Passive Participles
The passive participle is the Slovak form for written, closed or washed. Most verbs add -ný (napísaný, zatvorený), and a smaller group adds -tý (umytý, zabudnutý).
How It Works
What it is. A passive participle describes something that an action has been done to. It works like an adjective: zatvorené dvere (a closed door), umytý tanier (a washed plate).
Endings in -ný. Most verbs take -ný:
- verbs in -ať → -aný: napísať → napísaný, predať → predaný, pozvať → pozvaný
- verbs in -iť and -ieť → -ený: zatvoriť → zatvorený, uvariť → uvarený, kúpiť → kúpený, vidieť → videný
- verbs in -ovať → -ovaný: zorganizovať → zorganizovaný
Endings in -tý. A smaller group takes -tý: verbs like umyť → umytý, vypiť → vypitý, ušiť → ušitý, verbs in -núť like zabudnúť → zabudnutý, zamknúť → zamknutý, and začať → začatý, prijať → prijatý.
Adjective endings. The participle declines like pekný in every case: napísaný list, napísaná úloha, napísané slovo. For groups with men, the plural ends in -ní / -tí: pozvaní hostia. Slovak has only these long forms; the short Czech forms like napsán are not Slovak.
Before or after the noun. A single participle goes before the noun: napísaný list. With extra words it usually follows: list napísaný rukou (a letter written by hand).
Both aspects. Perfective participles show a finished result (zatvorené dvere). Imperfective ones describe a kind of thing or a process: vyprážaný syr (fried cheese). The participle is also the base for the passive with byť, for mať + participle and for verbal nouns.
Examples (6)
- Na stole leží napísaný list.
A written letter is lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lies written letter.
- Za zatvorenými dverami niekto spieval.
Somebody was singing behind the closed door.
Word by Word: Behind closed door(pl.) somebody sang.
Dvere is plural-only, so the participle is plural too.
- Daj umytý tanier do skrinky.
Put the washed plate in the cupboard.
Word by Word: Put washed plate into cupboard.
Umyť belongs to the -tý group.
- Pozvaní hostia už čakajú.
The invited guests are already waiting.
Word by Word: Invited guests already wait.
Hostia is a group of people that includes men, so the plural ends in -ní.
- Dám si vyprážaný syr s hranolčekmi.
I'll have fried cheese with fries.
Word by Word: I-will-give myself fried cheese with fries.
- Našli sme zabudnutý dáždnik.
We found a forgotten umbrella.
Word by Word: We-found forgotten umbrella.
Common Mistakes
Using a short Czech-style form.
List je napísán.List je napísaný.Slovak passive participles have only the long adjective form: napísaný, napísaná, napísané.
Not making the participle agree with the noun.
Dvere sú zatvorený.Dvere sú zatvorené.Dvere is a plural noun, so the participle takes the plural ending -é.
Using -ný for a verb from the -tý group.
Daj mi umyný tanier.Daj mi umytý tanier.Umyť forms its participle with -tý: umytý. The same goes for vypitý, zabudnutý and začatý.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Passive Participles, learn Past Forms by Gender and Number and Hard Adjectives Like pekný. Passive participles are formed from stems like the l-form. They decline like hard adjectives.
Related Patterns
- byť + Passive ParticipleThe Passive with Byť
Byť plus this participle forms the passive voice.
Level 4 - mať + Passive ParticipleFinished Results with Mať
Mať plus this participle stresses a finished result you now have.
Level 4 - -nie / -tieVerbal Nouns
Verbal nouns are built from the same stem: písaný → písanie.
Level 4 - Present Active Participles
The active partner: píšuci means writing, písaný means written.
Level 4 - -všíPast Active Participles
The rare past active participle, from the same family of verb adjectives.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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