-ám
Present Verbs in -ám
Drop -ať from verbs like volať and add -ám, -áš, -á, -áme, -áte or -ajú: volám, voláš, volá, voláme, voláte, volajú.
How It Works
Here is volať (to call):
- ja volám, ty voláš, on, ona, ono volá
- my voláme, vy voláte, oni, ony volajú
Other common verbs like this are hľadať (to look for), čakať (to wait), poznať (to know someone), hrať (to play) and mať (to have). The they ending -ajú has a short a: volajú, hľadajú, čakajú.
The rhythmic law. Slovak does not like two long syllables in a row. When the stem already has a long syllable, with a long vowel (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý), a long ŕ or ĺ, or a diphthong (ia, ie, iu, ô), the ending uses a short a: čítam, čítaš, číta, čítame, čítate, čítajú (to read). The same happens in spievam (I sing), pýtam sa (I ask), bývam (I live) and počúvam (I listen).
The ending already shows who does the action, so you usually leave out the pronoun: Volám sa Anna. (My name is Anna.) Use the pronoun only for emphasis.
Examples (6)
- Kde bývaš?
Where do you live?
Bý- is long, so the ending is short: bývaš.
- Čakám na autobus.
I'm waiting for the bus.
- Deti sa hrajú v parku.
The children are playing in the park.
The they form ends in -ajú.
- Večer čítam knihu.
In the evening I read a book.
Čí- is long, so the rhythmic law gives čítam.
- Hľadáme lacný hotel.
We are looking for a cheap hotel.
- Poznáš môjho brata?
Do you know my brother?
Common Mistakes
Keeping a long á after a long syllable.
Čítám knihu.Čítam knihu.Čí- is already long, so the rhythmic law makes the ending short.
Writing a long á in the they form.
Oni hľadáju kľúče.Oni hľadajú kľúče.The they ending is -ajú, with a short a and a long ú.
Using the he or she form for they.
Moji rodičia býva v Žiline.Moji rodičia bývajú v Žiline.Rodičia is plural, so the verb needs the they ending -ajú.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Present Verbs in -ám, learn Subject Pronouns. The endings -ám, -áš, -á change for each subject pronoun.
Related Patterns
- The Rhythmic Law
The rhythmic law explains čítam instead of čítám.
Level 1 - Long Vowels
You need to spot long vowels to apply the rhythmic law.
Level 1 - maťPresent Tense of Mať
Mať is a common verb with these endings.
Level 1 - -ímPresent Verbs in -ím
The other big pattern, with -ím instead of -ám.
Level 1 - volať sa + NameSaying Your Name
Volám sa is this pattern with sa.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -ám in Bubblegum
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