Present Active Participles
The present active participle turns a verb into an -ing adjective: pracujúci ľudia (working people), spiace dieťa (a sleeping child), rastúce ceny (rising prices).
How It Works
An -ing adjective. This participle describes a person or thing doing something at the same time: chlapec stojaci pri dverách (the boy standing by the door).
How to form it. Start from the third-person plural of an imperfective verb:
- -ú / -ujú → -úci: idú → idúci, rastú → rastúci, pracujú → pracujúci
- after a long syllable, -uci: píšu → píšuci (see the rhythmic law)
- -ia → -iaci: robia → robiaci, spia → spiaci, hovoria → hovoriaci
- after j, -aci: stoja → stojaci
Endings. It declines like cudzí, but the endings are always short: pracujúci, pracujúceho, pracujúcemu; spiace dieťa, rastúce ceny.
Imperfective verbs only. The action is happening at the same time, so the verb is imperfective: píšuci, not a form from napísať.
Formal style. These participles are common in writing and announcements. In conversation, a ktorý clause is more natural: ľudia, ktorí pracujú.
Everyday words. Many participles have become ordinary adjectives or nouns: vedúci (manager), cestujúci (passenger), nasledujúci (following), vynikajúci (excellent). See adjectives used as nouns.
Examples (6)
- Pracujúci ľudia nemajú veľa času.
Working people don't have much time.
Word by Word: Working people not-have much time.
- Nezobuďte spiace dieťa.
Don't wake the sleeping child.
Word by Word: Not-wake sleeping child.
Spiace agrees with the neuter dieťa.
- Rastúce ceny trápia všetkých.
Rising prices worry everyone.
Word by Word: Rising prices trouble all.
- Chlapec stojaci pri dverách je môj brat.
The boy standing by the door is my brother.
Word by Word: Boy standing by door is my brother.
After j, the suffix is -aci.
- Vážení cestujúci, vlak mešká desať minút.
Dear passengers, the train is ten minutes late.
Word by Word: Respected travelling(ones), train is-late ten minutes.
Cestujúci is now an everyday noun.
- Náš vedúci je na dovolenke.
Our manager is on holiday.
Word by Word: Our leading(one) is on holiday.
Common Mistakes
Making the final -i long.
Pracujúcí ľudia nemajú čas.Pracujúci ľudia nemajú čas.The endings of this participle are always short: pracujúci, pracujúceho, pracujúcemu.
Keeping -úci long after a long syllable.
Vidím píšúceho chlapca.Vidím píšuceho chlapca.Pí- is long, so the rhythmic law shortens the suffix to -uci: píšuci, píšuceho.
Forming it from a perfective verb.
Chlapec napíšuci list je môj brat.Chlapec píšuci list je môj brat.This participle comes only from imperfective verbs, because the action is happening at the same time. For a finished action, use a ktorý clause: chlapec, ktorý napísal list.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Present Active Participles, learn Soft Adjectives Like cudzí. -úci participles decline like soft adjectives.
Related Patterns
- Relative Pronoun ktorý
A ktorý clause is the everyday alternative.
Level 3 - Passive Participles
The passive partner: píšuci means writing, písaný means written.
Level 4 - The Transgressive
Formed from the same stem (píšuc), for actions happening alongside the main verb.
Level 5 - Adjectives as Nouns: vedúci, známyAdjectives Used as Nouns
Many of these participles are now nouns: vedúci, cestujúci.
Level 5 - The Rhythmic Law
Explains the short -uci in píšuci.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Present Active Participles in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Slovak lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
