chcem

Chcem is the first-person singular present tense form of the Slovak verb chcieť, meaning to want. It expresses a speaker’s current desire or intention and is one of the most common verbs in Slovak. The infinitive of the verb is chcieť.

Conjugation in the present tense commonly appears as: ja chcem, ty chceš, on/ona/to chce, my chceme, vy chcete, oni chcú. The form is frequent in everyday speech and can be used with or without an accompanying object or infinitive. The polite or conditional sense of desire is often expressed with phrases like chcel by som (I would like) or, if speaking politely about a woman, chcela by som.

Usage in Slovak typically involves placing chcem before an infinitive to indicate a wish to perform an action, for example Chcem ísť domov (I want to go home) or Chcem kávu (I want a coffee). It also appears with direct objects, as in Chcem ťa poprosiť o pomoc (I want to ask you for help). Negation is formed with ne: Nechcem (I do not want). For requests involving others, the clause Chcem, aby si prišiel is used, meaning “I want you to come.”

Pronunciation and spelling notes: ch is the voiceless velar fricative [x], similar to the Scottish loch. The word carries stress on the first syllable in most forms.

Cross-linguistic notes: Slovak chcieť is cognate with Polish chcieć and Czech chtít; they share a common Proto-Slavic root relating to wishing or desiring. These languages show parallel forms and related meanings, though exact conjugations vary.