Chlap

Chlap is a masculine noun used in Slovak and, to varying degrees, Czech. It denotes a male person and is employed in informal, everyday speech to mean “man,” “guy,” or “fellow.” The tone of the word is casual and can feel rustic or rough depending on context. It is not generally used in formal writing or polite address.

In Slovak, chlap refers to an adult male. A boy is usually chlapec, while the plural form for men is typically chlapi. The word can appear in everyday expressions such as addressing a friend or describing someone in a neutral way, for example, that chlap is my friend or that chlap works here. In Czech, the term exists in colloquial speech, though more common words for “man” or “guy” are used in formal contexts; a slang variant chláp or chlápci also conveys a rougher tone.

Origin and related terms: Chlap belongs to the Slavic family of languages and has cognates across the region. While related to similar-sounding terms in neighboring languages, each language assigns its own nuances and registers to the word. In some languages that share historical roots, related forms may mean slightly different social roles (for example, in Polish, a historically related word chłóp has carried senses such as “peasant” or “man” in different periods).

See also: language-specific slang terms for man, colloquial speech registers, and regional variations in how male referents are expressed.