Locative Singular Endings

Level 2

v meste, na ulici, o bratovi, v parku, v jablku. The locative always follows a preposition.

How It Works

Masculine animate: -ovi

  • o bratovi, o otcovi, o kolegovi, o psovi

Masculine inanimate

  • most hard stems: -e: v obchode (in the shop), na stole (on the table)
  • stem in k, g, h, ch: -u: v parku, vo vlaku, na vrchu (at the top)
  • soft stem: -i: v čaji (in the tea), v stroji (in the machine)
  • some nouns in -r or -l, mostly borrowed: -i: v hoteli

Neuter

  • -o: -e: v meste, v aute
  • stem in k, g, h, ch: -u: v jablku, na Slovensku, v uchu
  • -e: -i: v srdci, na mori
  • -ie: -í: na námestí
  • like dieťa: o dieťati

Feminine

  • hard stem: -e: v škole, na pošte, v Bratislave, v ruke
  • soft stem or consonant: -i: na ulici, v noci

Pronunciation. Before the ending -e, d, t, n and l sound soft in native words: v meste sounds like [v mesťe]. See Soft d, t, n and l Before e and i.

Where it is used. The locative never stands alone. It follows Where: v and na With the Locative and About, After and Near: o, po and pri. The full models are in Neuter Declension Types.

Examples (6)

  1. Bývam v meste.

    I live in town.

  2. Čakám na ulici.

    I'm waiting on the street.

    Soft feminine ulica takes -i.

  3. Hovoríme o bratovi.

    We're talking about my brother.

    Male people take -ovi.

  4. Deti sa hrajú v parku.

    The children are playing in the park.

    park ends in k, so it takes -u.

  5. V jablku je červík.

    There's a worm in the apple.

    Neuter jablko has k in its stem, so it takes -u.

  6. Stretneme sa na námestí.

    Let's meet on the square.

    Neuter nouns in -ie take -í.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -e after k.

    Sme v parke.
    Sme v parku.

    Masculine and neuter nouns whose stem ends in k, g, h or ch take -u in the locative.

  • Using -e for a male person.

    Hovoríme o brate.
    Hovoríme o bratovi.

    Nouns for men and male animals take -ovi in the locative, as in the dative.

  • Using -e for a place name in -sko.

    Bývam na Slovenske.
    Bývam na Slovensku.

    Slovensko is neuter with k in its stem, so the locative is Slovensku.

How It Connects

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

Locative Singular EndingsLevel 2

Learn This First

Before Locative Singular Endings, learn Where: v and na With the Locative. v and na already require the locative; this teaches its endings.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.