-krát

Once, Twice and Three Times

Level 2

To say how many times, add -krát to the number: dvakrát (twice), trikrát (three times), desaťkrát (ten times). Once is raz, and Koľkokrát? asks how many times.

How It Works

Forming it. Add -krát to a counting number: dvakrát, trikrát, štyrikrát, päťkrát, desaťkrát, stokrát. It also joins words of quantity: veľakrát or mnohokrát (many times), niekoľkokrát (several times), koľkokrát? (how many times?). For once, the everyday word is raz; jedenkrát also exists.

Spelling. Words with -krát are written as one word: dvakrát, not dva krát. You can also count with the noun raz, which is written separately: dva razy, tri razy, päť ráz. Only in arithmetic is krát a separate word: štyri krát šesť (four times six).

How often. Add a time word: raz týždenne (once a week), trikrát denne (three times a day), dvakrát do mesiaca (twice a month), raz do roka (once a year). A bare accusative such as každý deň also says how often; see how long and how often.

First and last time. Ordinals take -krát too: prvýkrát (for the first time), druhýkrát (for the second time). The adjective posledný works the same way: poslednýkrát (for the last time). The two-word forms prvý raz and posledný raz mean the same.

Times bigger. With a comparative, -krát multiplies: dvakrát väčší (twice as big), trikrát lacnejší (three times cheaper).

Examples (6)

  1. Cvičím raz týždenne.

    I work out once a week.

    Word by Word: I-exercise once weekly.

  2. Volal som ti dvakrát.

    I called you twice.

    Word by Word: Called I-am to-you twice.

  3. Tieto tabletky berte trikrát denne.

    Take these pills three times a day.

    Word by Word: These pills take three-times daily.

  4. Koľkokrát si bol na Slovensku?

    How many times have you been to Slovakia?

    Word by Word: How-many-times you-are been on Slovakia?

  5. Som tu prvýkrát.

    I'm here for the first time.

    Word by Word: I-am here first-time.

  6. Nový byt je dvakrát väčší.

    The new flat is twice as big.

    Word by Word: New flat is twice bigger.

    With a comparative, -krát says how many times bigger or smaller.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing -krát as a separate word.

    Bol som tam dva krát.
    Bol som tam dvakrát.

    Words with -krát are written together. Krát stands alone only in arithmetic, as in dva krát dva.

  • Using a bare noun for a frequency, as in English twice a week.

    Cvičím dvakrát týždeň.
    Cvičím dvakrát týždenne.

    Slovak needs an adverb such as týždenne or a phrase such as do týždňa; týždeň alone does not say how often.

  • Translating the first time word for word.

    Som tu prvý čas.
    Som tu prvýkrát.

    Čas means time as a period or the clock, not an occasion. For the first time, say prvýkrát or prvý raz.

How It Connects

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

-krátLevel 2Once, Twice and Three Times

Learn This First

Before Once, Twice and Three Times, learn Counting Numbers. -krát is added to counting numbers.

Words in This Pattern

-krátdvakráttrikrát