Ask Anna about Slovene #002

As I’ve said before, a good way to stimulate your learning is being observant and curious. Ask questions and seek answers – there are no bad questions, by the way. So here’s I’m going to share with you another question that I’ve been asked and of course, my explanation!

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Question by Jacob

In the sentence “A lahko dobim vašo telefonsko številko?“, why is it written vašo and not vaše. As o doesn’t go with š.

Anna’s Answer

There is indeed a rule that states that “if the letter before is part of the famous bracket (c, č, š, ž, j) then o becomes e“. I have mentioned it many times through my blog. In declension tables, an * is marked where this rule applies. And if you take a closer look, it is only applied to masculine and neuter nouns.

In the question A lahko dobim vašo telefonsko številko? (Can I have your phone number?), vašo telefonsko številko is singular and in fourth sklon. Its “original” form (first sklon) is vaša telefonska številka, which is feminine as the endings are -a.

• Sklon 1 : A je to vaša telefonska številka? (Is this your phone number?)
• Sklon 4 : A lahko dobim vašo telefonsko številko. (Can I have your phone number?)

Therefore, because the noun is feminine, then the rule doesn’t apply.

For a basic understanding of genders, you can check How to Determine the Gender of a Noun in Slovene?

Bonus – A context where vaše would be used with a feminine noun would be if the noun is plural, such as vaše številke.

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I love questions and I think that sharing the answers can only be beneficial for everyone, peers to peers. So if you have any questions, do let me know!

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Discover more Slovene “lessons” that might interest you: Slovene Numbers & Numerals, Slovene Nouns & Pronouns, Slovene Verbs, Slovene Adjectives, Slovene Syntax, Slovenian Idioms, Slovene Adverbs.