Nouns – Second Feminine Declension, Part 3

In general, feminine nouns in Slovene end with -a, but there are some exceptions. Feminine nouns ending with –ev use the first feminine declension. Second feminine declension – druga ženska sklanjatev, is divided into three sub-groups:

2.1 Feminine declension: nouns ending with –ost, 2.2 Feminine declension: some nouns ending with –en/em/el, 2.3 Feminine declension: some short nouns.

Second Feminine Declension, short nouns

Some short nouns, such as luč (light), noč (night), sol (salt), pot (path) are feminine. There are no pattern or specific endings, so you need to learn them.

If you know the “second-second” feminine declension with ending with -en/-em/el then learning the “third-second” should be fairly easy. Pay attention to the text in color.

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –en/-em/el:

2.2  ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	lepa pesem	lepi pesmi	lepe pesmi
SKLON 2	lepe pesmi	lepih pesmi	lepih pesmi
SKLON 3	lepi pesmi	lepima pesmima	lepim pesmim
SKLON 4	lepo pesem	lepi pesmi	lepe pesmi
SKLON 5	lepi pesmi	lepih pesmih	lepih pesmih
SKLON 6	lepo pesmijo	lepima pesmima	lepimi pesmimi

Here’s the table of Skloni with short feminine noun :

2.3  ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	hitra pot	hitri poti	hitre poti
SKLON 2	hitre poti	hitrih poti	hitrih poti
SKLON 3	hitri poti	hitrima potema	hitrim potem
SKLON 4	hitro pot	hitri poti	hitre poti
SKLON 5	hitri poti	hitrih poteh	hitrih poteh
SKLON 6	hitro potjo	hitrima potema	hitrimi potmi

❤ A simplified version of the ending:

2.2 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -Ø	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 2	-E -I	-IH -I	-IH -I
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA –IMA	-IM –IM
SKLON 4	-O -Ø	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -IH	-IH –IH
SKLON 6	-O –IJO	-IMA –IMA	-IMI –IMI

and

2.3 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -Ø	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 2	-E -I	-IH -I	-IH -I
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA –EMA	-IM –EM
SKLON 4	-O -Ø	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -IH	-IH –EH
SKLON 6	-O –JO	-IMA –EMA	-IMI –MI

If we compare the two tables:

• the dual and plural form in third and sixth case, the –I becomes –E and
• the singular and plural form in sixth case, the –I is removed.

The declension of adjectives remain the same as in “normal” declension.

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There is no specific ending for short feminine nouns that are declined by the “third-second” feminine declension, so here is a short list:

dlan (palm), jed (dish, meal), klet (cellar, basement), klop (bench), kost (bone), kri (blood), moč (strength), peč (stove), pomoč (help), prst (finger), skrb (care, worry), smer (direction), smet (garbage), stran (side, page), stvar (thing), utež (weigth), vas (village)…

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Feminine declensions can be quite overwhelming at first, that’s why you need to learn them step by step and always start with what you already know. If you have any questions or comments – be sure to let me know – parenthood keeps me busy but I will try to reply as soon as possible 🙂

Update – here is my Cheat sheet “Table of First and Second Feminine Declension“. More can be found under Learning Materials.

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

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Colloquial Slovene – Vocabulary

At school or in books, standard Slovene – knjižna slovenščina is taught with the proper grammar and vocabulary. This literary version of the language is found in newspapers, on TV and such. On the other hand, colloquial Slovene – neknjižna slovenščina, is used in familiar and informal conversation or online chat. Sometimes, you will notice that it sounds like it was borrowed from another language, such as German or English.

I noticed that while chit-chatting with my in-laws, family, neighbors, friends, family in Slovenia, they used some words, po domače (at home), that I wouldn’t understand right away. Now I’m using them everyday.

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“Cuk’r”
means sladkor (sugar) | i.e. Cuk’r mi je padel (My sugar is dropping).

“Friš’n”
means svež (fresh) | i.e. Vsak dan jem friš’n kruh (Everyday I eat fresh bread).

“Cajt”
means čas (time) | i.e. A ‘maš cajt (Do you have time)?

“Fajn”
means lepo (nice, pretty) | i.e. Fajn se ‘mejte (Have a good day).

“Jest”
means jaz (I) i.e. Jest ne jem torte (I do not eat cake).

“Južna”
means obrok (meal) | i.e. Južna je že na mizi (The meal is already on the table).

“Laufat”
means teči (to run) | i.e.  Pes laufa zunaj (The dog is running outside).

“Kofe”
means kava (coffee) | i.e. Kdo bo kofe (Who will have a coffee)?

“Merkati”
means paziti (to look after) | i.e. A lahko merkaš Nino za pet minut (Can you look after Nina for 5 minutes)?

“Deka”
means volnena odeja (woolen blanket) | i.e. Spim brez deke (I sleep without blanket).

“Glih”
means ravno (just, exactly) | i.e. Sem glih prišla domov (I just came home).

“Žleht”
means hudoben (malicious, wicked, naughty) | i.e.  Ona ima žleht jezik (She has a wicked tongue).

“Štala”
means hlev (stall) | i.e. Krave so v štali (The cows are in the stall).

“Nucati”
means potrebovati, rabiti (to need) | i.e. Kaj nucaš (What do you need)?

“Župa”
means juha (soup) | i.e. Danes sem jedla govejo župo (Today I ate beef soup).

“Uštimati se”
means urediti se (to arrange yourself) | i.e. Za zmenek se bom lepo uštimala (For my date I will arrange myself prettily).

“Zmartran”
means utrujen (tired) | i.e. Danes sem zmartrana (Today I am tired).

“Šporget”
means štedilnik na trda goriva (wood-burning stove) | i.e. Doma imamo šporget  (We have a wood-burning stove at home).

“Gužva”
means gneča (terrible crowd) | i.e.  Na sejemu je bila gužva (There was a terrible crowd at the fair).

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Added by readers 🙂

“flaša” – steklenica (bottle); “šalca” – skodelica (cup); “štenge” – stopnice (stairs); “rampe” – zapornice (railway gate); “lojtra” – lestev (ladder), “šajtrga” – samokolnica (wheelbarrow)

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This is just a short list, I’m sure that there are a lot more po domače words.If you can think of any, please let me (and others) know via comments! Knowing about them (and integrating them) is an excellent way to converse informally with Slovenians! But do keep in mind about the standard Slovene as well.

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Homonyms in Slovene

Just like English or any language, Slovene also has some homonyms, enakozvožnice – words with same spelling or pronunciation but different meaning. It can be quite tricky and confusing at the beginning, especially when trying to expand your vocabulary, but if you think it that way: it’s like to kill two (or more) birds with one stone!

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Kot
1. corner, angle | i.e. Stol je v kotu⁵ (The chair is at the corner).
2. like | i.e. Tiha kot miš (Quiet like a mouse).

Jezik
1. language | i.e. Koliko jezikov² govorite (How many languages do you speak)?
2. tongue | i.e. Kača ima dolg jezik⁴ (Snake has long tongue).
It is the similar in French.

Klop
1. bench | i.e. Sedim na klopi⁵ (I’m sittng on the bench).
2. tick | i.e. Pazi se klopov² (Beware of ticks)!

Metuljček
1. little butterfly | i.e. Vidim lepe metuljčke⁴ (I see pretty little butterflies).
2. bowtie | i.e. Janez nosi metuljček⁴ vsak dan (Janez wears a bowtie everyday).

“Je”
1. is | i.e. Žan je prijazen (Žan is nice).
2. eats | i.e. Marko je pico⁴ (Marko eats pizza).
It is written the same, but the pronunciation is different

Čelo
1. forehead | i.e. Ema ima buško⁴ na čelu⁵ (Ema has a bump on her forehead).
2. violoncello | i.e. Anita igra čelo⁴ (Anita plays violoncello).

Tečaj
1. course | i.e. Grem na tečaj⁴ slovenščine² v Ljubljani⁵ (I go to Slovene course in Ljubljana).
2. exchange rate | Banka ima menjalniški tečaj⁴ (The bank has exchange rate).
3. pole | i.e. Božiček živi na severnem tečaju⁵ (Santa Claus lives in North Pole).

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Added by readers 🙂

Kopati – 1. to bathe 2. to dig
Hotel -1. the building 2. masculine and singular participle for past and future tense.

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These  are just a few examples of Slovene homonyms that I can think of at the moment. I am certain that there are way more – if you can think of any, share them with me in comments and I will add them!

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Nouns – Second Feminine Declension, Part 2

In Slovene, feminine nouns usually end with -a, but some have a different endings and declensions. First feminine declension is used with nouns ending with -ev. The second feminine declension is divided into three sub-groups:

2.1 Feminine declension: nouns ending with –ost, 2.2 Feminine declension: some nouns ending with –en/em/el, 2.3 Feminine declension: some short nouns.

Second Feminine Declension, endings with –en/em/el

Nouns that end with –en/em/el are feminine. For example, ljubezen (love), pesem (song) and misel (thought) are all beautiful nouns and thus feminine 😛

Be careful not to confuse with adjectives that end with –er/ek/en/el as they are masculine. More information can be found here: Slovene Adjectives in General. — Also, notice how the “e” is underlined, it means that when declined, the “e” is removed.

If you know the “first-second” feminine declension with -ost, then learning the “second-second” feminine declension with -en/-em/el should be fairly easy. Pay attention to the text in red.

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –ost:

2.1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	lepa starost	lepi starosti	lepe starosti
SKLON 2	lepe starosti	lepih starosti	lepih starosti
SKLON 3	lepi starosti	lepima starost(i)ma	lepim starostim
SKLON 4	lepo starost	lepi starosti	lepe starosti
SKLON 5	lepi starosti	lepih starostih	lepih starostih
SKLON 6	lepo starostjo	lepima starost(i)ma	lepimi starostmi

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –en/-em/el:

2.2  ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	hitra misel	hitri misli	hitre misli
SKLON 2	hitre misli	hitrih misli	hitrih misli
SKLON 3	hitri misli	hitrima mislima	hitrim mislim
SKLON 4	hitro misel	hitri misli	hitre misli
SKLON 5	hitri misli	hitrih mislih	hitrih mislih
SKLON 6	hitro mislijo	hitrima mislima	hitrimi mislimi

❤ A simplified version of the ending:

2.1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -OST	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 2	-E -I	-IH -I	-IH -I
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA –(I)MA	-IM -IM
SKLON 4	-O -OST	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 5	-I -I	-IH -IH	-IH -IH
SKLON 6	-O –JO	-IMA –(I)MA	-IMI –MI

and

2.2 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -EL	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 2	-E -I	-IH -I	-IH -I
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA –IMA	-IM -IM
SKLON 4	-O -EL	-I -I	-E -I
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -IH	-IH -IH
SKLON 6	-O –IJO	-IMA –IMA	-IMI –IMI

If we compare the two tables, you will see that it is very similar, except at four places, where an –I is added:

• the singular form in sixth case has an “extra” –I infront of the –JO, remains the same as its original form,
• the dual form in third and sixth case has an “extra” –I infront of –MA, 
• the plural form in sixth case also has an “extra” –I infront of –MI (which is the same as in normal feminine declension ending with -a).

The declension of adjectives doesn’t change and it remains the same as in “normal” feminine declension.

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Second feminine declension is divided into three groups, and it can feel quite overwhelming – do not panic (or give up). In my opinion, just knowing that there are different groups and endings is already a big achievement. With practice and determination, you will learn to use them correctly.

If you have any questions or comments, just leave me a message and I will try to get back at you as soon as I can!

Update – here is my Cheat sheet “Table of First and Second Feminine Declension“. More can be found under Learning Materials.

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Nouns – Second Feminine Declension, Part 1

As mentioned in a previous post, Slovene feminine nouns are recognized with their ending -a, although, some feminine nouns have different endings. Such as -ev, which are declined with the first feminine declension.  The second feminine declension, known as druga ženska sklanjatev, are for feminine nouns that end with –ost, some –en/em/el and some short nouns.

Second feminine declension will be divided into three parts: 2.1 Feminine declension: nouns ending with –ost, 2.2 Feminine declension: some nouns ending with –en/em/el, 2.3 Feminine declension: some short nouns.

Second Female Declension, endings with -ost

Nouns that end with –ost, such as kakovost (quality), starost (age), možnost (possibility) are feminine.

If you know the female declension of nouns ending with -a, learning the “first-second” feminine declension ending with -ost should be easy. Pay attention to the text in color.

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –a:

“normal”	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	dobra miza	dobri mizi	dobre mize
SKLON 2	dobre mize	dobrih miz_	dobrih miz_
SKLON 3	dobri mizi	dobrima mizama	dobrim mizam
SKLON 4	dobro mizo	dobri mizi	dobre mize
SKLON 5	dobri mizi	dobrih mizah	dobrih mizah
SKLON 6	dobro mizo	dobrima mizama	dobrimi mizami

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –ost:

2.1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	dobra kakovost	dobri kakovosti	dobre kakovosti
SKLON 2	dobre kakovosti	dobrih kakovosti	dobrih kakovosti
SKLON 3	dobri kakovosti	dobrima kakovost(i)ma	dobrim kakovostim
SKLON 4	dobro kakovost	dobri kakovosti	dobre kakovosti
SKLON 5	dobri kakovosti	dobrih kakovostih	dobrih kakovostih
SKLON 6	dobro kakovostjo	dobrima kakovost(i)ma	dobrimi kakovostmi

❤ A simplified version of the ending:

“normal”	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -A	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 2	-E -E	-IH –_	-IH –_
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA –AMA	-IM -AM
SKLON 4	-O –O	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -AH	-IH -AH
SKLON 6	-O –O	-IMA – AMA	-IMI – AMI

and

2.1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -OST	-I –I	-E –I
SKLON 2	-E –I	-IH –I	-IH –I
SKLON 3	-I –I	-IMA -(I)MA	-IM –IM
SKLON 4	-O –OST	-I –I	-E –I
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH –IH	-IH –IH
SKLON 6	-O –JO	-IMA – (I)MA	-IMI – MI

If we compare the two table, you will notice that there is basically a lot of –I with -ost nouns, except:

• the singular form in fourth case remains the same as its original form,
• the singular form in sixth case, instead of being just –O, it becomes –JO,
• the dual form in third and sixth case, instead of –AMA, it becomes –(I)MA
  

  Dual form in third and sixth case of this group of feminine nouns can be –IMA or –MA, both endings are accepted. Although, it is good to know that on Amebis Besana (a great search engine for Slovene words) will only show the form -MA.

• the plural form in sixth case is only –MI instead of –IMI.

The declension of adjectives doesn’t change and it remains the same as in “normal”.

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Other Nouns – “Exceptions”

Beside nouns ending with –ost, there are also other nouns that fall into the 2.1. Feminine declension group. Such as:

jesen (autumn), kokoš (chicken), miš (mouse), nit (thread), obrv (eyebrow), pamet (intelligence), perut(wing), polnoč (midnight), pomlad (spring), smrt (death) zavest (consciousness), žival (animal)…

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Due to exceptions, second Feminine declension can be quite challenging, but there’s no need to panic. I know some Slovenians who “have the grammar in the little finger” (Understanding Slovenian Idioms #002) that also find it difficult. If you have any comments, questions about the second feminine declension, just drop me a message or a comment!

Update – here is my Cheat sheet “Table of First and Second Feminine Declension“. More can be found under Learning Materials.

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Every Day with Slovenian Idioms #002

The best way to understand and remember Slovenian idioms is to integrate and use them in every day situations, when possible and appropriate.

For example, one afternoon, my daughter woke up from her nap and my mother-in-law smiled and said to her:

• Gledaš kot miška iz moke – You look like a mouse from the flour
  When I heard it the first time, I was like… What?! The image that instantly pooped into my mind: all white and two little black eyes. It’s a cute way to say that she just woke up and all we could see were her tiny eyes.

Another day, my daughter was playing on her play mat and we heard “puu-pu-pu” then my mother-in-law laughed and said:

• hahaha stresaš orehe – hahaha you are dropping nuts
  I was like… Uh, did I understanding it right?! Because, sometimes some Slovene words just sound very similar. I understood it right, and it really means “dropping nuts”. What an adorable way to say that she farted. 😛
  

I can’t wait to find out more cute and adorable idioms to use with children!

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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.

Let’s speak like Slovenians,
Anna.

Nouns – First Feminine Declension

As we know, feminine Slovene nouns are usually identified by their -a ending, that group follows the six grammatical cases known as skloni. But some feminine nouns are known as exceptions: they have different endings and follow different declensions.

If you aren’t sure how to identify nouns gender, read: How to Determine the Gender of a Noun in Slovene.

First Female Declension, endings with –ev

Nouns that end with -ev, such as breskev (peach), cerkev (church), lestev (ladder) are feminine. They belong in the first feminine declension group known as prva ženska sklanjatev. Notice how the “e” is underlined, it means that when declined, the “e” is removed.

If you know you know the female declension of nouns ending with -a, learning the first feminine declension ending with -ev should be easy. Pay attention to the text in blue.

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –a:

“normal”	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	stara miza	stari mizi	stare mize
SKLON 2	stare mize	starih miz_	starih miz_
SKLON 3	stari mizi	starima mizama	starim mizam
SKLON 4	staro mizo	stari mizi	stare mize
SKLON 5	stari mizi	starih mizah	starih mizah
SKLON 6	staro mizo	starima mizama	starimi mizami

Here’s the table of Skloni with feminine noun ending with –ev :

1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	stara breskev	stari breskvi	stare breskve
SKLON 2	stare breskve	starih breskev	starih lestev
SKLON 3	stari breskvi	starima breskvama	starim breskvam
SKLON 4	staro breskev	stari breskvi	stare breskve
SKLON 5	stari breskvi	starih breskvah	starih breskvah
SKLON 6	staro breskvijo	starima breskvama	starimi breskvami

As you can see, most of the endings in the first female declension are almost the same as the “normal” feminine declension – only four endings are different.

❤ A simplified version of the ending:

“normal”	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -A	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 2	-E -E	-IH –_	-IH –_
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA -AMA	-IM -AM
SKLON 4	-O –O	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -AH	-IH -AH
SKLON 6	-O –O	-IMA – AMA	-IMI – AMI

and

1 ž. skl.	Ednina/Singular	Dvojina/Dual	Množina/Plural
SKLON 1	-A -EV	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 2	-E -E	-IH –EV	-IH –EV
SKLON 3	-I -I	-IMA -AMA	-IM -AM
SKLON 4	-O –EV	-I -I	-E -E
SKLON 5	-I – I	-IH -AH	-IH -AH
SKLON 6	-O –IJO	-IMA – AMA	-IMI – AMI

If we compare the two tables:

• the singular form in fourth case remains the same as its original form,
• the singular form in sixth case, instead of being just –O, it becomes –IJO and
• the dual and plural form in second case remains the same as its original form.

The declension of adjectives remain the same as in “normal” declension.

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Also, an interesting fact: some feminine nouns ending with -ev derive from a verb. Such as:

• rešitev (solution), which comes from rešiti (to solve),
• ločitev (separation) ← ločiti (to separate),
• prireditev (arrangement) ← prirediti (to arrange).

But please note that not all verbs have an –ev version!

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Oh… since this is the first feminine declension, there is a second, third and fourth female declension – but those will be covered for another post! 🙂 If you have any comments, questions, just drop a comment or send me a message! I will try to reply as soon as I can!

On a side note, this was not even a super long or detailed post to write and it took me what seems like FOREVER! I guess with a baby that feeds on my attention, I can’t really be helped – especially now that she loves to practice her new skill: rolling!

Update – here is my Cheat sheet “Table of First and Second Feminine Declension“. More can be found under Learning Materials.

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

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Word Family – Slovene Verbs

An interesting way to expand your vocabulary in any language is to learn by word family – besedna družina: a group of “new” words that are formed by adding a prefix and/or a suffix to a root word. I found that concept especially interesting when it comes to Slovene verbs.

One would think that Slovene verbs deriving from the same root verb would have some subtile “related” meaning but it is not always the case, even if they are connected at some point.

Prefixes

Same family verbs are mostly formed by adding a prefix to the root verb. And many of them are also prepositions.

Here’s a list of the most common ones: do- (till), iz- (from), na- (on), o- (about), ob- (at), od- (from), po- (around, after), pod- (under), pre- (too), pred- (before) pri- (next to),  raz- (from), s- (with), v- (in), za- (for)…

I tried to look for some kind of patterns prefix-meanings, unfortunately I couldn’t find any. Also, keep in mind that not all prefixes can be apply to root verbs.

Here’s a few examples to give you an idea:

Pisati (to write)

• do + pisati = dopisati (to add in writing)
• iz + pisati = izpisati (to copy out),
• na + pisati = napisati (to write down)
• o + pisati = opisati (to describe)
• od + pisati = odpisati (to answer in writing)
• po + pisati = popisati (to make an inventory)
• pod + pisati = podpisati (to sign)
• pre + pisati = prepisati (to copy)
• pred + pisati = predpisati (to prescribe)
• pri + pisati = pripisati (to make note)
• raz + pisati = razpisati (to tender out)
• v + pisati = vpisati (to enroll, to record)
• za + pisati = zapisati (to write down)

Brati (to read)

• iz + brati = izbrati (to choose)
• na + brati = nabrati (to gather)
• o + brati = obrati (to pick)
• po + brati = pobrati (to pick up)
• pre + brati = prebrati (to read through)
• raz + brati = razbrati (to infer)

Govoriti (to talk)

• do + govoriti = dogovoriti se (to agree on)
• iz + govoriti = izgovoriti (to pronounce)
• na + govoriti = nagovoriti (to address)
• od + govoriti = odgovoriti (to answer)
• po + govoriti = pogovoriti se (to talk)
• pre + govoriti = pregovoriti (to persuade, to talk into)

Nesti (to carry)

• na + nesti = nanesti (to apply)
• ob + nesti = obnesti se (to be effective)
• od + nesti = odnesti (to carry out)
• pre + nesti = prenesti (to transmit)
• pri + nesti = prinesti (to bring)
• v + nesti = vnesti (to enter, to insert)
• za + nesti = zanesti (to carry away)

Pustiti (to leave, to let)

• do + pustiti = dopustiti (to allow)
• iz + pustiti = izpustiti (to release, to let go)
• o + pustiti = opustiti (to abandon)
• od + pustiti = odpustiti (to forgive)
• po + pustiti = popustiti (to slacken)
• pre + pustiti = prepustiti (to leave, to let go)
• raz + pustiti = razpustiti (to dissolve)
• s + pustiti = spustiti (to let loose, to let go)
• za + pustiti = zapustiti (to leave, to abandon)

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As you’ve probably figured out, there are many many more. I’m sure that there’s are someroot verbs that interest you in particular, let me know and I will happily find the same family verbs.

And if you see some kind of patterns, please share it with me because it does make me wonder!

Shouts to Paul Steed, one of my readers, who has kindly created some quiz cards with these lists, free to use and share: Quizlet – Word families 01.

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Slovene

Same as in English, adjectives in Slovene are comparable, known as stropnjevanje pridevnika, they are ranked by “level”.  Comparative and superlative adjectives are often used to answer questions starting by kakšen.

Learn more about Adjectives in General. — Not sure how to use kakšen? Read about Which Slovene Question Words to Use.

How to recognize them

In Slovene, comparative and superlative adjectives are easily recognizable.

For example, the adjective lep (pretty) is trostopenjsko stopnjevanje – three-level adjective.

1. Its basic form– osnovnik is simply the adjective, lep (pretty).
2. Its comparative form – primernik is lepši (prettier).
3. Its superlative form – presežnik is najlepši (prettiest).

The comparative form is usually:  part of the basic form + the ending –ši / –ejši / – ji.
The superlative form is: naj + its comparative form.

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Comparative form

As mentioned earlier, the comparative form is usually part of the basic form with different endings. The question is, how to remember which ending goes with which adjective. Here’s an easy way to guide you through.

Ending with -ši
Comparative form ending with -ši are usually used with short adjective, such as:

• lep (lepši) – pretty,
• grd (grši) – ugly,
• slab (slabši) – bad,
• hud (hujši) – mean,
• dolg (daljši) – long,
• mlad (mlajši) – young.

But there are some longer adjectives that also end with -ši. For example: dober (boljši) – good, majhen (manjši) – small, kratek (krajši) – short…

Ending with -ejši
Comparative form ending with –ejši are mostly used with adjectives that have lots of consonants at the end, such as:

• čist (čistejši) – clean,
• močen (močnejši) – strong,
• hiter (hitrejši) – fast,
• topel (toplejši) – warm,
• hladen (hladnejši) – cold.

Notice how the “e” in the basic adjective is underlined, it means that when declined, the “e” is removed ∴ it ends up with a lot of consonant together.

Some adjectives also take the -ejši ending, even if they don’t have many consonants together. For example: nov (novejši) – new, star (starejši) – old, poceni (cenejši) – cheap…

Ending with -ji
Comparative form ending with –ji are irregular, meaning they don’t follow any pattern. They can be short adjectives, adjectives with many consonants…).

• lahek (lažji) – easy / light,
• težek (težji) – difficult / heavy,
• drag (dražji) – expensive,
• visok (višji) – tall / high,
• nižek (nižji) – short / low,
• ozek (ožji) – narrow,
• globok (globlji) – deep.

You have to learn them by ❤ , but the more you use and hear them, the easier it will be to remember them.

With bolj (more) or manj (less)
Comparative form with bolj (more) or manj (less) are used when endings -ši, -ejši or -ji don’t apply. Usually with longer adjectives, colors and status or conditions.

• utrujen – tired,
• svež – fresh,
• zelen – green,
• sončen – sunny,
• suh – skinny / dry,
• vroč – hot,
• mrzel – cold.

Of course, sometimes you might forget or won’t know how to say a certain comparative adjective and as a last resort, you can use it with bolj or manj. For example, bolj lep (more pretty), manj lahek (less easy)…

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Superlative Form

Once you know the comparative form, the superlative form is very easy. You simply put naj in front of its comparative form and you get its superlative form.

• lep (pretty) → lepši → najlepši,
• čist (clean) → čistejši → najčistejši,
• lahek (easy / light) → lažji → najlažji,
• utrujen (tired) → bolj / manj utrujen  → najbolj / najmanj utrujen.

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Keep in mind that there are no “absolute” rules with comparative and superlative adjectives. Therefore, the more you practice, the more you will be familiar with them.

If you have any comments or questions, contact me and let me know! We’re all here to learn Slovene!

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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.

Let’s learn,
Anna.

Every Day with Slovenian Idioms #001

A great way to discover and integrated into the Slovenian culture is through its idioms. And they are everywhere in my daily life.

Recently, we’ve been doing some significant shopping and indeed, price, quality and needs are three important factors. Then, the other day, my husband told me:

• Nisem dovolj bogat, da bi poceni kupoval –  I am not rich enough that I would buy cheap things
  At first, I found it quite contradictory because, logically, if you are tight on money, you would tend buy cheaper things, no?

But what we should really understand from it is that “I am not rich enough that I can afford to buy it again”, with the logic that “cheaper” things are not good quality and will break faster, thus needing to be replace.

Therefore, nisem dovolj bogata da, bi poceni kupovala.

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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.

Let’s speak like Slovenians,
Anna.