rád + Verb

Liking to Do Something

Level 1

rád + verb = to like doing something. Rád čítam. (I like reading.) The verb is conjugated, not an infinitive.

How It Works

The pattern

  • (Ja) rád čítam. I (a man) like reading.
  • (Ona) rada varí. She likes cooking.
  • (My) radi cestujeme. We like travelling.
  • (Ony) rady tancujú. They (women) like dancing.

The verb has the same form it would have without rád. Rád just adds the idea of liking it.

Word order

Rád usually comes right before the verb. Little words like sa or ťa take second place in the sentence, so when rád comes first they follow it: Rád sa učím. (I like studying.) Rád ťa vidím. (Nice to see you.) When another word comes first, they follow that word: Ja sa rád učím.

Negation

Put ne- on rád, not on the verb: Nerád vstávam skoro. (I don't like getting up early.) Nerada šoférujem. (I don't like driving, said by a woman.)

Compare

Examples (6)

  1. Rád čítam.

    I like reading.

    Word by Word: Gladly I-read.

    Said by a man.

  2. Rada varí.

    She likes cooking.

    Word by Word: Gladly she-cooks.

  3. Radi cestujeme.

    We like travelling.

    Word by Word: Gladly we-travel.

  4. Nerád vstávam skoro.

    I don't like getting up early.

    Word by Word: Not-gladly I-get-up early.

    Ne- goes on rád, not on the verb.

  5. Rád ťa vidím!

    Nice to see you!

    Word by Word: Gladly you I-see!

    A common greeting. A woman says Rada ťa vidím.

  6. Dievčatá rady tancujú.

    The girls like dancing.

    Word by Word: Girls gladly dance.

    Rady for a group of girls.

Common Mistakes

  • Translating I like to read word for word.

    Mám rád čítať.
    Rád čítam.

    Slovak does not put an infinitive after mať rád. Use rád with the conjugated verb.

  • Using the man's form for a woman.

    Rád varím. (said by a woman)
    Rada varím.

    Rád matches the subject. A woman says rada.

  • Negating the verb instead of rád.

    Rád nevstávam skoro. (meaning: I dislike getting up early)
    Nerád vstávam skoro.

    To say you dislike doing something, put ne- on rád: nerád. Rád nevstávam means you are glad that you don't get up early.

How It Connects

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

rád + VerbLevel 1Liking to Do Something

Learn This First

Before Liking to Do Something, learn Liking With mať rád. rád + verb reuses rád from mať rád, agreeing with the subject.

Words in This Pattern