The two languages are pretty similar, bue there are minor differences. For example, this is the singular declension of a masculine animate noun ending in hard consonant: CZech Pan Pana Panovi Pana Pane/u * Panovi Panem SlovaK Chlap Chlapa Chlapovi Chlapa Chlap* Chlapovi Chlapom * nouns ending in k, h, ch take -u, the others -e. Slovak vocative instead, according to what I know, is like the nominative. Many little differences, but anyway I guess isnt so hard to understand each others. My ex-girlfriend is slovak, we are still friends and in touch. She understands me well when I write her in czech [This message has been edited by Kikko (edited 05-08-2003).]
There are also differences in vocabulary. Many words are the same or very similar. Some words are completely different, e.g. "camel" in Czech is "velbloud", in Slovak "tava". Go figure!
There are also differences in pronunciation - to Czechs, Slovak language sounds softer and more polite (and the Slovak language does not have that specialty of Czech - letter and sound "ř"). Contrarily to Czech, Slovak language is also influenced by Hungarian, namely in the southern part of Slovakia, close to Hungarian border. Slovak in the eastern part is affected by Ukrainian, so it different, too. The most correct Slovak is spoken in the region around Ruzomberok (central Slovakia). But in general, Czechs and Slovaks do not have problems to understand each other.
Actually, they do! Young people and kids, who grew up in Czech Republic, not in Czechoslovakia, have problems understanding. A friend of mine has 6 year old son who can' t understand Slovak language at all. Strange, isn't it?
that is caused by the simple fact that children grown in czech republic consider slovak language as forreign (hence psychological barrier), and mainly that they do not hear it on daily basis as they used to during czechoslovakia times. actually, as far as i know, more young slovaks understands (and learns to speak) easily czech then on contrary - i suspect TV influence. slovakian TV broadcasts e.g. movies in czech (dabbing costs...), one can tune czech TV in slovakia, but in czech TV slovak is very rare.
exactly. Im not very sure if I would understand everything in a slovak language now, cos I barely hear this language. But our languages are still quite similar, so every Czech should understand Slovaks...
