bábätko
/baːbætkɔ/neuter
The Slovak word for baby is bábätko. Wiktionary also lists bábo and dojča.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Slovak | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bábätko | /baːbætkɔ/ | neuter |
| bábo | ||
| dojča | /dɔjt͡ʃa/ | neuter |
| nemluvňa | neuter |
Which one should you use?
While bábätko is the common word used in everyday life, dojča is a more formal or developmental term used to refer to an infant or a very young child. Nemluvňa specifically refers to a non-verbal infant or a baby that has not yet started speaking. If you are referring specifically to a newborn baby in an official or medical context, you would use Novorodenec.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms dojča, bábätko and nemluvňa are all neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/baːbætkɔ/
Did you know?
- While bábätko is used for human infants, the root bába can also refer to an old woman or grandmother in different contexts.
- The word dojča is technically a 'suckling', a term that English uses primarily for animals, but Slovak uses it naturally for humans.
- While bábätko is the standard word for a baby, using the shortened form bábo can sound much more affectionate or even slightly silly.
Examples in context
- Bábätko je v kolíske.The baby is in the cradle.This sentence shows how to say the baby is in a cradle using bábätko.Tatoeba #9959521 by Dominika7, translation #7133533 by CarpeLanam
- Bábätko spinká v kolíske.A baby is sleeping in the cradle.This sentence shows how to say a baby is sleeping in a cradle using bábätko.Tatoeba #9959529 by Dominika7, translation #272359 by CK
- Bábätko ešte stále plače.The baby is still crying.This sentence shows how to say the baby is still crying using bábätko.Tatoeba #13791672 by Dominika7, translation #13789142 by mervert1
- Ahoj! Vidím, že máš malého syna!Hello! I see you have a baby boy!
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Barbora and Marek are looking at a photograph.
- BarboraPozri, aké cute bábätko!Look, what a cute baby!
- MarekKto je to bábätko?Who is this baby?
- BarboraJe to vnuk mojej sestry.It is my sister's grandson.
- MarekJe veľmi podobný svojej mame.He is very similar to his mother.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries bábätko, dojča, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
