Greetings or Pozdravy

The Slovak culture to this date has preserved the custom of "greeting" or acknowledging the presence of another person based on a situation or time frame.  Because one can be aquainted with various people on formal or informal "terms", the greetings accommodate this additional aspect of the language.  The most common greeting in Slovak is "ahoj" which has the honour of being a multi-purpose word. It can be said when you are meeting a person or persons the first time (as in Hello, Hi or Hi you all), when you leave a group or a person  (Bye, Good-bye all), or when you are introduced to someone.  Sometimes there is more than one word for the same greeting.  There is a strict protocol used dictating when a greeting can be used.  For example, Good Morning is used only till 8 am.  In small towns and villages,  you still greet a total stranger as you pass them by because silence is not an option and is considered rude.  As a rule therefore, its better to say some kind of greeting than nothing at all.

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Last update on March 15, 2000.