keď / ažNot Until: Až
Besides its time meaning, až marks a high point on a scale, as in ba až horúco.
Level 4 - nikto / nič / nikdyNobody, Nothing and Never
Dokonca ani follows the same double-negative rule.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice dokonca / ba in Bubblegum
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