mať

Present Tense of Mať

Level 1

Mať follows the regular -ám pattern: mám, máš, má, máme, máte, majú. The thing you have takes the accusative: Mám sestru.

How It Works

Present tense forms:

  • ja mám (I have), ty máš, on, ona, ono má
  • my máme, vy máte, oni, ony majú

Mať is regular. It follows the same pattern as volať: volám, voláš, volá, voláme, voláte, volajú.

The thing you have is a direct object, so it takes the accusative. Feminine nouns change -a to -u, and masculine nouns for people or animals add -a: Mám sestru. (I have a sister.) Máme psa. (We have a dog.) Many other nouns stay the same: Mám auto. (I have a car.)

To say you don't have something, put ne- in front: nemám, nemáš, nemá, nemáme, nemáte, nemajú. The object stays in the accusative: Nemám čas. (I don't have time.)

Slovak uses mať in many everyday phrases where English uses to be: Mám hlad. (I'm hungry.) Mám smäd. (I'm thirsty.) Máš pravdu. (You're right.) You also use it for age: Mám dvadsať rokov. (I'm twenty.)

Mať also appears in Ako sa máš? (How are you?) and in mať rád (to like).

Examples (6)

  1. Mám brata a sestru.

    I have a brother and a sister.

    Brat adds -a and sestra changes to sestru in the accusative.

  2. Máte zajtra čas?

    Do you have time tomorrow?

  3. Nemám auto, chodím pešo.

    I don't have a car, so I walk.

    The negative nemám is written as one word.

  4. Máš hlad?

    Are you hungry?

    Slovak says you have hunger, not that you are hungry.

  5. Moji susedia majú veľkú záhradu.

    My neighbors have a big garden.

  6. Máš pravdu.

    You're right.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving a masculine noun for a person in its dictionary form after mať.

    Mám brat.
    Mám brata.

    Brat is the object, and masculine nouns for people add -a in the accusative.

  • Using the Czech form of they have.

    Oni mají nový byt.
    Oni majú nový byt.

    In Slovak, they have is majú.

  • Putting nie before mať instead of joining ne- to it.

    Ja mám nie čas.
    Ja nemám čas.

    Most verbs are negated with ne- written as one word with the verb.

How It Connects

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

maťLevel 1Present Tense of Mať

Learn This First

Before Present Tense of mať, learn Subject Pronouns. mať changes for each subject: mám, máš, má.

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