Model Nouns

A model noun (vzor), or a paradigm, is a noun that is intended as an example for the declension of other nouns of the same type. It is very important to classify the correct model.

Model nouns in Slovak language:

Masculine:

Masculine nouns are further divided into animate(people) and inanimate (inanimate things and animals) nouns.
chlap (guy) – living nouns
hrdina (hero) – living nouns
dub (oak) – non-living nouns
stroj(machine) - non-living nouns
kuli (coolie) – nouns of foreing origin

Feminine:
žena (woman)
ulica (street)
dlaň (palm)
kosť (bone)
gazdiná (housewife)
idea (idea)

Neuter:
mesto (city)
srdce (heart)
vysvedčenie (certificate)
dievča (girl)

• first determine the gender by pointing to the noun using "this" (TEN, TÁ, TO).
• then check the genitive = bez koho? bez čoho? (without whom? without what?)

The 2nd grammatical case of the noun (genitive) is used to determine the model noun.
The plural form of the 1st grammatical case (nominative) can also help us to find the correct model noun.

to auto (car) – bez auta like bez mesta, the model noun is „mesto”
ten muž (man) – bez muža like bez chlapa, the model noun is „chlap”
ten počítač (computer) – dva počítače like dva stroje, the model noun is „stroj”

Some words are inflected irregularly or are not inflected. Some nouns are easy to determine, some must be memorized.