# Slovak: because you are so very special



## mateo19

Hello friends of the forum,

I have a Slovak friend who will be soon having a birthday.  She lives in Slovakia and speaks little English.  All the same, I thought it would be nice to get her a card in English (since I'm living in the US).  I'd like to translate the text of the card so that she will at least be able to understand it.  Could you please help me with this?  My very best try is below.  Thank you very much in advance! 

This birthday bouquet is especially for you
because you are so very special.

Tá narodeninová kytica je špeciálne pre teba
lebo si tak špeciálna.

...


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## Azori

mateo19 said:


> This birthday bouquet is especially for you
> because you are so very special.
> 
> Tá narodeninová kytica je špeciálne pre teba
> lebo si tak špeciálna.


Táto narodeninová kytica je iba pre teba
Pretože si tak výnimočná


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## vianie

lior neith said:


> Táto narodeninová kytica je iba pre teba
> Pretože si taká výnimočná


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## Azori

Mišo, both "tak" and "taká" would be correct here.


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## vianie

lior neith said:


> Mišo, both "tak" and "taká" would be correct here.



I did not know about this.
Do you have cognisance of any web link supported this theory?


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## Azori

vianie said:


> I did not know about this.
> Do you have cognisance of any web link supported this theory?


Theory?? Are you kidding??? But if you need a proof....

A restricted search for Slovak pages only:
Google results for "tak výnimočná" - 4060 hits
Google results for "taká výnimočná" - 6620 hits

I would have thought a native Slovak speaker would know this.


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## shifter78

KSSJ says "tak" before adjectives is incorrect. Nevermind, it is just theory, everybody uses "tak" too.


> *6.* (_pred príd. menami_), _správ._ *taký*: t. pekný, _správ._ _taký pekný_, t. dobrý, _správ._ _taký dobrý_, t. starý, _správ._ _taký starý_


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## vianie

lior neith said:


> Theory?? Are you kidding??? But if you need a proof....
> 
> A restricted search for Slovak pages only:
> Google results for "tak výnimočná" - 4060 hits I  searched 429 hits
> Google results for "taká výnimočná" - 6620 hits  I searched 820 hits
> Also this may be professional proof?
> 
> 
> I would have thought a native Slovak speaker would know this.
> I speak about standard language.


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## winpoj

It's quite an interesting little point. In Czech, and I mean standard Czech, both "taková výjimečná" and "tak výjimečná" are no doubt correct.
It seems to me though there is a small difference in meaning between them:

"Tak výjimečná" sort of implies "very exceptional".

"Taková výjimečná" means roughly the same as just "výjimečná", just with less directness, I think.

Is this something that can be true in Slovak too?


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## Azori

Oops, I apologize for those numbers, it's showing 429 and 889 hits now, but I swear just yesterday it was 4060 and 6620!  What's wrong with Google??? 

As for "tak", according to this dictionary, it's considered incorrect in front of the adjectives, but it's used anyway. Personally, I didn't know it's incorrect - it's pretty common and in my opinion doesn't sound nonstandard or dialectal or anything.


winpoj said:


> It seems to me though there is a small difference in meaning between them:
> 
> "Tak výjimečná" sort of implies "very exceptional".
> 
> "Taková výjimečná" means roughly the same as just "výjimečná", just with less directness, I think.
> 
> Is this something that can be true in Slovak too?


At least to me, "taká výnimočná" sounds maybe like "sort of/kind of exceptional" and "tak výnimočná" like "so exceptional".


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## werrr

lior neith said:


> Oops, I apologize for those numbers, it's showing 429 and 889 hits now, but I swear just yesterday it was 4060 and 6620!  What's wrong with Google???


I often experience more hits with English Google than with the national variants.



> As for "tak", according to this dictionary, it's considered incorrect in front of the adjectives, but it's used anyway.



Though, it could be used with verbal adjectives (participles) and it often forms one word with it. Think of “takzvaný”.



> Personally, I didn't know it's incorrect - it's pretty common and in my opinion doesn't sound nonstandard or dialectal or anything.


I guess the Slovak linguists fear to imitate Czech here. I see no base for it as the construction has no cons and it has some pros (the different meanings).



> At least to me, "taká výnimočná" sounds maybe like "sort of/kind of exceptional" and "tak výnimočná" like "so exceptional".



I would say:

taková výjimečná / taká výnimočná = such an exceptional
  ×
tak výjimečná / tak výnimočná = so exceptional


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## mateo19

werrr said:


> I would say:
> 
> taková výjimečná / taká výnimočná = such an exceptional
> ×
> tak výjimečná / tak výnimočná = so exceptional



That is an extremely interesting distinction that you've made, Werrr.  I really like thinking about it that way.  Thank you very much!  I've learned a lot from this post.  Although the birthday card was sent over a month ago, I continue learning from it.  That is sweet! 

Actually, I had that doubt myself when I was originally translating it... whether to use "tak" or "taký".  I guess I went with "tak" because that is what I had heard native Slovaks saying and that's also what Lior_Neith proposed.

It's hard to say where my Slovak is going (I'm uncertain about the future of this language in my life) because the American Peace Corps has decided to station me in Ukraine (this is great news, though!).  What I mean to say is that the difference between "standard/correct" language and "common/everyday/incorrect" language is a very interesting one.  For my purposes, I think I'll simlpy chose to be understood and speak Slovak as native Slovaks do.

Thanks for the interesting thread, everyone!


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