čo
/ˈt͡ʃɔ/
The English word "what" is translated into Slovak as čo.
čo is an interrogative pronoun used to ask "what". In informal speech, you can also use čo as a standalone exclamation to express shock or disbelief, much like the English "What?!"
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Which one should you use?
While čo is used to ask "what" as a subject or an object, the word aký is used when you are asking "what kind of" or "what sort of" to describe a quality.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun čo changes to čoho when the verb it is associated with requires the genitive case, such as when asking "of what" (for example, "of what are you afraid?").
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃɔ/
Did you know?
- In Slovak, if you ask Čo máš? it literally translates to 'What do you have?', but it is frequently used as a slangy, blunt way to say 'What is wrong with you?' or 'What is your problem?'
- The word čo is a direct relative of the English word 'what' through their shared Proto-Indo-European ancestor *kʷid.
- Using Čo? as a standalone question to someone who just spoke can sometimes sound aggressive or dismissive, whereas in English 'What?' is often just a request for repetition.
Examples in context
- O čo tu ide?What is this all about here?This sentence is useful for asking what a situation is about using čo.Tatoeba #9144098 by Dominika7, translation #7431363 by MarijnKp
- Čo o mne vieš?What do you know about me?This sentence is useful for asking what someone knows using čo.Tatoeba #13064632 by Dominika7, translation #2569261 by Hybrid
- Vieš kde je čo?Do you know where is what?This sentence is useful for asking where things are using čo.Tatoeba #9891631 by Dominika7, translation #9144872 by shou
- A čo robíš zajtra?What are you doing tomorrow?
- 852 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zuzana and Michal are at a cafe.
- ZuzanaČo chceš piť?What do you want to drink?
- MichalDám si kávu.I'll have a coffee.
- ZuzanaČo k tomu chceš?What do you want with it?
- MichalLen trochu mlieka.Just a little bit of milk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries čo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries čo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
