Capitalization Rules in Slovak for English Speakers

Understanding Capitalization in Slovak

Capitalization in Slovak differs in several ways from English. Knowing these rules helps English speakers write correctly and understand Slovak texts better.

Capitalization of Proper Nouns

Like English, Slovak capitalizes proper nouns such as names of people, places, and organizations. For example, Bratislava (the capital city) and Ján (a common male name) are capitalized.

Days of the Week and Months

Unlike English, Slovak does not capitalize the names of days of the week or months. For example, pondelok (Monday) and január (January) are written in lowercase.

Languages and Nationalities

In Slovak, names of languages and nationalities are written in lowercase, unlike English where they are capitalized. For example, slovenčina (Slovak language) and slovák (Slovak person) are lowercase.

Titles and Headings

Only the first word and any proper nouns in titles and headings are capitalized in Slovak. This contrasts with English title case where most words are capitalized.

The Pronoun "You"

The formal pronoun for "you" in Slovak, Vy, is capitalized when used in formal writing or correspondence to show respect. The informal ty is lowercase.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abbreviations and acronyms are usually capitalized, similar to English. For example, OSN for Organizácia Spojených národov (United Nations).

Summary of Key Differences

• Days and months are lowercase (e.g., pondelok, január).
• Languages and nationalities are lowercase (e.g., slovenčina, slovák).
• Formal 'you' (Vy) is capitalized in respectful contexts.
• Only first word and proper nouns capitalized in titles.