byť

Present Tense of Byť

Level 1

som I am, si you are, je he / she / it is, sme we are, ste you are, sú they are.

How It Works

The forms:

  • (ja) som: I am
  • (ty) si: you are
  • (on, ona, ono) je: he, she, it is
  • (my) sme: we are
  • (vy) ste: you are (plural or polite)
  • (oni, ony) sú: they are

The pronouns are in brackets because they are usually dropped (see osobné zámená v nominatíve). Remember the long ú in sú.

What byť does:

  • names or identifies: Peter je lekár. See also to je / to sú.
  • describes, with an adjective that matches the subject: Sme unavení.
  • gives a place: Si doma? For "there is / there are", see existenčné je / sú.
  • gives an origin with z: Som z Nitry. See z / zo + genitív.

Unlike some languages, Slovak does not drop byť in the present: On je doma, never On doma.

The negative is written as two words: nie som, nie je; see nie som / nie je. The future is budem, budeš ….

Examples (6)

  1. Som z Nitry.

    I'm from Nitra.

    Som already means "I am", so ja is left out.

  2. Si doma?

    Are you at home?

    A question with the same word order as a statement.

  3. Peter je lekár.

    Peter is a doctor.

    Byť links a person to a job; there is no word for "a".

  4. Sme unavení.

    We're tired.

    The adjective is plural to match my.

  5. Ste pripravení?

    Are you ready?

    Ste with the plural pripravení asks several people. To one person you address politely, the adjective stays singular: Ste pripravený? (a man) or Ste pripravená? (a woman).

  6. Sú tu.

    They're here.

    Sú is the "they" form.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out byť, as some other languages do.

    On doma.
    On je doma.

    Slovak always needs the verb byť here. You can drop on, but not je: Je doma.

  • Using je with a plural subject.

    Oni je tu.
    Oni sú tu.

    Je is only for one person or thing. For "they", the form is sú.

How It Connects

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

byťLevel 1Present Tense of Byť

Learn This First

Before Present Tense of byť, learn Subject Pronouns. Each form of byť goes with a subject: ja som, ty si, on je.

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