Irregular Past Forms
Most verbs form the l-form from the infinitive, but some common ones do not: byť → bol, ísť → išiel or šiel, môcť → mohol, jesť → jedol, niesť → niesol.
How It Works
| Infinitive | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| byť | bol | bola | boli |
| ísť | išiel / šiel | išla / šla | išli / šli |
| môcť | mohol | mohla | mohli |
| jesť | jedol | jedla | jedli |
| niesť | niesol | niesla | niesli |
| zabudnúť | zabudol | zabudla | zabudli |
The -ol pattern. The o appears only in the masculine singular. The same pattern appears in piecť → piekol, piekla and rásť → rástol, rástla. Verbs in -núť after a consonant drop -nú-: zabudnúť → zabudol.
Ísť. Both išiel and šiel are standard. Verbs formed from ísť with a prefix have one fixed form each: prísť → prišiel, odísť → odišiel, nájsť → našiel, vyjsť → vyšiel.
Other forms to learn. Many verbs in -ieť drop the i: chcieť → chcel, vedieť → vedel. Mieť becomes mal, and vziať becomes vzal.
These forms follow the usual endings in past forms by gender and number and combine with som and si as in the past tense.
Examples (6)
- Včera som bol v kine.
Yesterday I was at the cinema.
Word by Word: Yesterday I-am was in cinema.
Byť becomes bol.
- Išiel som domov pešo.
I walked home.
Word by Word: Went I-am home on-foot.
Šiel som domov pešo is also standard.
- Nemohol som prísť.
I couldn't come.
Word by Word: Not-could I-am to-come.
Môcť becomes mohol in the masculine.
- Na obed som jedla polievku.
I had soup for lunch.
Word by Word: For lunch I-am ate soup.
A female speaker: jedla has no o.
- Niesol ťažkú tašku.
He was carrying a heavy bag.
Word by Word: Carried heavy bag.
- Zabudol som kľúče.
I forgot my keys.
Word by Word: Forgot I-am keys.
Zabudnúť drops -nú-.
Common Mistakes
Using a Czech-style masculine form without -o-.
Mohl som prísť.Mohol som prísť.In Slovak, the masculine singular of môcť is mohol.
Using the same -o- in the feminine or plural.
Deti jedoli rýchlo.Deti jedli rýchlo.The -o- belongs only to the masculine singular jedol. The other forms are jedla, jedlo and jedli.
Building the past of ísť from the infinitive.
Ísol som domov.Išiel som domov.Ísť has its own past stem: išiel or šiel, išla or šla.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Irregular Past Forms, learn Past Forms by Gender and Number. Irregular past forms still change for gender and number.
Related Patterns
- The Past Tense
These forms are used in the ordinary past tense.
Level 2 - ísťGoing with Ísť
Compare the present idem with the past išiel.
Level 1 - jesťPresent Tense of Jesť
Compare the present jem with the past jedol.
Level 1 - môcť / musieť + InfinitiveCan and Must
Mohol som and musel som are common past modal forms.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Irregular Past Forms in Bubblegum
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