Lenguia | A2 Slovenian Grammar: 65 Topics & Examples

The comparative degree says one thing has 'more' of a quality. Slovene builds it two ways. The synthetic way adds an ending to the adjective: most adjectives take -ejši (star → starejši, 'older'), while a smaller group with a single root consonant takes plain -ši (lep → lepši, 'nicer'; mlad → mlajši with softening). The analytic way puts bolj ('more') in front of the unchanged adjective and is used for long, foreign or participial adjectives where an ending sounds clumsy (bolj znan, 'better known'; bolj zaposlen, 'busier'). The comparative is always a definite-type form and agrees with its noun in gender, number and case, exactly like an ordinary adjective.

Key rule

Build the comparative either synthetically with -ejši/-ši (starejši, lepši) or analytically with bolj + adjective (bolj znan) — never both at once — and let the form agree with its noun.

Examples

Moja sestra je starejša od mene.
Moja sestra je bolj stara od mene.
'star' takes the synthetic comparative starejši/starejša; the analytic bolj is not used with this short, native adjective.
Ta hiša je lepša kot prejšnja.
Ta hiša je lepši kot prejšnja.
The comparative agrees in gender: with feminine hiša it must be lepša, not the masculine lepši.
Drugi film je bil bolj zanimiv kot prvi.
Drugi film je bil bolj zanimivejši kot prvi.
You may not combine bolj with the synthetic suffix; choose one strategy — here either zanimivejši or bolj zanimiv.

Common mistakes

Using bolj with a short native adjective that has a synthetic form
On je bolj mlad od mene.
On je mlajši od mene.
Common, monosyllabic native adjectives like mlad form the synthetic comparative; bolj is reserved for long, foreign or participial adjectives.
Double-marking with bolj + synthetic suffix
Ta knjiga je bolj starejša.
Ta knjiga je starejša.
Slovene marks the comparative once; combining the analytic bolj with the suffix -ejši is ungrammatical.

A2Agreement

Superlative — Formation (naj- + comparative)

stopnjevanje – presežnik (naj- + primernik)

The superlative degree says one thing has the most of a quality ('the oldest', 'the nicest'). Slovene builds it very simply: take the comparative form and attach the prefix naj- to the front. So lepši ('nicer') → najlepši ('the nicest'), starejši → najstarejši, bolj znan → najbolj znan. The prefix is written as one word with synthetic comparatives (najlepši) but stays separate before bolj (najbolj). The superlative is always definite — it always ends in -i in the masculine nominative singular and takes a demonstrative or possessive feel ('the most…'). Like every adjective, it agrees with its noun in gender, number and case.

Key rule

Form the superlative by prefixing naj- to the comparative — najlepši, najstarejši, najbolj znan — keeping it a definite form that agrees with its noun.

Examples

To je najlepši dan v letu.
To je najlep dan v letu.
The superlative is built on the comparative lepši, so it is najlepši with the definite -i, not *najlep.
Ana je najmlajša v razredu.
Ana je najmladša v razredu.
The superlative uses the comparative stem mlajš-, giving najmlajša; the consonant alternation is kept.
Tone je najboljši igralec ekipe.
Tone je najdobri igralec ekipe.
dober has the irregular comparative boljši, so the superlative is najboljši, not *najdobri.

Common mistakes

Attaching naj- to the positive instead of the comparative
To je najlep park v mestu.
To je najlepši park v mestu.
The superlative is built on the comparative (lepši), not the base adjective; the result is najlepši.
Writing naj- as a separate word with synthetic forms
Ona je naj starejša v družini.
Ona je najstarejša v družini.
With synthetic comparatives the prefix naj- is joined to the word; only before bolj does it stay separate (najbolj).

A2Agreement

Comparison: "than" (kot / od + genitive)

primerjava: kot / od + rodilnik

After a comparative you need a way to say 'than'. Slovene has two normative patterns. With kot, the thing you compare against stays in the SAME case as the first item — usually nominative: Janez je višji kot Peter ('Janez is taller than Peter'). With od you use the GENITIVE: Janez je višji od Petra. Both are correct standard Slovene and interchangeable when comparing two nouns. A useful rule of thumb: od + genitive is neat for short noun comparisons (večji od brata), while kot is preferred when the second part is a clause or a different phrase type (raje hodim peš, kot da čakam avtobus). Do not say *od + nominative or *kot + genitive.

Key rule

Say 'than' either with kot + same case as the first item (višji kot Peter) or with od + genitive (višji od Petra); never mix od with a nominative or kot with a genitive.

Examples

Moj brat je višji od mene.
Moj brat je višji od jaz.
od governs the genitive, so the pronoun must be mene, not the nominative jaz.
Ta avto je hitrejši kot tisti.
Ta avto je hitrejši kot tistega.
After kot the second item keeps the nominative (tisti), matching the subject; the genitive tistega is wrong here.
Knjiga je bila zanimivejša od filma.
Knjiga je bila zanimivejša od film.
od requires the genitive filma, not the nominative film.

Common mistakes

Nominative after od
Ona je pametnejša od njen brat.
Ona je pametnejša od njenega brata.
od governs the genitive throughout the phrase: od njenega brata.
Genitive after kot
Ona je pametnejša kot njenega brata.
Ona je pametnejša kot njen brat.
After kot the standard keeps the case of the compared item — here nominative njen brat.

A2Agreement

Irregular Comparison (dober→boljši, velik→večji)

nepravilno stopnjevanje (dober→boljši, velik→večji)

A handful of very common adjectives form their comparative from a different or altered root instead of the regular -ejši/-ši. You simply memorise them: dober → boljši ('better'), slab → slabši ('worse'), velik → večji ('bigger'), majhen → manjši ('smaller'), dolg → daljši ('longer'), visok → višji ('taller'). The superlative is then completely regular — just add naj-: najboljši, najslabši, največji, najmanjši. Because these are the most frequent adjectives in everyday speech, getting them right matters a lot. They still agree with their noun in gender, number and case like any other adjective: boljša ideja, večje mesto, z manjšim avtom.

Key rule

Memorise the suppletive comparatives — dober→boljši, slab→slabši, velik→večji, majhen→manjši, dolg→daljši, visok→višji — and build their superlative regularly with naj-; never regularise them or add bolj.

Examples

Ta rešitev je boljša od prejšnje.
Ta rešitev je dobrejša od prejšnje.
dober has the suppletive comparative boljši; *dobrejši does not exist.
Naše stanovanje je večje kot vaše.
Naše stanovanje je velikejše kot vaše.
velik forms the irregular comparative večji; the regularised *velikejši is wrong.
Vreme je danes slabše kot včeraj.
Vreme je danes slabejše kot včeraj.
slab → slabši (here neuter slabše); there is no *slabejši.

Common mistakes

Regularising a suppletive comparative
Ta avto je dobrejši od starega.
Ta avto je boljši od starega.
dober has no synthetic -ejši form; its comparative is the fixed boljši.
Regularising velik
Kupili smo velikejšo hišo.
Kupili smo večjo hišo.
velik forms the irregular comparative večji; the regular ending is impossible here.

A2Agreement

Comparison of Adverbs (hitro→hitreje)

stopnjevanje prislovov (hitro→hitreje)

Manner adverbs (how something is done) also have degrees. The comparative of a manner adverb ends in -e or -eje: hitro → hitreje ('faster'), počasi → počasneje ('more slowly'), pogosto → pogosteje ('more often'). The superlative just adds naj-: najhitreje, najpočasneje. A few very common adverbs are irregular: dobro → bolje → najbolje ('well/better/best'), slabo → slabše/huje → najslabše/najhuje, veliko → več → največ ('a lot/more/most'), malo → manj → najmanj ('little/less/least'). Adverbs do NOT agree — they have only one form — so unlike adjectives they never change for gender, number or case. The standard of comparison still uses kot or od + genitive: hitreje kot prej, bolje od mene.

Key rule

Grade manner adverbs with -e/-eje and naj- (hitreje, najhitreje), keep them invariable (no gender/case agreement), and use the suppletive set bolje/slabše/več/manj where it applies.

Examples

Danes sem prišel hitreje kot običajno.
Danes sem prišel hitrejši kot običajno.
The verb is modified by an adverb, so it must be hitreje, not the adjectival comparative hitrejši.
Govori počasneje, prosim.
Govori počasnejši, prosim.
počasi has the adverbial comparative počasneje; an adjectival form cannot modify the verb govoriti.
Zdaj se počutim bolje.
Zdaj se počutim boljši.
After počutiti se the manner is an adverb: bolje, not the adjective boljši.

Common mistakes

Using an adjectival comparative for an adverb
On dela hitrejši kot jaz.
On dela hitreje kot jaz.
delati is a verb, so its modifier is the invariable adverb hitreje, not hitrejši.
Letting an adverb agree with the subject
Ana teče hitrejša od mene.
Ana teče hitreje od mene.
Adverbs never agree; hitreje stays the same regardless of the subject's gender.

A2Agreement

Definite vs Indefinite Adjective (lep / lepi)

določna in nedoločna oblika pridevnika (lep / lepi)

In the masculine nominative singular, qualitative adjectives have two forms. The indefinite (short) form has no ending: lep, star, nov, velik. The definite (long) form adds -i: lepi, stari, novi, veliki. Slovene has no articles, so this -i carries part of the 'the' meaning. Roughly: use the indefinite form when you describe or predict a quality ('a nice house', 'the house is nice' → hiša je lepa), and the definite -i form when the thing is already known or pointed to ('the nice house we saw'). This split exists ONLY in the masculine nominative singular; all feminine, neuter and oblique forms have a single shape (lepa, lepo, lepega…). At A2 you only need to recognise the lep/lepi contrast — the full rules come later.

Key rule

Only in the masculine nominative singular do adjectives split into indefinite (lep) and definite (lepi): use lep predicatively/descriptively and lepi for an already-identified thing.

Examples

To je nov avto.
To je novi avto.
Introducing a new, non-identified thing predicatively takes the indefinite form nov.
Avto je nov.
Avto je novi.
After the copula, predicating a quality requires the indefinite form nov.
Tisti novi avto je dražji.
Tisti nov avto je dražji.
After the demonstrative tisti, the adjective is in the definite form novi.

Common mistakes

Using the definite -i form predicatively
Ta avto je novi.
Ta avto je nov.
After the copula, predicating a quality requires the indefinite form: nov.
Using the indefinite form after a demonstrative
Tisti star most je lep.
Tisti stari most je lep.
A demonstrative triggers the definite form of the adjective: stari most.

A2Agreement

Adjective Agreement in the Plural

ujemanje pridevnika v množini

In the plural nominative, the adjective agrees with the noun's gender through three distinct endings. Masculine plural takes -i: lepi fantje ('handsome boys'). Feminine plural takes -e: lepe hiše ('nice houses'). Neuter plural takes -a: lepa mesta ('nice towns'). These line up with the noun's own plural endings (-i / -e / -a), so adjective and noun rhyme. Remember Slovene's dual: for exactly TWO things you use dual forms, not plural — so plural endings are for THREE or more (or for pluralia tantum). Watch the masculine -i, which looks like the definite singular -i but here marks plural agreement, not definiteness.

Key rule

Nominative plural adjectives agree by gender as masc -i, fem -e, neut -a (lepi fantje / lepe hiše / lepa mesta) — but use the dual, not the plural, for exactly two.

Examples

V parku so se igrali majhni otroci.
V parku so se igrali majhne otroci.
otroci is masculine plural, so the adjective takes -i: majhni, not the feminine -e.
Kupili smo lepe rože.
Kupili smo lepi rože.
rože is feminine plural, requiring -e: lepe, not the masculine -i.
Ob cesti stojijo visoka drevesa.
Ob cesti stojijo visoki drevesa.
drevesa is neuter plural, so the adjective ends in -a: visoka.

Common mistakes

Using a plural adjective for exactly two items
Na polici so dve stare knjige.
Na polici sta dve stari knjigi.
For two, Slovene uses the dual: dve stari knjigi with dual verb sta, not the plural.
Wrong gender ending in the plural
Na vrtu rastejo lepi rože.
Na vrtu rastejo lepe rože.
rože is feminine plural and requires -e (lepe), not the masculine -i.

A2Agreement

Adjective Agreement in the Oblique Cases

ujemanje pridevnika v odvisnih sklonih

Adjectives don't stop agreeing once you leave the nominative — they follow the noun through every case. As the noun changes its ending for genitive, dative, accusative, locative and instrumental, the adjective takes its own matching case ending of the same gender. So 'with a nice boy' is z lepim fantom (instrumental masculine -im), 'in a big house' is v veliki hiši (locative feminine -i), 'I see an old town' is vidim staro mesto (accusative neuter -o). The masculine adjective also tracks animacy in the accusative: vidim starega fanta (animate, acc = gen) vs vidim star avto (inanimate). Learn the adjective endings as a parallel set to the noun endings, gender by gender.

Key rule

An attributive adjective takes the case ending of its own gender's paradigm matching the noun's case — z lepim fantom, v veliki hiši, vidim staro mesto — and tracks masculine animacy in the accusative.

Examples

Pogovarjam se z lepim fantom.
Pogovarjam se z lep fantom.
The instrumental masculine adjective takes -im: lepim, agreeing with fantom.
Stanujem v veliki hiši.
Stanujem v velika hiši.
The locative feminine adjective takes -i: veliki, matching hiši.
Vidim starega prijatelja.
Vidim star prijatelja.
prijatelj is masculine animate, so the accusative copies the genitive: starega.

Common mistakes

Leaving the adjective in the nominative in an oblique case
Grem z dober prijatelj.
Grem z dobrim prijateljem.
z governs the instrumental; both adjective and noun must take it: z dobrim prijateljem.
Wrong gender paradigm in the locative
Živim v velikem hiši.
Živim v veliki hiši.
hiša is feminine, so the locative adjective is veliki, not the masculine velikem.

A2Aspect

Aspect — The Perfective/Imperfective Concept

glagolski vid – dovršnost in nedovršnost

Almost every Slovene verb is either nedovršni (imperfective) or dovršni (perfective). The imperfective views an action as a process, a habit or a repeated event — pisati ('to be writing, to write regularly'). The perfective views it as one whole, completed act with a result — napisati ('to write something all the way'). The biggest surprise for learners: only an imperfective verb gives a true present meaning. A perfective verb conjugated in the present does NOT mean 'now' — it points to the future. So pišem = 'I am writing (now)', but napišem = 'I will write (and finish)'. Choosing the right aspect is part of choosing the verb itself.

Key rule

Imperfective verbs view an action as a process/habit and give a real present; perfective verbs view it as one completed whole and their present-tense form means the future, not 'now'.

Examples

Zdaj pišem pismo.
Zdaj napišem pismo.
For an action happening now you need the imperfective pišem; the perfective napišem in the present means 'I will write (and finish)', not 'now'.
Vsak dan berem časopis.
Vsak dan preberem časopis vsakič znova zdaj.
A daily habit is imperfective (berem); the perfective preberem views one completed reading, so it clashes with an ongoing every-day routine.
Ko napišem nalogo, grem ven.
Ko pišem nalogo do konca, grem ven.
The perfective present napišem expresses a completed future event ('once I have written it'); the imperfective pišem would describe the ongoing process, not its completion.

Common mistakes

Using a perfective verb for a present action
Zdaj napišem pismo. (mišljeno: pišem ravnokar)
Zdaj pišem pismo.
A perfective present points to the future; only an imperfective verb expresses an action happening now.
Choosing a perfective verb for a habit
Vsako jutro spijem kavo in to ponavljam kot navado.
Vsako jutro pijem kavo.
Repeated, habitual actions take the imperfective; the perfective spijem describes one finished act of drinking.

A2Aspect

Recognising Aspect Pairs (pisati/napisati)

prepoznavanje vidskih parov (pisati/napisati)

Most common verbs come in a vidski par — a pair that shares a meaning but differs in aspect. One member is nedovršni (process/habit), the other dovršni (completed whole): pisati/napisati ('write'), brati/prebrati ('read'), delati/narediti ('do/make'), kupovati/kupiti ('buy'). The two partners are usually built from the same root, so you can learn them together as one vocabulary item with two halves. When you meet a new verb, ask: is this the process member or the completed-act member, and what is its partner? Knowing the pair lets you switch between 'I am doing X' and 'I have done X' simply by switching the verb.

Key rule

Learn each verb together with its aspect partner — the imperfective (process/habit) and the perfective (completed act) member of the same pair, e.g. pisati/napisati, kupovati/kupiti.

Examples

Pisati je nedovršni glagol, napisati pa dovršni.
Pisati in napisati sta oba nedovršna glagola.
The pair pisati/napisati has one imperfective and one perfective member; they are not both imperfective.
Vsak dan berem, danes pa knjigo preberem.
Vsak dan berem, danes pa knjigo berem do konca.
The perfective partner prebrati expresses finishing; you switch verbs within the pair rather than adding 'to the end' to the imperfective.
Partner glagola kupiti je kupovati.
Partner glagola kupiti je nakupiti.
The imperfective partner of kupiti is the suffixed kupovati; nakupiti is a different, prefixed verb, not the plain partner.

Common mistakes

Treating both members as one aspect
Pisati in napisati sta nedovršna glagola.
Pisati je nedovršni, napisati je dovršni.
A pair always has one imperfective and one perfective member; mislabelling both breaks the contrast.
Pairing a verb with the wrong partner
Par glagola brati je razbrati.
Par glagola brati je prebrati.
The neutral perfective partner of brati is prebrati; razbrati ('decipher') is a different prefixed verb with its own meaning.

A2Aspect

Perfectivisation by Prefix (pisati → napisati)

dovršitev s predpono (pisati → napisati)

The most common way Slovene builds a perfective verb is by adding a predpona (prefix) to an imperfective verb: pisati → napisati, brati → prebrati, delati → narediti, piti → spiti. The prefix adds the sense of a completed whole with a result, while usually keeping the basic meaning. The trick is which prefix goes with which verb — it is largely fixed and must be learnt: na- (napisati), pre- (prebrati), po- (pojesti), z-/s- (skuhati, spiti), na- (narediti). Once prefixed, the verb is perfective, so in the present it points to a finished future act: napišem = 'I will write it', not 'I am writing'.

Key rule

Add a prefix (na-, pre-, po-, z-/s-) to an imperfective verb to make it perfective (pisati → napisati); the prefix is fixed per verb and z-/s- spelling follows voicing (skuhati, zmešati).

Examples

Pisati postane dovršni napisati s predpono na-.
Pisati postane dovršni napisati s pripono na-.
na- is a prefix (predpona) added before the verb, not a suffix (pripona) added after it.
Danes preberem celo knjigo.
Danes berem celo knjigo do zadnje strani naenkrat.
The prefixed perfective prebrati expresses reading the whole through; the bare imperfective berem leaves the action unbounded.
Kuhati postane skuhati, ker pred nezvenečim k pišemo s-.
Kuhati postane zkuhati.
Before the voiceless k the prefix is spelt s- (skuhati); zkuhati violates the voicing-assimilation spelling.

Common mistakes

Calling the prefix a suffix
Napisati nastane s pripono na-.
Napisati nastane s predpono na-.
na- comes before the verb, so it is a prefix (predpona), not a suffix (pripona).
Wrong s-/z- spelling
Zkuhati kosilo.
Skuhati kosilo.
Before the voiceless k the prefix is spelt s-; voicing assimilation fixes the spelling as skuhati.

A2Aspect

Imperfectivisation by Suffix — Intro (dati/dajati)

nedovršitev s pripono – uvod (dati/dajati)

Sometimes the order is reversed: the perfective verb is the simple one, and the imperfective is built from it by adding a suffix (pripona). This is called secondary imperfectivisation. The two common suffixes are -a- and -ova-/-eva-: dati → dajati ('give, repeatedly/as a process'), kupiti → kupovati ('buy, regularly'), pokazati → kazati, ponuditi → ponujati. The suffixed verb becomes imperfective, so it gives a real present and expresses a habit or an ongoing action: dajem, kupujem. Use it when you mean 'I keep giving / I am buying', and the short perfective (dati, kupiti) when you mean one completed act.

Key rule

Build an imperfective from a perfective by adding -a- or -ova-/-eva- (dati → dajati, kupiti → kupovati); the suffixed verb is imperfective and gives a real present for habits/processes (dajem, kupujem).

Examples

Dati je dovršni, dajati pa njegov nedovršni par.
Dati je nedovršni, dajati pa njegov dovršni par.
The short dati is perfective; the suffixed dajati is the imperfective partner — the labels are reversed in the wrong version.
Vsak dan kupujem kruh.
Vsak dan kupim kruh kot stalno navado.
A daily habit needs the suffixed imperfective kupovati (kupujem); the perfective kupim names a single completed purchase.
Darila dajem vsako leto.
Darila dam vsako leto kot ponavljajoče dejanje.
Repeated giving uses the imperfective dajati (dajem); the perfective dati (dam) describes one completed act of giving.

Common mistakes

Reversing the aspect of dati/dajati
Dati je nedovršni glagol.
Dati je dovršni glagol; dajati je nedovršni.
The short prefixless dati is perfective; its suffixed partner dajati is the imperfective.
Perfective for a habit
Vsak dan kupim kruh. (kot stalno navado)
Vsak dan kupujem kruh.
A repeated habit selects the suffixed imperfective kupovati (kupujem), not the one-act perfective kupim.

A2Aspect

Aspect in the Past (delal sem vs naredil sem)

vid v pretekliku (delal sem vs naredil sem)

Slovene has only one past tense (preteklik = l-participle + biti), so aspect, not tense, tells the listener how the past action is viewed. The imperfective past describes an ongoing or habitual action: delal sem ('I was working / I used to work'). The perfective past describes one completed action with a result: naredil sem ('I did/finished it'). You choose the aspect by choosing the verb — same auxiliary (sem), different participle. Use the imperfective for background, duration and repetition (bral sem, hodil sem), and the perfective for the single finished events that move a story forward (prebral sem, šel sem).

Key rule

In the single past tense, aspect carries the meaning: imperfective l-participle = ongoing/habitual (delal sem), perfective l-participle = one completed result (naredil sem); the auxiliary biti stays.

Examples

Včeraj sem delal ves dan.
Včeraj sem naredil ves dan.
A durative 'worked all day' is imperfective (delal sem); the perfective naredil sem is a single completed act and cannot span 'all day'.
Naredil sem domačo nalogo.
Delal sem domačo nalogo do konca in jo dokončal hkrati.
Completion with a result is expressed by the perfective naredil sem; the imperfective delal sem leaves the task open-ended.
Bral sem, ko je zazvonil telefon.
Prebral sem, ko je zazvonil telefon.
Background action in progress is imperfective (bral sem); the perfective prebral sem would mean the reading was finished before the call.

Common mistakes

Perfective for a durative past
Včeraj sem naredil ves dan.
Včeraj sem delal ves dan.
An action lasting 'all day' is a process and takes the imperfective; the perfective denotes a single completed act.
Perfective for a past habit
Vsak dan sem šel v službo.
Vsak dan sem hodil v službo.
Repeated past actions take the imperfective (hodil sem); the determinate/perfective marks one single occasion.

A2Aspect

Aspect with the Imperative (Pij! vs Spij!)

vid v velelniku (Pij! vs Spij!)

When you give a command, aspect changes the flavour. The imperfective imperative tells someone to do an action as a general/ongoing/repeated thing or to get on with the process: Pij vodo! ('Drink water!' — generally, keep drinking). The perfective imperative tells them to complete one act with a result: Spij vodo! ('Drink it all up!'). For general advice and invitations you usually pick the imperfective (Beri vsak dan!); for one finished task you pick the perfective (Preberi to stran!). One firm rule: negative commands almost always take the imperfective — Ne pij tega! ('Don't drink that!'), not the perfective.

Key rule

Use the imperfective imperative for general/ongoing/repeated commands and invitations (Pij!), the perfective for one completed act (Spij!); negated commands take the imperfective (Ne pij!).

Examples

Spij vso vodo!
Pij vso vodo naenkrat do konca!
Telling someone to finish all the water (one completed act) is the perfective Spij!; the imperfective Pij! commands the general process of drinking.
Pij dovolj vode vsak dan!
Spij dovolj vode vsak dan!
A general daily habit takes the imperfective Pij!; the perfective Spij! means one complete act, which clashes with 'every day'.
Ne pij tega soka!
Ne spij tega soka!
Negated commands normally take the imperfective; Ne pij! is correct, while the perfective Ne spij! is non-standard here.

Common mistakes

Perfective imperative for a habit
Spij dovolj vode vsak dan!
Pij dovolj vode vsak dan!
A general daily habit is imperfective; the perfective Spij! commands one completed act.
Perfective in a negated command
Ne spij tega!
Ne pij tega!
Negated commands normally take the imperfective imperative, so the perfective is avoided after ne.

A2Cases

Genitive — Possession & Quantity

rodilnik – svojina in količina

The genitive (rodilnik) answers koga? / česa? (of whom? of what?). Two of its most common everyday jobs are showing possession and expressing quantity. For possession, the owner goes into the genitive and follows the thing owned: knjiga sestre (sister's book), avto sosedov. For quantity, words like veliko, malo, kozarec, kilo are followed by a genitive noun: veliko vode, malo časa, kozarec mleka, kilo kruha. Singular endings are masc/neut -a (brata, mesta) and fem -e (sestre, vode). Note the Slovene word for 'castle' is grad, while 'city' is mesto.

Key rule

Put the possessor in the genitive after the thing owned (knjiga sestre), and use the genitive after quantity/measure words (veliko vode, kozarec mleka).

Examples

To je knjiga moje sestre.
To je knjiga moja sestra.
The possessor (sestra) must be in the genitive (sestre), not the nominative.
Spijem kozarec vode.
Spijem kozarec voda.
After a measure word (kozarec) the noun takes the genitive: voda → vode.
Imam veliko časa.
Imam veliko čas.
The quantity word veliko governs the genitive: čas → časa.

Common mistakes

Leaving the possessor in the nominative
To je avto moj prijatelj.
To je avto mojega prijatelja.
The owner must be in the genitive and follows the thing owned.
Using the nominative after a quantity word
Pijem veliko voda.
Pijem veliko vode.
Quantity words like veliko govern the genitive (voda → vode).

A2Cases

Genitive of Negation (ni denarja)

rodilnik zanikanja (ni denarja)

When you say that something is not there, Slovene uses the negative existential ni (the negated 3rd-person of biti) plus a genitive noun: ni denarja (there is no money), ni časa (there is no time), ni mleka. This is obligatory and never optional. The same logic extends to negated objects, where the strict norm prefers the genitive too: nimam časa, nimam denarja. With negated objects the accusative is increasingly tolerated in speech, but the genitive is the safe, standard choice. Endings are the regular genitive ones: masc/neut -a, fem -e.

Key rule

Negated existence takes ni + genitive (ni denarja, ni časa); negated objects standardly take the genitive too (nimam časa).

Examples

Tukaj ni denarja.
Tukaj ni denar.
Negated existence requires the genitive: denar → denarja.
Danes ni časa.
Danes ni čas.
The negative existential ni governs the genitive: čas → časa.
V hladilniku ni mleka.
V hladilniku ni mleko.
Neuter noun must be genitive after ni: mleko → mleka.

Common mistakes

Nominative after ni
Ni problem.
Ni problema.
Negated existence with ni always governs the genitive.
Accusative for a negated object in writing
Nimam denar.
Nimam denarja.
The literary norm prefers the genitive for negated objects.

A2Cases

Dative — Recipient & Experiencer

dajalnik – prejemnik in doživljavec

The dative (dajalnik) answers komu? / čemu? (to whom? to what?). It marks the recipient of an action — the person who gets something: dam prijatelju knjigo (I give my friend a book), pišem materi. It also marks the experiencer in many impersonal feeling-expressions, where the person who feels something stands in the dative: mraz mi je (I'm cold), všeč mi je (I like it), dolgčas mu je. Singular endings are masculine/neuter -u (bratu, mestu) and feminine -i (sestri, materi). The dative often appears as a short clitic (mi, ti, mu, ji).

Key rule

Put the recipient/indirect object in the dative (dam prijatelju), and use the dative for the experiencer in feeling-expressions (mraz mi je).

Examples

Dam prijatelju knjigo.
Dam prijatelja knjigo.
The recipient takes the dative -u, not the accusative.
Pišem materi pismo.
Pišem mater pismo.
Mati is the recipient and goes into the dative: materi.
Mraz mi je.
Mraz sem.
The experiencer stands in the dative clitic mi; the construction is impersonal.

Common mistakes

Accusative for the recipient
Dam prijatelja darilo.
Dam prijatelju darilo.
The recipient/indirect object is dative, not accusative.
Making the experiencer the subject
Sem mraz.
Mraz mi je.
Feeling-expressions are impersonal; the person is a dative experiencer.

A2Cases

Locative — Always with a Preposition

mestnik – vedno s predlogom

The locative (mestnik) answers kje? (where?) and o kom? / o čem? (about whom/what?). Its special feature: it NEVER stands alone — it always follows a preposition, most often v (in), na (on/at), pri (at someone's / near), o (about), po (around/after). So you say v hiši (in the house), na mizi (on the table), pri oknu (by the window), o knjigi (about the book). Singular endings are masculine/neuter -u (mestu, oknu) and feminine -i (hiši, sobi). With v and na, the locative answers 'where', as opposed to the accusative which answers 'where to'.

Key rule

The locative never stands alone — it always follows a preposition (v hiši, na mizi, pri oknu, o knjigi); with v/na it means location, not motion.

Examples

Sem v hiši.
Sem hiši.
The locative cannot stand without a preposition; v is required.
Knjiga je na mizi.
Knjiga je na mizo.
Location (kje?) takes the locative mizi, not the accusative mizo.
Stojim pri oknu.
Stojim pri okno.
The preposition pri governs the locative: okno → oknu.

Common mistakes

Bare locative without a preposition
Sem kuhinji.
Sem v kuhinji.
The locative always needs a preposition; here v.
Accusative for location
Sem v hišo.
Sem v hiši.
Location (kje?) takes the locative; the accusative marks motion to a goal.

A2Cases

Instrumental — Means & Accompaniment

orodnik – sredstvo in družba

The instrumental (orodnik) answers s kom? / s čim? (with whom? with what?). It has two main meanings. First, the means or tool — what you do something with: pišem s svinčnikom (I write with a pencil), režem z nožem. Second, accompaniment — who you are with: grem z bratom (I go with my brother), govorim s sosedo. It is normally introduced by the preposition s/z (s before voiceless sounds, z before voiced ones and vowels). Singular endings are masculine/neuter -om (bratom, nožem, mestom) and feminine -o (sestro, mizo).

Key rule

Use the instrumental for the means (pišem s svinčnikom) and accompaniment (grem z bratom), normally with s/z — s before voiceless, z before voiced sounds and vowels.

Examples

Pišem s svinčnikom.
Pišem s svinčnik.
The means takes the instrumental: svinčnik → svinčnikom.
Grem z bratom.
Grem z brat.
Accompaniment is in the instrumental: brat → bratom.
Režem z nožem.
Režem z nožom.
Soft stem nož takes -em: nožem.

Common mistakes

Nominative after s/z
Grem z brat.
Grem z bratom.
Accompaniment requires the instrumental ending -om.
Wrong s/z choice
Pišem z svinčnikom.
Pišem s svinčnikom.
Before the voiceless s the preposition is s.

A2Cases

Plural Nominative by Gender (-i / -e / -a)

imenovalnik množine po spolu (-i / -e / -a)

Be careful — Slovene uses the plural only for THREE or more. For exactly two you use the dual (dva fanta, dve mizi), not the plural. The basic nominative plural endings (for three or more) are: masculine -i (stoli, avtomobili), with many human masculines taking -je (fantje, učitelji → učitelji, but bratje, možje); feminine -e (hiše, sestre, mize); neuter -a (mesta, okna, jabolka). So 'three boys' is trije fantje, 'three tables' tri mize, 'three towns' tri mesta. Always check whether you mean two (dual) or three-plus (plural).

Key rule

Plural is for three or more (two = dual); nominative plural endings are masculine -i/-je, feminine -e, neuter -a.

Examples

Trije fantje igrajo nogomet.
Trije fanti igrajo nogomet.
Brat-type and many human masculines take -je: fantje.
Na dvorišču so štiri mize.
Na dvorišču so štiri mizi.
Feminine plural is -e: mize; mizi would be the dual.
V dolini so tri mesta.
V dolini so tri mesti.
Neuter plural is -a: mesta; mesti is the dual.

Common mistakes

Using the plural for two
dve mize
dve mizi
Exactly two requires the dual; the plural is for three or more.
Plain -i instead of -je
trije fanti
trije fantje
Many human masculines take the -je plural: fantje, bratje.

A2Cases

Full Singular Declension Across All Cases

sklanjatev ednine po vseh sklonih

This is the consolidating overview: all six singular cases for the three genders, side by side. Masculine brat: brat / brata / bratu / brata / bratu / bratom. Feminine hiša: hiša / hiše / hiši / hišo / hiši / hišo. Neuter mesto: mesto / mesta / mestu / mesto / mestu / mestom. Notice the patterns: genitive masc/neut -a, fem -e; dative masc/neut -u, fem -i; the locative equals the dative in form but always needs a preposition; the instrumental masc/neut -om, fem -o. For masculine animates the accusative equals the genitive (vidim brata).

Key rule

Learn the singular grid per gender: gen -a/-e, dat -u/-i, loc = dat (with preposition), ins -om/-o; masc animates have acc = gen.

Examples

Vidim brata.
Vidim brat.
Masculine animate accusative equals the genitive: brata.
Knjiga je v hiši.
Knjiga je v hiša.
Feminine locative is -i (and needs a preposition): hiši.
Grem k bratu.
Grem k brat.
Masculine dative -u after k: bratu.

Common mistakes

No animacy in the accusative
Vidim brat.
Vidim brata.
Masculine animates take accusative = genitive.
Animacy applied to an inanimate noun
Vidim stola.
Vidim stol.
Inanimate masculines keep accusative = nominative.

A2Cases

Genitive Plural (-ov / -∅ / fleeting e)

rodilnik množine (-ov / -∅ / premični e)

The genitive plural has very distinctive endings. Masculine nouns take -ov (fant → fantov, stol → stolov, prijatelj → prijateljev). Feminine and neuter nouns usually take a ZERO ending — the bare stem — but often need a 'fleeting e' inserted to break up a final consonant cluster: sestra → sester, miza → miz, okno → oken, jabolko → jabolk. This genitive plural is exactly the form you need after numbers 5 and above (pet fantov, šest miz, deset oken) and after many quantity words (veliko ljudi).

Key rule

Genitive plural: masculine -ov/-ev, feminine/neuter zero ending (often with a fleeting e: sester, oken); required after 5+ and quantity words.

Examples

V razredu je pet fantov.
V razredu je pet fanti.
After 5 the noun takes the genitive plural: fantov.
Kupila sem šest jabolk.
Kupila sem šest jabolka.
Neuter genitive plural is the zero ending: jabolk.
Imam veliko sester.
Imam veliko sestre.
Feminine genitive plural inserts a fleeting e: sester.

Common mistakes

Nominative plural after a number 5+
pet fanti
pet fantov
Five and above govern the genitive plural -ov.
Adding an ending to a feminine/neuter genitive plural
šest mize
šest miz
Feminine/neuter genitive plural is the zero ending.

A2Cases

Dative/Locative/Instrumental Plural (-om/-ah/-i)

dajalnik/mestnik/orodnik množine (-om/-ah/-i)

These three plural cases share strikingly regular endings across all genders. Dative plural is -om for masculine/neuter (fantom, mestom) and -am for feminine (hišam, sestram). Locative plural is -ih for masculine/neuter (pri fantih, v mestih) and -ah for feminine (v hišah, o sestrah). Instrumental plural is -i for masculine/neuter (s fanti, z mesti) and -ami for feminine (s hišami, s sestrami). Remember these are plural (three or more); for exactly two use the dual (dvema, dveh). The locative still always needs a preposition.

Key rule

Plural dat -om/-am, loc -ih/-ah (always with a preposition), ins -i/-ami; for exactly two use the dual instead.

Examples

Pišem prijateljem.
Pišem prijatelji.
Dative plural masculine is -om/-em: prijateljem.
Živimo v velikih mestih.
Živimo v velikih mesta.
Locative plural neuter is -ih: mestih.
Grem na počitnice s prijatelji.
Grem na počitnice s prijatelje.
Instrumental plural masculine is -i: prijatelji.

Common mistakes

Nominative plural for the dative
Pišem prijatelji.
Pišem prijateljem.
The recipient in the plural takes -om/-em.
Singular or wrong ending in the locative plural
v mesta
v mestih
Locative plural neuter is -ih.

A2Dual

L-Participle Dual in the Past (midva sva delala)

opisni deležnik dvojine v pretekliku (midva sva delala)

When exactly two people did something in the past, Slovene uses the dual past tense: the dual auxiliary of biti (sva for 'the two of us', sta for 'the two of you' and 'the two of them') plus the dual l-participle. The participle ends in -la for two males or a mixed pair (sva delala), and in -li for two females (sva delali). So 'we two worked' is midva sva delala, and 'you two worked' is vidva sta delala. The pronoun midva/vidva/onadva is usually optional — the auxiliary and participle already show the dual. This is one of the features that sets Slovene apart: where most languages jump straight to the plural, Slovene marks 'two' separately.

Key rule

For two past actors use the dual auxiliary sva/sta/sta plus the dual l-participle: -la for masculine or mixed pairs, -li for feminine pairs.

Examples

Midva sva včeraj delala v vrtu.
Midva smo včeraj delali v vrtu.
Two male actors take the dual sva delala, not the plural smo delali.
Midve sva se učili za izpit.
Midve sva se učila za izpit.
Two female actors take the feminine dual participle učili, not masculine učila.
Vidva sta kupila kruh.
Vidva ste kupili kruh.
'You two' is the dual sta kupila, not the plural ste kupili.

Common mistakes

Using the plural instead of the dual for two people
Brat in jaz smo gledali film.
Brat in jaz sva gledala film.
Two actors require the dual sva gledala. The plural smo gledali is for three or more and is an error here.
Wrong gender on the dual participle for two women
Ana in Eva sta kupila darilo.
Ana in Eva sta kupili darilo.
Two female subjects take the feminine dual ending -li (kupili), not the masculine -la.

A2Dual

Future Dual (bova/bosta delala)

prihodnjik dvojine (bova/bosta delala)

Slovene has one future tense, the bom-future, built from the future of biti plus the l-participle. In the dual its forms are bova ('the two of us will'), bosta ('you two will' and 'the two of them will'). So 'we two will work' is midva bova delala, and 'you two will work' is vidva bosta delala. As in the past, the participle agrees in gender: -la for a masculine or mixed pair, -li for a feminine pair. There is no separate ću-style future and no future II — Slovene marks the future with these biti forms and the l-participle, in the dual just as in the singular and plural.

Key rule

Form the dual future with bova/bosta/bosta plus the dual l-participle (-la masculine/mixed, -li feminine); there is no ću-future or futur II in Slovene.

Examples

Jutri bova delala skupaj.
Jutri ćemo delati skupaj.
Slovene forms the dual future with bova plus the l-participle, not with a ću-style auxiliary and infinitive.
Vidva bosta kupila vstopnici.
Vidva boste kupili vstopnici.
'You two will buy' is the dual bosta kupila, not the plural boste kupili.
Midve bova potovali poleti.
Midve bova potovala poleti.
Two women take the feminine dual participle potovali, not masculine potovala.

Common mistakes

Croatian ću-future instead of the bom-future
Sutra ćemo putovati zajedno.
Jutri bova potovala skupaj.
Slovene has no ću/ćemo + infinitive future; it uses the future of biti (bova) plus the l-participle.
Using the plural for two future actors
Midva bomo gledali tekmo.
Midva bova gledala tekmo.
Two actors require the dual bova gledala; bomo gledali is the plural for three or more.

A2Dual

Dual Imperative (delajva, delajta)

velelnik dvojine (delajva, delajta)

The dual imperative gives commands or suggestions involving exactly two people. The 1st-person dual ('let the two of us…') ends in -va: delajva ('let's two work'), greva ('let's two go'). The 2nd-person dual ('you two, …!') ends in -ta: delajta!, pridita! These endings attach to the imperative stem, the same stem you use for the singular Delaj! and plural Delajte!. So the imperative set for one verb is Delaj! / Delajva! / Delajta! / Delajmo! / Delajte!. The 1st-dual delajva is the everyday way two people propose doing something together, and is heard constantly: Greva!, Pojejva to!, Pohitiva!

Key rule

The dual imperative adds -va for 'let us two' (delajva) and -ta for 'you two' (delajta) to the imperative stem; biti is bodiva/bodita.

Examples

Greva na kavo!
Gremo na kavo! (ko sta samo dva)
For two people the 1st-dual is greva; gremo is the plural 'let's (all of us) go'.
Delajta tiše, prosim!
Delajte tiše, prosim! (ko sta samo dva)
Addressing exactly two people uses the dual delajta, not the plural delajte.
Pojejva sladico!
Pojejmo sladico! (ko sta samo dva)
'Let the two of us eat the dessert' is pojejva; pojejmo is the plural.

Common mistakes

Using the plural imperative for two people
Gremo midva domov!
Greva domov!
A joint suggestion by two people is the 1st-dual greva; gremo is the plural for three or more.
Using the 2nd-plural to address exactly two people
Pridite oba ob petih!
Pridita ob petih!
Addressing two listeners takes the 2nd-dual pridita; pridite is for a group of three or more.

A2Dual

Dual Possessives (najin, vajin, njun)

svojilni zaimki dvojine (najin, vajin, njun)

Slovene has special possessives for two owners: najin ('belonging to the two of us'), vajin ('belonging to the two of you'), and njun ('belonging to the two of them'). You already met their nominative forms; here you learn to decline them. They behave like adjectives and agree with the thing owned in gender, number, and case: najin avto, najina hiša, najino okno; in the genitive najinega avta, in the dative najinemu sinu, in the instrumental z najinim avtom. So najin shifts exactly like an adjective such as nov: najinega, najinemu, najinim. These are everyday words whenever two people share something — najino stanovanje, vajina starša, njun otrok.

Key rule

Decline najin/vajin/njun like the adjective nov, agreeing with the possessed noun in gender, number, and case; njun is invariable for the owners' gender.

Examples

To je najin avto.
To je naš avto. (ko sta lastnika samo dva)
Two owners take the dual najin; naš is for three or more.
Sedim v najinem avtu.
Sedim v najin avtu.
In the locative the possessive declines: najinem avtu, not the bare nominative najin.
To je darilo za vajina starša.
To je darilo za vajini starša.
Masculine animate accusative dual: vajina starša, agreeing with starša.

Common mistakes

Using the plural naš/vaš/njihov for two owners
To je naša hiša. (ko sta lastnika samo dva)
To je najina hiša.
Two owners require the dual najin; naš/vaš/njihov are for three or more.
Leaving the dual possessive in the nominative in an oblique case
Sediva v najin avtu.
Sediva v najinem avtu.
The possessive declines like an adjective; the locative form is najinem.

A2Dual

dva / dve in Genitive & Dative (dveh, dvema)

dva / dve v rodilniku in dajalniku (dveh, dvema)

The numeral 'two' declines. In the nominative and accusative it is dva (masculine) or dve (feminine and neuter): dva fanta, dve mizi. In the genitive and locative it becomes dveh for all genders: brez dveh fantov, pri dveh mizah. In the dative and instrumental it becomes dvema: dvema fantoma, z dvema mizama. The noun and any adjective agree in the same case and stay in the dual: dveh mladih fantov, z dvema starima prijateljema. So once 'two' leaves the nominative, you must put dva/dve into dveh or dvema and decline the noun phrase to match the case the sentence requires.

Key rule

Decline 'two' as dva/dve (nom/acc) → dveh (gen/loc) → dvema (dat/ins), with the noun and adjective agreeing in the same case.

Examples

Knjiga je brez dveh strani.
Knjiga je brez dva strani.
After brez the genitive forces dveh, not the nominative dva.
Dal sem darilo dvema fantoma.
Dal sem darilo dva fantoma.
The dative requires dvema, not the nominative dva.
Šel sem na sprehod z dvema prijateljema.
Šel sem na sprehod z dve prijateljema.
The instrumental after z requires dvema.

Common mistakes

Leaving dva/dve in the nominative in an oblique case
Govoriva o dva problema.
Govoriva o dveh problemih.
The locative after o forces dveh and the noun into the dual/plural locative problemih.
Using dveh where the dative/instrumental needs dvema
Z dveh prijateljema sem šel ven.
Z dvema prijateljema sem šel ven.
The instrumental of 'two' is dvema, not dveh; dveh is genitive/locative.

A2Pronouns

Stressed (Full) Pronoun Forms in Oblique Cases

naglašene oblike osebnih zaimkov v odvisnih sklonih

Slovene personal pronouns have two oblique forms: short unstressed clitics (me, te, ga, mi, ti, mu) and long stressed forms (mene, tebe, meni, tebi). Use the stressed forms for emphasis, in contrasts, after a preposition, and when the pronoun stands alone. Compare Vidim ga (neutral 'I see him') with Vidim njega, ne nje ('I see HIM, not her'). After a preposition you must use the full form: zame becomes za mene only when stressed, but prepositions take the stressed stem (k meni, o tebi, z njim, brez mene). The clitic forms cannot carry stress and cannot follow a preposition on their own.

Key rule

Use the stressed pronoun forms (mene, tebe, meni, tebi, njega, njej…) for emphasis, after prepositions, and standing alone; use clitics (me, te, mi, ga…) when unstressed.

Examples

Njega sem videl, ne nje.
Ga sem videl, ne nje.
Under contrastive emphasis the stressed njega is required; the clitic ga cannot bear stress or open the sentence.
To darilo je zame.
To darilo je za me.
A preposition takes the stressed form; za + mene fuses to zame, never za me.
Pridi k meni.
Pridi k mi.
After the preposition k the stressed dative meni is required, not the clitic mi.

Common mistakes

Putting a clitic after a preposition
To je za me.
To je zame.
Prepositions take the stressed pronoun; za + mene fuses to zame, never za me.
Using a clitic for emphasis or contrast
Ga sem poklical, ne nje.
Njega sem poklical, ne nje.
Emphasis and sentence-initial position require the stressed njega.

A2Pronouns

Indefinite & Negative Pronouns (nekdo/nihče, nekaj/nič)

nedoločni in nikalni zaimki (nekdo/nihče, nekaj/nič)

Slovene builds indefinite pronouns with the prefix nek- and negative ones with the prefix ni-. From kdo (who) and kaj (what) you get nekdo ('someone') and nekaj ('something'), and the negatives nihče ('no one') and nič ('nothing'). The same pattern gives adverbs: nekje ('somewhere') / nikjer ('nowhere'), nekam / nikamor, nekoč / nikoli. The key rule is that every ni-word triggers double negation: the verb must also be negated with ne. So 'I see no one' is Nikogar ne vidim (literally 'no one not I-see'), and 'I have nothing' is Nimam nič. Leaving out the ne is a real grammatical error.

Key rule

Form indefinites with nek- and negatives with ni-, and always negate the verb with ne when a ni-word appears (double negation: Nihče ni prišel).

Examples

Nihče ni prišel.
Nihče je prišel.
A ni-word forces double negation: the verb takes ni, not the affirmative je.
Nič ne vidim.
Nič vidim.
Nič requires the verb to be negated with ne; single negation is ungrammatical.
Nekdo je potrkal na vrata.
Nihče je potrkal na vrata.
An affirmative 'someone' is the indefinite nekdo; nihče is the negative and would force ne.

Common mistakes

Single negation with a ni-word (English transfer)
Nihče je doma.
Nikogar ni doma.
A ni-word forces a negated verb; negated existence also takes the genitive nikogar.
Using an indefinite where the negative is meant
Nekoga ne vidim.
Nikogar ne vidim.
'I see no one' needs the negative nikogar, not the indefinite nekoga.

A2Pronouns

kateri (which) vs kakšen (what kind)

kateri proti kakšen

Slovene uses two different question words where English sometimes uses 'what' or 'which'. Kateri asks you to select one item from a known set — 'which one?'. Kakšen asks about quality or type — 'what kind?'. So Kateri avto je tvoj? expects you to point to a specific car among several, while Kakšen avto imaš? asks what sort of car (big, red, new). Both agree with the noun in gender, number, and case: kateri avto, katera hiša, katero okno; kakšen avto, kakšna hiša, kakšno okno. Choosing the wrong one changes the meaning, so think: am I picking from a set (kateri) or describing a type (kakšen)?

Key rule

Use kateri to pick one item from a known set ('which?') and kakšen to ask about type or quality ('what kind?'); both agree with the noun.

Examples

Kateri avto je tvoj?
Kakšen avto je tvoj?
Selecting one car from several is kateri; kakšen would ask what type of car it is.
Kakšen avto imaš?
Kateri avto imaš?
Asking what sort of car (big, new) is kakšen; kateri would ask you to pick from a known set.
Katero knjigo bereš?
Kakšno knjigo bereš? (če sprašuješ, katero od teh)
Choosing a specific book is katero; kakšno asks about the genre or type.

Common mistakes

Using kakšen to select from a set
Kakšen od teh dveh avtomobilov je tvoj?
Kateri od teh dveh avtomobilov je tvoj?
Choosing one from a known set is kateri, not kakšen.
Using kateri to ask about type
Kateri film je to — komedija ali drama?
Kakšen film je to — komedija ali drama?
Asking about genre/type is kakšen, not the selective kateri.

A2Pronouns

Reflexive Possessive svoj

svojilni povratni zaimek svoj

Svoj means 'one's own' and points the possessor back to the subject of the clause. Whenever the owner of the object is the same as the subject, Slovene uses svoj instead of moj/tvoj/njegov/njen. So Vzel je svojo knjigo means 'he took his own book', while Vzel je njegovo knjigo means he took someone else's book. Svoj works for every person: Vzel sem svoj kovček (my own), Vzela si svoj kovček (your own), Vzeli so svoje kovčke (their own). It declines like an adjective and agrees with the possessed noun: svoj avto, svojo hišo, svoje okno, svojega psa. The danger zone is the third person, where njegov/njen vs svoj actually change the meaning.

Key rule

Use svoj (declined like an adjective, agreeing with the possessed noun) whenever the possessor is the subject of the clause; in the 3rd person njegov/njen mark a different owner.

Examples

Janez je vzel svojo torbo.
Janez je vzel njegovo torbo. (če je torba njegova lastna)
When the bag is Janez's own, use svojo; njegovo would mean another man's bag.
Vzel sem svoj dežnik.
Vzel sem moj dežnik.
When the subject owns the object, svoj is preferred over moj.
Ana ljubi svojega psa.
Ana ljubi njenega psa. (če je pes njen lastni)
If the dog is Ana's own, svojega is required; njenega would point to another woman's dog.

Common mistakes

Using njegov/njen for the subject's own possession (3rd-person trap)
Peter je pozabil njegov telefon. (lastni telefon)
Peter je pozabil svoj telefon.
When the phone is Peter's own, svoj is required; njegov means another man's phone.
Using moj/tvoj where svoj is idiomatic
Pijem mojo kavo.
Pijem svojo kavo.
The subject owns the coffee, so the reflexive svojo is preferred.

A2Prepositions

Dative Prepositions (k/h, proti)

predlogi z dajalnikom (k/h, proti)

The dative case (dajalnik) is governed by only a few prepositions, and the two you meet first are k/h and proti. k means 'to/towards' a person or a place where someone is (grem k zdravniku, grem k mami); before a word starting with k or g it is vocalised to h (h kosilu, h gospodu). proti means 'towards' a direction or 'against' (gremo proti mestu, igramo proti njim). Both put the following noun into the dative: masculine and neuter usually take -u (k oknu, proti gradu), feminine -a nouns take -i (k sestri, proti reki). Pronouns also go to the dative: k meni, k tebi, proti njej.

Key rule

k/h and proti both take the dative; k becomes h before k or g (h kosilu), and proti means 'towards/against' (proti mestu).

Examples

Peljemo se proti morju.
Peljemo se proti morje.
proti governs the dative; neuter morje becomes proti morju, not the nominative.
Igramo proti močni ekipi.
Igramo proti močno ekipo.
'against' an opponent is proti + dative; feminine ekipa becomes ekipi, with dative adjective močni.
Pridi h kosilu!
Pridi k kosilu!
Before k- the preposition vocalises to h: h kosilu.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after proti
Gremo proti mesto.
Gremo proti mestu.
proti governs the dative; neuter mesto takes -u (proti mestu).
Not vocalising k to h before k/g
Pridi k kosilu.
Pridi h kosilu.
Before k- or g- the preposition becomes h for easier pronunciation.

Lenguia Premium

Halfway there — imagine actually using all of this.

Lenguia's AI tutor explains any of these Slovenian grammar topics in seconds and builds practice around the ones you get wrong.

Try for Just $1

A2Prepositions

More Genitive Prepositions (brez, do, iz, od, blizu)

predlogi z rodilnikom (brez, do, iz, od, blizu)

The genitive case (rodilnik) is governed by more prepositions than any other case. A practical A2 set is: brez ('without' — brez denarja), do ('to/until' — do mesta, do petih), iz ('out of, from inside' — iz hiše, iz Slovenije), od ('from' — od babice), blizu ('near' — blizu šole) and okoli ('around' — okoli hiše). They all force the noun into the genitive: masculine and neuter usually take -a (brez denarja, do konca), feminine -a nouns take -e (brez vode, blizu reke). Remember that 'without' is brez + genitive in Slovene, never the instrumental, and that iz (out of an interior) differs from z/s (off a surface).

Key rule

brez (without), do (to/until), iz (out of), od (from), blizu (near) and okoli (around) all take the genitive: brez denarja, blizu šole.

Examples

Pijem kavo brez sladkorja.
Pijem kavo brez sladkor.
brez governs the genitive; masculine sladkor becomes sladkorja.
Stanujem blizu šole.
Stanujem blizu šola.
blizu requires the genitive; feminine šola becomes šole.
Prihajam iz Slovenije.
Prihajam iz Slovenijo.
iz governs the genitive; Slovenija becomes Slovenije, not the accusative.

Common mistakes

Using the instrumental for 'without'
Kava brez mlekom.
Kava brez mleka.
'without' is brez + genitive (brez mleka), never z/s + instrumental.
Leaving the noun in the nominative after a genitive preposition
Stanujem blizu šola.
Stanujem blizu šole.
blizu governs the genitive; feminine šola → šole.

A2Prepositions

Locative Prepositions (v, na, pri, o, po)

predlogi z mestnikom (v, na, pri, o, po)

The locative case (mestnik) is special: it never appears without a preposition. The everyday locative prepositions of place and topic are v ('in' — v hiši), na ('on/at' — na mizi), pri ('at/by, at someone's' — pri oknu, pri babici), o ('about' — o knjigi) and po ('over, around, along; after' — po mestu, po kosilu). They put the noun into the locative: masculine and neuter usually take -u (v mestu, pri oknu), feminine -a nouns take -i (na mizi, pri babici). v and na here mean static location (Kje? — where), the opposite of their motion use with the accusative. Keep biti present: Sem v hiši (I am in the house).

Key rule

v, na, pri, o, po take the locative (mestnik), which never appears without a preposition: v mestu, na mizi, pri babici, o knjigi, po mestu.

Examples

Sem pri babici.
Sem pri babica.
pri governs the locative; feminine babica becomes babici, not the nominative.
Knjiga je na mizi.
Knjiga je na miza.
Static 'on the table' is na + locative mizi, not the nominative miza.
Hodimo po mestu.
Hodimo po mesto.
po 'around/through' takes the locative; neuter mesto becomes mestu.

Common mistakes

Using the accusative for static location after v/na
Sem v mesto.
Sem v mestu.
Location (Kje?) takes the locative; motion (Kam?) would take the accusative.
Leaving the noun in the nominative after pri
Sem pri babica.
Sem pri babici.
pri governs the locative; feminine babica → babici.

A2Prepositions

Instrumental Prepositions (s/z, pred, nad, pod, med)

predlogi z orodnikom (s/z, pred, nad, pod, med)

The instrumental case (orodnik) is used with s/z ('with' — s prijateljem, z avtom) and with a family of position prepositions: pred ('in front of, before' — pred hišo), nad ('above' — nad mizo), pod ('under' — pod mizo) and med ('between, among' — med hišama, med ljudmi). The instrumental ending is usually -om for masculine/neuter (z avtom, pod stolom) and -o for feminine -a nouns (pred hišo, nad mizo). With z/s the spelling depends on the next sound: z before a vowel or voiced consonant, s before a voiceless one. pred, nad, pod and med take the instrumental for a static position; for motion toward such a position they switch to the accusative (postavim sliko nad mizo).

Key rule

s/z, pred, nad, pod and med take the instrumental for static position; pred/nad/pod/med switch to the accusative for motion toward.

Examples

Mačka spi pod mizo.
Mačka spi pod miza.
pod governs the instrumental for a static position; feminine miza becomes mizo.
Avto stoji pred hišo.
Avto stoji pred hiša.
pred + instrumental: feminine hiša becomes hišo (static position).
Slika visi nad kavčem.
Slika visi nad kavč.
nad + instrumental: masculine kavč becomes kavčem.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after pod/nad/pred
Mačka spi pod miza.
Mačka spi pod mizo.
These prepositions govern the instrumental for a static position; feminine miza → mizo.
Wrong masculine instrumental ending
Avto je pred hiša.
Avto je pred hišo.
Feminine -a-stems take instrumental -o: pred hišo.

A2Prepositions

Two-Case v / na — Accusative (motion) vs Locative (place)

dvosklonska v / na – tožilnik (smer) proti mestniku (kraj)

v ('in/into') and na ('on/onto/at') are two-case prepositions: the case depends on whether there is movement. With motion-into — answering Kam? (where to?) — they take the accusative: Grem v šolo, Dam knjigo na mizo. With static location — answering Kje? (where?) — they take the locative: Sem v šoli, Knjiga je na mizi. The same preposition, a different ending. The choice of v vs na is lexical and learned per noun: v for enclosed spaces, towns and countries (v hišo / v hiši), na for surfaces, open places and certain institutions (na pošto / na pošti). At A2 you make the motion/place contrast automatic across many nouns, including adjectives that must agree.

Key rule

v/na + accusative for motion-into (Kam? Grem v šolo); v/na + locative for static location (Kje? Sem v šoli); the v vs na choice is lexical.

Examples

Grem v gledališče.
Grem v gledališču.
Motion-into (Kam?) takes the accusative; neuter gledališče is unchanged.
Sem v gledališču.
Sem v gledališče.
Static location (Kje?) takes the locative gledališču.
Otroci tečejo na igrišče.
Otroci tečejo na igrišču.
Running onto the playground is motion → accusative na igrišče.

Common mistakes

Using the locative for motion-into
Grem v šoli.
Grem v šolo.
Direction answers Kam? and takes the accusative: v šolo.
Using the accusative for static location
Sem v šolo.
Sem v šoli.
Location answers Kje? and takes the locative: v šoli.

A2Clitics

Accusative Clitic Pronouns (me, te, ga, jo)

naslonske oblike tožilnika (me, te, ga, jo)

When a personal pronoun is the direct object, Slovene normally uses a short, unstressed clitic form: me (me), te (you sg), ga (him/it), jo (her/it), nas (us), vas (you pl/formal), jih (them). These are accusative pronouns and answer Koga? Kaj? (whom? what?): Vidim ga (I see him), Poznam te (I know you), Berem jo (I am reading it — e.g. knjigo). Like all clitics they cannot be stressed, cannot stand alone, and cannot open a clause, so they sit in second position right after the first word: never start with Ga vidim — say Vidim ga. For emphasis or after a preposition you use the full stressed forms instead (mene, tebe, njega, njo).

Key rule

Use the short accusative clitics me/te/ga/jo/nas/vas/jih for unstressed direct objects; they sit in second position and never open a clause — use full forms (mene, njega) for emphasis or after prepositions.

Examples

Vidim ga vsak dan.
Ga vidim vsak dan.
The clitic ga cannot open the clause; it sits in second position after the verb.
Ali poznaš Majo? — Da, poznam jo.
Ali poznaš Majo? — Da, poznam ji.
The accusative clitic for ona is jo; ji is the dative and wrong for a direct object.
Pokliči me zvečer.
Pokliči mene zvečer, prosim, takoj.
For a plain, unstressed object use the clitic me; the full mene is only for emphasis or contrast.

Common mistakes

Starting a clause with an accusative clitic
Ga vidim vsak dan.
Vidim ga vsak dan.
A clitic cannot open the clause; front a stressed word so the clitic is in second position.
Using a dative clitic for a direct object
Poznam ji.
Poznam jo.
A direct object takes the accusative clitic jo, not the dative ji.

A2Clitics

Dative Clitic Pronouns (mi, ti, mu, ji, nam)

naslonske oblike dajalnika (mi, ti, mu, ji, nam)

When a personal pronoun is the indirect object (the recipient), Slovene uses a short dative clitic: mi (to me), ti (to you sg), mu (to him/it), ji (to her/it), nam (to us), vam (to you pl/formal), jim (to them). They answer Komu? (to whom?): Daj mi knjigo (Give me the book), Povem ti resnico (I tell you the truth), Pomagam mu (I help him). They are also used for the dative experiencer (Všeč mi je / I like it, Hladno mi je / I am cold). Like all clitics they cannot be stressed, cannot stand alone and cannot open a clause; they sit in second position. For emphasis or after a preposition use the full forms (meni, tebi, njemu, njej).

Key rule

Use the short dative clitics mi/ti/mu/ji/nam/vam/jim for unstressed recipients and experiencers (Daj mi…, Všeč mi je); they sit in second position and never open a clause — use full forms (meni, njej) for emphasis or after prepositions.

Examples

Daj mi knjigo.
Daj me knjigo.
The recipient is the dative clitic mi ('to me'); me is the accusative and wrong here.
Pomagam mu vsak dan.
Mu pomagam vsak dan.
The clitic mu cannot open the clause; it sits in second position after the verb.
Ta film mi je zelo všeč.
Ta film me je zelo všeč.
The experiencer in 'všeč je' is the dative clitic mi, not the accusative me.

Common mistakes

Using an accusative clitic for the recipient
Daj me knjigo.
Daj mi knjigo.
The recipient is the dative clitic mi; the accusative me would mark a direct object.
Starting a clause with a dative clitic
Mu pomagam vsak dan.
Pomagam mu vsak dan.
A clitic cannot open the clause; front a stressed word so the clitic is second.

A2Clitics

Reflexive Clitics se / si

povratni naslonki se / si

Slovene has two reflexive clitics: se (accusative — 'oneself') and si (dative — 'to/for oneself'). They are the same for every person (1st, 2nd, 3rd, singular, dual, plural). se appears with reflexive verbs and the action turning back on the subject: umijem se (I wash myself), učim se (I study), Maja se smeji (Maja laughs). si marks the dative reflexive — doing something for oneself: umijem si roke (I wash my hands), kupim si kavo (I buy myself a coffee), mislim si (I think to myself). Like all clitics, se and si cannot be stressed, cannot stand alone, and cannot open a clause — they sit in second position. Many verbs simply require se as part of their meaning (počutiti se, bati se).

Key rule

se is the accusative reflexive ('oneself'), si the dative reflexive ('for oneself'); both are invariable across persons, sit in second position, and never open a clause (Učim se; umijem si roke).

Examples

Zjutraj se umijem.
Zjutraj umijem se.
The reflexive se takes second position after the adverb Zjutraj, not after the verb.
Umijem si roke.
Umijem se roke.
Washing one's hands (a part, for oneself) is the dative reflexive si, not accusative se.
Maja se smeji.
Maja smeji se.
smejati se is inherently reflexive; se attaches in second position after Maja.

Common mistakes

Using accusative se where the dative si is needed
Umijem se roke.
Umijem si roke.
Washing a part of the body for oneself is the dative reflexive si; roke is the separate accusative object.
Starting a clause with the reflexive clitic
Se učim slovensko.
Učim se slovensko.
A clitic cannot be clause-initial; front a stressed word so se is in second position.

A2Clitics

Second-Position Clitic Cluster & Ordering

naslonski niz na drugem mestu in vrstni red

When several clitics appear together, they gather into one cluster in second position, in a fixed order. The order is: question li, then the auxiliary biti (sem/si/je/smo/ste/so/bom…), then the reflexive se/si, then the dative pronoun (mi/ti/mu/ji…), then the accusative/genitive pronoun (me/te/ga/jo/jih). So you say Dal mi ga je (He gave it to me): dative mi before accusative ga, with the auxiliary je. One important exception: the auxiliary comes before se, EXCEPT the 3rd-person singular je, which comes after se — so smejal sem se but smejal se je. The whole cluster sits in second position and never opens a clause.

Key rule

Clitics cluster in second position in the order li › aux › se/si › dative › accusative/genitive (dal mi ga je); the auxiliary precedes se EXCEPT 3sg je, which follows se (smejal se je).

Examples

Dal mi ga je.
Dal ga mi je.
The dative clitic mi precedes the accusative ga in the cluster: mi ga, not ga mi.
Smejal se je.
Smejal je se.
The 3sg auxiliary je is the exception: it follows the reflexive se, not precedes it.
Smejal sem se.
Smejal se sem.
Every auxiliary except 3sg je precedes se; here sem comes before se.

Common mistakes

Putting the accusative before the dative in the cluster
Dal ga mi je.
Dal mi ga je.
Dative precedes accusative in the cluster: mi ga, never ga mi.
Placing 3sg je before se
Smejal je se.
Smejal se je.
The 3sg auxiliary je is the one exception: it follows se.

A2Syntax

Obligatory Double Negation (ni-words + ne)

obvezno dvojno zanikanje (ni- + ne)

Slovene uses negative concord: when the sentence contains a negative word such as 'nikoli' (never), 'nič' (nothing), 'nihče' (nobody), 'nikamor' (nowhere) or 'nikdar', the verb must STILL be negated with 'ne'. So 'I never come' is 'Nikoli ne pridem', literally 'never not come', and 'I know nothing' is 'Nič ne vem'. This feels like a 'double negative' to English speakers, but it is obligatory, not an error: a single negation ('*Nikoli pridem') is ungrammatical. You can even stack several ni-words: 'Nihče nikoli nič ne reče' (Nobody ever says anything). The rule is simple to apply: keep the 'ne' on the verb whenever a ni-word appears.

Key rule

Any negative ni-/nikoli-word obligatorily keeps the verb's own negator 'ne'; the single negation found in English is ungrammatical in Slovene.

Examples

Nikoli ne pridem prepozno.
Nikoli pridem prepozno.
'nikoli' (never) requires the verb negator 'ne'; without it the sentence is ungrammatical even though English uses a single negative.
Nič ne vem o tem.
Nič vem o tem.
'nič' (nothing) triggers obligatory 'ne' on the verb 'vem' (I know).
Nihče ni doma.
Nihče je doma.
With the copula the 'ne' fuses into the negative form 'ni'; 'nihče' (nobody) cannot stand with the affirmative 'je'.

Common mistakes

Single negation copied from English
Nič razumem.
Nič ne razumem.
English negates once ('I understand nothing'), but Slovene requires both the ni-word and the verb negator 'ne'.
Affirmative copula after a negative word
Nihče je tukaj.
Nihče ni tukaj.
After a ni-word the copula must be the negative form 'ni', not 'je'.

A2Syntax

Indirect Questions — Introduction (Ne vem, kje je)

odvisni vprašalni stavek – uvod (Ne vem, kje je)

An indirect (embedded) question is a question packed inside another sentence: 'Ne vem, kje je' (I don't know where he is). It keeps the question word — 'kdo, kaj, kje, kam, kdaj, zakaj, kako' — but uses normal statement word order, not the inversion of a real question. A comma always separates the two clauses. For yes/no questions you embed with 'ali' (whether/if): 'Vprašaj, ali pride' (Ask whether he is coming). The verb stays in the indicative; there is no special question intonation inside the embedded clause. Common opening verbs are 'vem' (I know), 'vprašati' (to ask), 'povedati' (to tell), 'razumeti' (to understand).

Key rule

Embed questions with the wh-word (or 'ali' for yes/no), a comma, and STATEMENT word order in the indicative — no inversion, no embedded question mark.

Examples

Ne vem, kje je Ana.
Ne vem, kje je Ana?
The embedded question keeps statement order, and the sentence as a whole ends with a period because the main clause is a statement.
Vprašaj ga, ali pride.
Vprašaj ga, če pride. (= condition, not whether)
A yes/no question embeds with 'ali' (whether). Using 'če' here shifts the meaning toward a conditional 'if'.
Povej mi, kdaj se začne film.
Povej mi, kdaj se film začne se.
The clitic 'se' sits once, in second position of the embedded clause ('kdaj se začne'), not doubled.

Common mistakes

Keeping question inversion in the embedded clause
Ne vem, kje je on doma je.
Ne vem, kje je doma.
The embedded clause uses ordinary statement order; you do not re-order the verb as in a direct question.
Leaving the embedded question mark
Povej mi, kdaj prideš?
Povej mi, kdaj prideš.
Punctuation follows the MAIN clause; an imperative/statement main clause ends with a period, not a question mark.

A2Connectors

Basic Subordinators (da, ker, ko, če)

osnovni podredni vezniki (da, ker, ko, če)

These four conjunctions introduce dependent clauses: 'da' (that), 'ker' (because), 'ko' (when, for a single/past time), and 'če' (if, conditional). Each one starts a subordinate clause that is separated from the main clause by a comma: 'Vem, da prideš' (I know that you're coming); 'Ostal sem doma, ker sem bil bolan' (I stayed home because I was sick); 'Ko sem prišel, je bilo prazno' (When I arrived, it was empty); 'Če imaš čas, pridi' (If you have time, come). Word order inside the dependent clause is ordinary statement order, and the clitics cluster in its second position. Do NOT confuse 'ker' (because) with 'ko' (when).

Key rule

Introduce dependent clauses with da (that), ker (because), ko (when), če (if) — always with a comma, statement word order, and NEVER 'da + present' as an infinitive substitute.

Examples

Vem, da prideš jutri.
Vem da prideš jutri.
'da' introduces an object clause and the comma before it is obligatory.
Hočem delati.
Hočem, da delam.
After a modal Slovene uses the bare infinitive; 'da + present' is not an infinitive substitute as in some neighbouring languages.
Ostal sem doma, ker sem bil bolan.
Ostal sem doma, ko sem bil bolan.
A reason takes 'ker' (because); 'ko' (when) would change the meaning to a time reference.

Common mistakes

Using 'da + present' instead of the infinitive
Želim, da grem domov.
Želim iti domov.
When the subject is the same, Slovene uses the infinitive after a modal/desire verb, not a 'da'-clause.
Confusing 'ker' (because) with 'ko' (when)
Jokam, ko mi je hudo.
Jokam, ker mi je hudo.
If the clause states a reason, use 'ker'; 'ko' marks a time point, not a cause.

A2Connectors

Cause & Concession (ker, zato, čeprav)

vzrok in dopustnost (ker, zato, čeprav)

These connectors handle reason and contrast. 'ker' (because) introduces a subordinate reason clause: 'Ostal sem doma, ker sem bolan.' 'zato' (therefore/so) introduces the RESULT and is often coordinating: 'Bolan sem, zato ostajam doma.' Note the direction: 'ker' gives the cause, 'zato' gives the effect. 'čeprav' (although) introduces a concessive clause — something true despite an expectation: 'Šel je ven, čeprav je deževalo' (He went out although it was raining). All three put a comma at the clause boundary and use statement word order. A common phrase is 'zato ker' (precisely because), and 'zato da' means 'in order to'.

Key rule

Use 'ker' for the cause clause, 'zato' for the result, and 'čeprav' for a concession (contrary-to-expectation) — each with a comma and statement word order.

Examples

Ostal sem doma, ker sem bil bolan.
Ostal sem doma, zato sem bil bolan.
'ker' introduces the cause; 'zato' would wrongly mark the staying-home as the cause of the illness.
Bil sem bolan, zato sem ostal doma.
Bil sem bolan, ker sem ostal doma.
Here the second clause is the RESULT, so 'zato' (so/therefore) is correct, not 'ker'.
Čeprav je deževalo, smo šli na sprehod.
Čeprav je deževalo, zato smo šli na sprehod.
'čeprav' alone marks the concession; adding 'zato' contradicts the contrastive sense.

Common mistakes

Swapping cause and result (ker vs zato)
Dežuje, ker ostajam doma.
Dežuje, zato ostajam doma.
The staying-home is the result of the rain, so the result clause needs 'zato', not 'ker'.
Using 'ker' where a concession is meant
Prišel je, ker je bil bolan.
Prišel je, čeprav je bil bolan.
Coming despite being sick is contrary to expectation, so it requires concessive 'čeprav'.

A2Orthography

Prepositional Vocalisation (s/z, k/h, v/na)

predložna premena (s/z, k/h, v/na)

Some prepositions change form depending on the FIRST sound of the next word, and the change is written, not just spoken. 's' vs 'z' (with/from): use 'z' before a voiced sound or a vowel ('z bratom', 'z avtom') and 's' before a voiceless sound ('s teboj', 's psom'). 'k' vs 'h' (towards): use 'h' before 'k' or 'g' ('h kosilu', 'h gozdu') and 'k' elsewhere ('k oknu'). The preposition 'v' (into/in) is pronounced like 'u' but written 'v'. The choice mirrors the sound that follows, so it can change when the noun changes. Always write the form that matches the next sound.

Key rule

Write 'z' before voiced sounds/vowels and 's' before voiceless ones; write 'h' before k/g and 'k' elsewhere — the choice tracks the FIRST sound of the next word.

Examples

Grem z bratom v kino.
Grem s bratom v kino.
'brat' begins with the voiced 'b', so the preposition is 'z', not 's'.
Pišem s svinčnikom.
Pišem z svinčnikom.
'svinčnik' begins with the voiceless 's', so the preposition is 's'.
Pridem h kosilu ob enih.
Pridem k kosilu ob enih.
Before a word starting with 'k', the dative preposition vocalises to 'h'.

Common mistakes

Using 's' before a voiced consonant or vowel
Grem s avtom.
Grem z avtom.
Before a vowel the preposition vocalises to 'z'; 's' is reserved for voiceless sounds.
Using 'z' before a voiceless consonant
Igram z prijateljem.
Igram s prijateljem.
'p' is voiceless, so the form is 's', not 'z'.

A2Numbers dates time

Ordinal Numbers (prvi, drugi, tretji)

vrstilni števniki (prvi, drugi, tretji)

Ordinal numbers (first, second, third…) behave like DEFINITE adjectives in Slovene and agree with their noun in gender, number and case: 'prvi dan' (the first day, masc.), 'prva ura' (the first hour, fem.), 'tretje nadstropje' (the third floor, neut.). The basic forms are prvi, drugi, tretji, četrti, peti, šesti, sedmi, osmi, deveti, deseti. In writing, an ordinal is marked with a period after the digit: '1. maj' = 'prvi maj' (the first of May). Dates use the ordinal: 'Danes je 5. junij' (Today is the fifth of June). Because they are definite adjectives, they always take the definite (-i) ending, never the indefinite one.

Key rule

Ordinals are DEFINITE adjectives agreeing in gender/number/case (prvi/prva/prvo); written as a digit they take a following period (1. maj = prvi maj).

Examples

Sedimo v prvi vrsti.
Sedimo v prva vrsta.
The ordinal agrees with 'vrsta' (fem.) in the locative: 'prvi vrsti', not the nominative form.
Stanujem v tretjem nadstropju.
Stanujem v tretji nadstropje.
'nadstropje' is neuter; the locative ordinal is 'tretjem', agreeing in gender and case.
Danes je peti junij.
Danes je pet junij.
A date needs the ORDINAL 'peti' (fifth), not the cardinal 'pet' (five).

Common mistakes

Using a cardinal where an ordinal is needed
Danes je tri marec.
Danes je tretji marec.
Dates and ranking use ordinals; 'tri' (three) must be 'tretji' (third).
Failing to agree in gender
prvi stran
prva stran
'stran' is feminine, so the ordinal takes the feminine ending 'prva'.

A2Numbers dates time

Dates & Telling Time (Koliko je ura? ob, pol)

datum in ura (Koliko je ura? ob, pol)

To ask the time, say 'Koliko je ura?' (What time is it?). The answer uses the cardinal for the full hour with the feminine 'ura': 'Ura je ena/dve/tri/pet.' To say AT a time, use 'ob' + locative: 'ob enih', 'ob treh', 'ob petih'. For half past, Slovene counts toward the NEXT hour: 'pol petih' = half past four (literally 'half of five'). Quarters use 'četrt na' and 'tri četrt na': 'četrt na pet' = quarter past four. For dates, ask 'Kateri datum je danes?' and answer with an ordinal: 'Danes je 5. junij.' To say ON a date, use the genitive: 'petega junija'.

Key rule

Ask 'Koliko je ura?'; say a time with 'ob' + locative ('ob petih'), use 'pol' counting toward the next hour ('pol petih' = 4:30), and give dates with an ordinal (genitive for 'on': prvega maja).

Examples

Koliko je ura?
Koliko ura je?
The fixed question keeps the clitic 'je' in second position: 'Koliko je ura?'
Ura je pet.
Ura je peti.
The full hour uses the CARDINAL 'pet', not the ordinal 'peti'.
Vlak odpelje ob petih.
Vlak odpelje ob pet.
'ob' for clock time takes the locative plural: 'ob petih', not the bare cardinal.

Common mistakes

Bare cardinal instead of 'ob' + locative
Pridem ob pet.
Pridem ob petih.
Stating a clock time with 'ob' requires the locative plural form 'petih'.
Treating 'pol petih' as 5:30
pol petih = 17.30
pol petih = 16.30
Slovene 'pol' counts toward the next hour, so 'pol petih' is half past FOUR.

A2Numbers dates time

Cardinal Numbers — Government (en+sg, dva→dual, 5+ →gen pl)

glavni števniki – vezava (en + ed., dva → dvojina, 5+ → rod. mn.)

Slovene numbers govern the noun differently depending on the count. 'en/ena/eno' (one) agrees like an adjective and takes the SINGULAR: 'en fant, ena miza, eno okno'. 'dva/dve' (two) triggers the DUAL: 'dva fanta, dve mizi, dve okni'. 'trije/tri' (three) and 'štirje/štiri' (four) take the NOMINATIVE PLURAL: 'trije fantje, štiri mize'. From 'pet' (five) up, the noun goes into the GENITIVE PLURAL: 'pet fantov, šest miz, deset oken'. So the same noun changes form with the number: en fant → dva fanta → trije fantje → pet fantov. Watch gender too: 'dva' (masc.) vs 'dve' (fem./neut.), 'trije' (masc.) vs 'tri' (fem./neut.).

Key rule

en + singular; dva/dve + DUAL; trije/tri & štirje/štiri + nominative plural; pet and above + GENITIVE PLURAL (pet fantov) — and gender splits dva/dve, trije/tri.

Examples

Imam enega brata.
Imam ena brata.
'en' is adjectival and here masculine animate accusative ('enega'), with the noun in the singular.
Na mizi sta dve jabolki.
Na mizi so dve jabolka.
'dve' triggers the DUAL: noun 'jabolki' and the dual copula 'sta', not plural 'so' + plural noun.
V razredu so trije fantje.
V razredu so tri fantje.
Masculine 'three' is 'trije' (not 'tri'); the noun is in the nominative plural 'fantje'.

Common mistakes

Plural instead of dual after dva/dve
Imam dve sestre.
Imam dve sestri.
'dve' triggers the dual; the accusative dual of 'sestra' is 'sestri', not the plural 'sestre'.
Wrong gender form of two/three
dve fanta
dva fanta
'fant' is masculine, so 'two' is 'dva' (dual), not the feminine/neuter 'dve'.

A2Verb usage

potrebovati (to need) + Accusative

potrebovati + tožilnik

Slovene expresses 'to need' with the regular verb potrebovati. It behaves like any ordinary transitive verb: the person who needs is the subject in the nominative, and the thing needed is a direct object in the accusative. So 'I need help' is potrebujem pomoč, where pomoč is accusative. The verb conjugates -ujem/-uješ/-uje (potrebujem, potrebuješ, potrebuje, potrebujemo). It is imperfective and is used for both temporary and lasting needs. Unlike the experiencer pattern used for 'to like' or 'to be cold', the needer is a normal subject, not a dative experiencer.

Key rule

potrebovati is a normal transitive verb: needer in the nominative (subject), thing needed in the accusative — potrebujem pomoč.

Examples

Potrebujem pomoč.
Potrebujem pomoči.
The needed thing is a direct object in the accusative (pomoč), not the genitive — that would only appear under negation.
Potrebuješ nov telefon.
Potrebuješ nova telefon.
The adjective must agree with the masculine accusative noun: nov telefon.
Potrebujemo več časa.
Potrebujemo več čas.
The quantifier več governs the genitive (časa); the verb itself takes the accusative when there is no quantifier.

Common mistakes

Genitive instead of accusative for the affirmative object
Potrebujem pomoči.
Potrebujem pomoč.
The affirmative object of potrebovati is accusative; the genitive only appears when the verb is negated.
Using a dative experiencer construction
Meni je potrebna pomoč.
Potrebujem pomoč.
Unlike 'to like' (všeč mi je), needing uses a normal nominative subject, not a dative experiencer.

A2Verb usage

Reflexive Verbs with se / si

povratni glagoli s se / si

Many Slovene verbs carry a reflexive clitic, either se (accusative) or si (dative). True reflexives turn the action back on the subject: umiti se (to wash oneself). Some are reciprocal: poznata se (they know each other). Many are 'middle' verbs that simply require se as part of the verb: bati se (to be afraid), smejati se (to laugh), učiti se (to learn). The dative si appears when the subject does something to/for themselves, often with a separate object: želeti si nekaj (to wish for something), umiti si roke (to wash one's hands). The clitic se / si sits in the second-position cluster, not glued to the verb.

Key rule

Reflexive verbs carry the clitic se (accusative reflexive) or si (dative, often with a separate object); the clitic sits in second position, not glued to the verb.

Examples

Vsako jutro se umijem.
Vsako jutro umijem se.
The reflexive clitic se goes to second position, not after the verb.
Brat in sestra se dobro poznata.
Brat in sestra dobro poznata se.
Reciprocal se ('know each other') still occupies the second-position slot.
Bojim se teme.
Bojim teme.
bati se is inherently reflexive; the se cannot be dropped, and its object (teme) is genitive.

Common mistakes

Dropping the obligatory se
Bojim teme.
Bojim se teme.
Inherently reflexive verbs like bati se cannot lose the se; it is part of the verb.
se attached after the verb
Učim se vsak dan slovensko. (initial) → Vsak dan učim se slovensko.
Vsak dan se učim slovensko.
The reflexive clitic belongs in the second-position cluster, not directly after the verb.

A2Verb usage

"to like" with všeč + Dative

všeč je z dajalnikom

Slovene does not have a plain transitive verb 'to like'. Liking is an experiencer construction: the thing liked is the grammatical subject in the NOMINATIVE, the person who likes is the DATIVE experiencer, and všeč ('pleasing') links them with biti. So 'I like this book' is literally 'this book is pleasing to me': Ta knjiga mi je všeč. The verb biti agrees with the liked thing, not with the person: Te slike so mi všeč ('I like these pictures'). The dative clitic (mi, ti, mu, ji, nam) sits in the clitic cluster. This is the same experiencer logic as in mrzlo mi je ('I'm cold').

Key rule

Liking is an experiencer pattern: liked thing = nominative subject, liker = dative, linked by všeč + biti, with biti agreeing with the liked thing — Ta knjiga mi je všeč.

Examples

Ta knjiga mi je všeč.
Ljubim to knjigo.
Liking a thing uses the experiencer pattern with všeč + dative; ljubiti means romantic love, not everyday 'like'.
Te slike so mi všeč.
Te slike mi je všeč.
biti agrees with the liked thing: plural slike requires so, not je.
Ali ti je všeč nova pesem?
Ali te je všeč nova pesem?
The experiencer is dative (ti), not accusative (te).

Common mistakes

Treating 'like' as a transitive verb
Lajkam to pesem.
Ta pesem mi je všeč.
Slovene has no plain transitive 'to like'; use the experiencer pattern with všeč + dative.
Accusative experiencer instead of dative
Me je všeč ta film.
Ta film mi je všeč.
The person who likes is the dative experiencer (mi), never the accusative (me).

A2Verb usage

Motion: iti vs hoditi (go once vs habitually)

premikanje: iti proti hoditi

Slovene has two verbs for 'to go (on foot)' that differ in MANNER of motion. iti is determinate — one specific trip in one direction, often happening now or planned: grem v šolo ('I'm going to school now'). hoditi is indeterminate — repeated, habitual or general going, or going around: hodim v šolo ('I go to school / I attend school'). Choose iti for a single, directed trip and hoditi for habitual or repeated motion: vsak dan hodim v službo. The pair is part of the broader system of determinate vs indeterminate motion verbs (also peljati/voziti for transport).

Key rule

iti = one directed trip now or planned (grem v šolo); hoditi = habitual, repeated or general going (vsak dan hodim v šolo).

Examples

Zdaj grem v trgovino.
Zdaj hodim v trgovino.
A single trip happening now takes the determinate iti (grem), not habitual hoditi.
Vsak dan hodim v službo.
Vsak dan grem v službo.
A daily habit takes the indeterminate hoditi (hodim), not the one-trip iti.
Jutri grem k zdravniku.
Jutri hodim k zdravniku.
A planned single visit uses iti; hoditi would imply repeated visits.

Common mistakes

iti for a habitual action
Vsak dan grem v šolo.
Vsak dan hodim v šolo.
Repeated daily motion requires the indeterminate hoditi.
hoditi for a single planned trip
Jutri hodim na morje.
Jutri grem na morje.
A single planned trip uses the determinate iti (grem).

A2Verb usage

Supine — Introduction (grem spat)

namenilnik – uvod (grem spat)

Slovene has a special verb form, the supine (namenilnik), used after verbs of motion (iti, priti, peljati) and verbs of sending/leaving to express PURPOSE — what you are going to do. It looks like the infinitive but DROPS the final -i: infinitive delati → supine delat, spati → spat, kupiti → kupit. So 'I'm going to sleep' is grem spat and 'I'm going to buy bread' is grem kupit kruh. The supine governs its object in the normal case (kupit KRUH = accusative). It is one of the clearest features that sets Slovene apart from its neighbours, which would use a plain infinitive here.

Key rule

After motion and send/leave verbs use the supine (infinitive minus final -i) to express purpose: grem spat, grem kupit kruh.

Examples

Grem spat.
Grem spati.
After the motion verb iti, purpose is expressed by the supine spat (no final -i), not the infinitive spati.
Grem kupit kruh.
Grem kupiti kruh.
Supine kupit (not infinitive kupiti) follows the motion verb; kruh stays accusative.
Pridi mi pomagat.
Pridi mi pomagati.
After priti the purpose verb is the supine pomagat, not the infinitive pomagati.

Common mistakes

Infinitive after a motion verb
Grem spati.
Grem spat.
Purpose after a motion verb requires the supine (spat), formed by dropping the final -i.
Infinitive in the past with a motion verb
Šla je kupiti mleko.
Šla je kupit mleko.
The supine (kupit) is used regardless of tense after a motion verb.

A2Verb usage

Supine vs Infinitive — Contrast

namenilnik proti nedoločniku

Slovene chooses between two non-finite forms depending on the governing verb. After verbs of MOTION and sending/leaving (iti, priti, peljati, poslati) you use the SUPINE — the infinitive minus its final -i: grem delat ('I'm going to work'). After MODAL and PHASAL verbs (hoteti, morati, moči, začeti, nehati) you use the full INFINITIVE: hočem delati ('I want to work'), začnem delati ('I start to work'). The two forms differ by just the final -i, so the trigger verb is the key: motion → supine, modal/phasal → infinitive.

Key rule

Motion / send-leave verbs take the SUPINE (grem delat); modal / phasal verbs take the INFINITIVE (hočem delati) — the supine is just the infinitive minus final -i.

Examples

Grem delat.
Grem delati.
After the motion verb iti the purpose form is the supine delat, not the infinitive delati.
Hočem delati.
Hočem delat.
After the modal hoteti the complement is the infinitive delati, not the supine delat.
Začnem brati knjigo.
Začnem brat knjigo.
The phasal verb začeti takes the infinitive brati, not the supine brat.

Common mistakes

Infinitive after a motion verb
Grem delati na vrt.
Grem delat na vrt.
Motion verbs trigger the supine (delat), formed by dropping the final -i.
Supine after a modal verb
Hočem spat.
Hočem spati.
Modal verbs take the full infinitive (spati), not the supine.

A2Verb tenses

Perfect Past — Formation (l-participle + biti)

preteklik – tvorba (deležnik na -l + biti)

Slovenian has only ONE past tense, the preteklik. You build it from the present of biti (sem, si, je, smo, ste, so) plus the so-called l-participle of the main verb (delal, govoril, bral). So 'I worked' is delal sem, and 'she spoke' is govorila je. The auxiliary sem/si/je is a clitic and normally does NOT begin the sentence: you say Delal sem ves dan, not Sem delal ves dan. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (delal for a man, delala for a woman), which you learn fully in a separate tag. There is no separate 'simple past' versus 'present perfect' — this one form covers both.

Key rule

Form the past with the present of biti plus the l-participle (infinitive -ti → -l): delal sem, govorila je — and keep the auxiliary in second position, never sentence-initial.

Examples

Včeraj sem delal cel dan.
Včeraj jaz delam cel dan.
Past meaning needs the l-participle plus the auxiliary (delal sem), not the present delam.
Govorila je zelo lepo.
Govorila zelo lepo.
The auxiliary je is obligatory; the bare participle cannot stand alone in the past.
Brali smo to knjigo.
Smo brali to knjigo.
The clitic smo is in second position; it does not normally open the clause.

Common mistakes

Using the present tense for past meaning
Včeraj delam ves dan.
Včeraj sem delal ves dan.
Past events require the l-participle plus auxiliary, not the present tense.
Dropping the auxiliary biti
Govoril s sosedom.
Govoril sem s sosedom.
The l-participle alone is not a finite verb; the auxiliary sem/si/je is obligatory.

A2Verb tenses

Perfect — Negation (nisem delal)

zanikani preteklik (nisem delal)

To negate the past tense, you simply use the NEGATIVE forms of the auxiliary biti instead of the positive ones: nisem, nisi, ni, nismo, niste, niso. So 'I worked' (delal sem) becomes 'I did not work' (nisem delal); 'she spoke' (govorila je) becomes ni govorila. The l-participle itself does not change — only the auxiliary switches to the fused negative. Unlike negated present-tense verbs, here you do NOT put a separate ne before the participle: it is nisem delal, never ne sem delal and not delal ne. The negative auxiliary, being heavier, often comes first or second, e.g. Nisem delal or Včeraj nisem delal.

Key rule

Negate the past by swapping the auxiliary for biti's fused negative (nisem, nisi, ni…) and leaving the participle unchanged: nisem delal — never ne sem delal.

Examples

Nisem delal v soboto.
Ne sem delal v soboto.
biti's negation is fused into nisem; ne sem does not exist.
Ona ni govorila o tem.
Ona ne govorila o tem.
The negated 3sg auxiliary is the fused ni, not a separate ne plus participle.
Nismo brali te knjige.
Nismo brali to knjigo.
A negated object takes the genitive of negation: knjiga → knjige.

Common mistakes

Inserting a separate ne before the participle
Ne sem delal.
Nisem delal.
biti's past negation uses the fused nisem; there is no separate ne.
Splitting the negative 3sg into two words
Ona ne je prišla.
Ona ni prišla.
The negated auxiliary is the single irregular form ni (ne je would mean 'does not eat').

A2Verb tenses

The bom-Future — Formation

prihodnjik (bom delal) – tvorba

Slovenian has just ONE future tense, the prihodnjik. You build it exactly like the past, but with the SPECIAL future forms of biti: bom, boš, bo (sg), bova, bosta, bosta (dual), bomo, boste, bodo (pl), plus the l-participle. So 'I will work' is delal bom (or bom delal), 'she will read' is brala bo. Notice the 3rd-person plural is bodo (sometimes shortened to bojo in speech, but bodo in writing). There is NO Croatian-style clitic future with the infinitive, and NO 'futur II'. Just take the bom-set and add the same l-participle you use in the past.

Key rule

Form the future with the bom-set (bom, boš, bo, bova, bosta, bomo, boste, bodo) plus the l-participle — there is no clitic-plus-infinitive future and no futur II.

Examples

Jutri bom delal doma.
Jutri ću delati doma.
Slovenian uses bom plus the l-participle, not a clitic future with the infinitive.
Brala bo zanimivo knjigo.
Brala bom zanimivo knjigo. (za 'ona')
'She' takes bo; bom is the 1st-person form.
Delali bomo skupaj.
Delali bodo skupaj. (za 'mi')
'We' take bomo; bodo is the 3rd-person plural.

Common mistakes

Using a clitic future with the infinitive (Croatian influence)
Sutra ću raditi.
Jutri bom delal.
Slovenian has no ću-style future; it uses bom plus the l-participle.
Pairing the future auxiliary with the infinitive
Bom delati jutri.
Bom delal jutri.
The future combines bom with the l-participle, not the infinitive.

A2Verb tenses

bom-Future — Negation & Uses

prihodnjik – zanikanje in raba

To negate the future, put the separate particle ne before the auxiliary: ne bom delal ('I will not work'), ne bo prišla ('she will not come'). Unlike biti's PRESENT negation (nisem), the future is NOT fused — you write ne bom, ne boš, ne bo as two words. The bom-future covers plans (Jutri bom delal), predictions (Verjetno bo deževalo) and promises (Pomagal ti bom). At this level you also begin to choose aspect: a perfective participle (bom napisal pismo) means you will finish the whole thing, while an imperfective one (bom pisal pismo) stresses the ongoing activity.

Key rule

Negate the future with the separate particle ne before the auxiliary (ne bom delal); use it for plans, predictions and promises, and choose perfective (bom napisal) for a result, imperfective (bom pisal) for an ongoing action.

Examples

Jutri ne bom delal.
Jutri nebom delal.
Future negation uses a separate ne; it is never fused into one word.
Ona ne bo prišla.
Ona ni bo prišla.
The future is negated with ne bo, not with the present-tense negative ni.
Jutri bom napisal pismo.
Jutri bom pisal pismo do konca.
For a completed result use the perfective napisal, not the imperfective pisal.

Common mistakes

Fusing the future negation into one word
Nebom prišel.
Ne bom prišel.
Unlike the present nisem, the future negative is the separate ne bom.
Using the present negative ni in the future
Ona ni bo doma.
Ona ne bo doma.
The future is negated with ne bo, not the present-tense ni.

A2Verb tenses

Imperative — 1pl "Let's…" (Delajmo!)

velelnik – 1. os. mn. (Delajmo!)

To say 'let's …' to a group you belong to, Slovenian uses the 1st-person plural imperative. You take the imperative stem and add -mo: delaj → delajmo ('let's work'), beri → berimo ('let's read'), pojdi → pojdimo ('let's go'). It is a single word, with no helper like English 'let's'. For just two of you (you and one other person), use the DUAL imperative in -va instead: delajva, pojdiva ('let's [the two of us] …'), which is treated in its own tag. The 1pl imperative is an inclusive invitation: the speaker is part of the group doing the action.

Key rule

Make the inclusive 'let's …' by adding -mo to the imperative stem (delajmo, berimo, pojdimo); for just two people use the dual -va form instead, and negate with a separate ne.

Examples

Delajmo skupaj!
Delamo skupaj! (kot poziv 'naj delamo')
The exhortation 'let's work' is the imperative delajmo, not the present-tense delamo.
Pojdimo na sprehod!
Gremo pojdimo na sprehod!
No double form is needed; pojdimo alone means 'let's go'.
Berimo to skupaj.
Berijmo to skupaj.
The i-class imperative stem gives berimo, not berijmo.

Common mistakes

Using the present tense as a 'let's' form
Gremo, delamo zdaj!
Delajmo zdaj!
The inclusive exhortation is the imperative delajmo, not the present delamo.
Wrong imperative stem vowel
Berijmo članek.
Berimo članek.
The i-class imperative is berimo (-imo), without an extra -j-.

A2Verb tenses

L-Participle Gender & Number Agreement

ujemanje opisnega deležnika (-l) v spolu in številu

The l-participle used in the past and future agrees with the SUBJECT in gender and number. In the singular: masculine delal, feminine delala, neuter delalo. In the plural: masculine delali, feminine delale, neuter delala. So a man says delal sem, a woman delala sem. With two subjects you use the dual: masculine delala, feminine delali (sva delala / sva delali). One pronunciation point: the final -l of the masculine singular is pronounced like English 'w', so delal sounds like 'delaw' — but you still WRITE -l. Choosing the right ending is the heart of speaking the past and future correctly.

Key rule

Make the l-participle agree with the subject like an adjective — sg delal/delala/delalo, pl delali/delale/delala, dual delala/delali — while the final -l is written but pronounced /w/.

Examples

Ana je delala ves dan.
Ana je delal ves dan.
A feminine subject needs the feminine participle delala, not the masculine delal.
Tomaž je bral knjigo.
Tomaž je brala knjigo.
A masculine subject takes bral, not the feminine brala.
Dekleta so se igrala zunaj.
Dekleta so se igrale zunaj.
The neuter plural subject dekleta takes the neuter plural participle igrala.

Common mistakes

Using the masculine participle for a female subject
Maja je šel domov.
Maja je šla domov.
The participle must agree in gender: a feminine subject takes the feminine form (šla).
Feminine plural where masculine/mixed is required
Ana in Tomaž sta prišli.
Ana in Tomaž sta prišla.
A mixed-gender dual subject takes the masculine dual prišla.

A2Verb tenses

Perfect — Auxiliary Placement & 3sg je after se

postavitev pomožnika v pretekliku; je za se

The past-tense auxiliary (sem, si, je, smo, ste, so) is a second-position clitic: it leans on the first stressed word of the clause and almost never opens the sentence. So you say Včeraj sem delal or Delal sem, but not Sem delal. With reflexive verbs there is a special rule for the 3rd-person singular je: while other persons come BEFORE se (smejal sem se, 'I laughed'), the form je comes AFTER se — smejal se je ('he laughed'). This je-after-se rule is one of the trickiest details of Slovene word order, but it is completely regular: only 3sg je flips behind se; all other auxiliaries stay in front.

Key rule

Keep the past auxiliary in second position (Delal sem, not Sem delal); with reflexives the auxiliary precedes se EXCEPT 3sg je, which follows se (smejal sem se vs smejal se je).

Examples

Včeraj sem dolgo spal.
Sem včeraj dolgo spal.
The clitic sem takes second position and cannot open the clause.
Smejal sem se na ves glas.
Smejal se sem na ves glas.
In the 1st person the auxiliary sem precedes the reflexive se.
Peter se je smejal.
Peter je se smejal.
The 3rd-person singular je follows se: se je, not je se.

Common mistakes

Starting the clause with the clitic auxiliary
Sem bral knjigo.
Bral sem knjigo.
The auxiliary is a second-position clitic and cannot open a neutral clause.
Putting 3sg je before se
On je se smejal.
On se je smejal.
The light 3sg je is the exception: it follows the reflexive se.

A2Verb tenses

Imperative — 2sg & 2pl (Delaj! Delajte!)

velelnik – 2. os. ed. in mn. (Delaj! Delajte!)

To give a command, Slovenian has a 2nd-person singular and a 2nd-person plural imperative. From the imperative stem you add nothing for the singular and -te for the plural: delaj / delajte ('work!'), beri / berite ('read!'), pojdi / pojdite ('go!'). The singular delaj! is for one person you address informally (ti); the plural delajte! is for several people OR for one person you address politely (vi). Negation just adds the separate ne before the form: Ne delaj!, Ne hodite tja! Some common verbs are irregular (biti → bodi/bodite, jesti → jej/jejte).

Key rule

Command with the imperative stem: 2sg delaj/beri (informal ti) and 2pl delajte/berite (several people or polite vi); negate with a separate ne (Ne delaj!).

Examples

Delaj počasi!
Delaš počasi! (kot ukaz)
A command uses the imperative delaj, not the present-tense delaš.
Berite glasno, prosim.
Berete glasno, prosim. (kot ukaz)
The plural/polite command is berite, not the present berete.
Gospod Novak, počakajte trenutek.
Gospod Novak, počakaj trenutek.
Polite address (vi) takes the plural imperative počakajte, not the informal počakaj.

Common mistakes

Using the present tense as a command
Delaš zdaj!
Delaj zdaj!
Commands take the imperative delaj, not the present delaš.
Using the informal command for polite address
Gospa Kovač, sedi, prosim.
Gospa Kovač, sedite, prosim.
Polite vi-address requires the plural imperative sedite.

A2Verb tenses

Modal Verbs — Conjugation (morati, moči, hoteti)

naklonski glagoli – spregatev (morati, moči, hoteti)

The core Slovene modals are morati ('must'), moči ('can/be able'), hoteti ('want') and smeti ('be allowed'). They are conjugated and then take an infinitive: moram delati, moreš priti, hočem jesti. Their present forms must be learned: moram/moraš/mora…, morem/moreš/more…, hočem/hočeš/hoče… The negatives of hoteti and smeti are special fused forms: nočem ('I don't want', from ne + hočem) and ne smem ('I'm not allowed'). Very often, instead of morem, Slovenes use the invariable word lahko plus a normal verb: lahko grem ('I can go'). Don't confuse moram (obligation) with morem (ability).

Key rule

Conjugate the modal and add an infinitive (moram delati, hočem priti); negate hoteti as fused nočem and smeti as ne smem, and prefer lahko + verb over morem for everyday 'can'.

Examples

Moram iti v službo.
Moram iti delati … (od 'morem')
morati expresses obligation: moram = 'I must'; do not confuse it with morem 'I can'.
Hočem spati.
Hočem da spim.
A modal takes an infinitive (hočem spati), not a da-plus-present clause.
Nočem jesti mesa.
Ne hočem jesti mesa.
hoteti negates to the fused nočem; ne hočem is non-standard.

Common mistakes

Confusing moram (must) and morem (can)
Morem iti v službo, sicer me odpustijo.
Moram iti v službo, sicer me odpustijo.
Obligation is morati (moram); morem expresses ability, not necessity.
Negating hoteti with a separate ne
Ne hočem na sestanek.
Nočem na sestanek.
hoteti has the fused negative nočem; ne hočem is not standard.

See this grammar in real Slovenian storiesFree graded stories for this level — reading is the fastest way to make these rules automatic.

Is A2 your level? Take the free Slovenian grammar test50 questions from A1 to C1 with instant explanations — free, about 10–15 minutes, no signup.

Lenguia Premium

Ready to master slovenian grammar?

Get personalized stories, an AI tutor for your grammar questions, and smart practice for every topic on this page.

Try for Just $1

A2 Slovenian Grammar — 65 Topics & Common Mistakes

Comparative — Formation (-ši / -ejši / bolj)

Superlative — Formation (naj- + comparative)

Comparison: "than" (kot / od + genitive)

Irregular Comparison (dober→boljši, velik→večji)

Comparison of Adverbs (hitro→hitreje)

Definite vs Indefinite Adjective (lep / lepi)

Adjective Agreement in the Plural

Adjective Agreement in the Oblique Cases

Aspect — The Perfective/Imperfective Concept

Recognising Aspect Pairs (pisati/napisati)

Perfectivisation by Prefix (pisati → napisati)

Imperfectivisation by Suffix — Intro (dati/dajati)

Aspect in the Past (delal sem vs naredil sem)

Aspect with the Imperative (Pij! vs Spij!)

Genitive — Possession & Quantity

Genitive of Negation (ni denarja)

Dative — Recipient & Experiencer

Locative — Always with a Preposition

Instrumental — Means & Accompaniment

Plural Nominative by Gender (-i / -e / -a)

Full Singular Declension Across All Cases

Genitive Plural (-ov / -∅ / fleeting e)

Dative/Locative/Instrumental Plural (-om/-ah/-i)

L-Participle Dual in the Past (midva sva delala)

Future Dual (bova/bosta delala)

Dual Imperative (delajva, delajta)

Dual Possessives (najin, vajin, njun)

dva / dve in Genitive & Dative (dveh, dvema)

Stressed (Full) Pronoun Forms in Oblique Cases

Indefinite & Negative Pronouns (nekdo/nihče, nekaj/nič)

kateri (which) vs kakšen (what kind)

Reflexive Possessive svoj

Dative Prepositions (k/h, proti)

More Genitive Prepositions (brez, do, iz, od, blizu)

Locative Prepositions (v, na, pri, o, po)

Instrumental Prepositions (s/z, pred, nad, pod, med)

Two-Case v / na — Accusative (motion) vs Locative (place)

Accusative Clitic Pronouns (me, te, ga, jo)

Dative Clitic Pronouns (mi, ti, mu, ji, nam)

Reflexive Clitics se / si

Second-Position Clitic Cluster & Ordering

Obligatory Double Negation (ni-words + ne)

Indirect Questions — Introduction (Ne vem, kje je)

Basic Subordinators (da, ker, ko, če)

Cause & Concession (ker, zato, čeprav)

Prepositional Vocalisation (s/z, k/h, v/na)

Ordinal Numbers (prvi, drugi, tretji)

Dates & Telling Time (Koliko je ura? ob, pol)

Cardinal Numbers — Government (en+sg, dva→dual, 5+ →gen pl)

potrebovati (to need) + Accusative

Modal Verbs + Infinitive (morati, moči, hoteti)

Reflexive Verbs with se / si

"to like" with všeč + Dative

Motion: iti vs hoditi (go once vs habitually)

Supine — Introduction (grem spat)

Supine vs Infinitive — Contrast

Perfect Past — Formation (l-participle + biti)

Perfect — Negation (nisem delal)

The bom-Future — Formation

bom-Future — Negation & Uses

Imperative — 1pl "Let's…" (Delajmo!)

L-Participle Gender & Number Agreement

Perfect — Auxiliary Placement & 3sg je after se

Imperative — 2sg & 2pl (Delaj! Delajte!)

Modal Verbs — Conjugation (morati, moči, hoteti)