Why not pick up a new language this year? Brush up on your Slovenian before the visiting the beautiful country this summer.
We often get asked how to learn Slovenian, believe it or not. With plenty of time on our hands due to Coronavirus pandemic having us lock up inside, we decided to lend you a helping hand when it comes to learning Slovenian. With the right attitude and motivation, you will be speaking Slovenian language like a pro in no time! Or you will at least learn a sentence or two, which will surely come in hand for your upcoming trip to Slovenia in the near future.
About Slovenian language
Slovene is a Southern Slavic language with a 25-letter alphabet. It is closely related to Serbian and Croatian, and also shares many words with other Slavic languages. It is one of the oldest Slavic languages in the world.
The first written sample of the Slovenian language (also first among Slavic languages) are the Freising manuscripts (Brižinski spomeniki), which date back to around 1000 AD. The Catechism is the oldest preserved printed book in the Slovenian language. The protestant priest, Primoz Trubar, codified the language.
Fun facts about Slovenian language
In Slovenia, you may face some problems with understanding, even if you speak Slovenian language, because of the 56 dialects that are spoken in Slovenia. Fun, right? We will let you in on a little secret … No all Slovenians actually understand every dialect.
But no worries, we are kind enough to explain what certain words actually mean in different dialects and we will make sure to avoid any “strange” dialect specifics when talking to foreigners, especially if we see you trying to speak Slovenian language.
Slovene is one of the rare Indo-European languages which still uses dual – a grammatical number that some languages use in addition to singular and plural. It is also the only official language of the European Union that uses dual. Dual is used when referring to precisely two persons, objects or concepts, identified by the noun or pronoun.
During WWII Slovenia was occupied by Germans, Italians, Hungarians, and Croatians. With the occupation came the ban on using the Slovenian language in schools. Some occupiers also forbade the use of Slovene in all public places. If caught speaking their native language in school, students were beaten with a wooden stick, ruler, or were forced to kneel on a pile of corn. Ok, so maybe this isn’t really a fun fact.
Slovenian curse words are the silliest thing ever. Learn how to curse in the Slovenian language here!
Slovene or Slovenian? We are often asked if it is correct to call the language Slovene or Slovenian in English. The answer is that both are correct! The Slovene / Slovenian version of the word also has two versions: Slovenski jezik or Slovenščina.
Why learn the Slovenian language?
Slovenian language is spoken by (only) 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia, where it is the only official language. Impress the people around you by learning this rare language.
If you need another reason to learn the Slovenian language, then here it is. Slovenian language is one of the official languages of the European Union.
You can impress your date by learning a few Slovenian words. We also got you covered in the dating department. Here is how to date a Slovenian girl or woman.
If you learn Slovenian curse words, we can guarantee people around you who don’t speak Slovene won’t understand a word you said. Learn how to curse in the Slovenian language here!
How to learn the Slovenian language?
To acquire any new skill or language you will need plenty of time and motivation. Speaking of time, we surely have that now, right? With that in mind, you only need the motivation to sit down and start learning Slovene. Sounds easy, right?
Everything from how to order in a Slovenian restaurant to how to introduce yourself in Slovene. We got you covered! Just click here and start learning the basics.
Slovenian language has its fair share of interesting phrases and curse words, which don’t really sound like words you would be shouting out loud when you stump your toe or something.
Learn Slovenian language Online
There are plenty of websites online which can help you start learning Slovene. Or if you prefer mobile apps you can opt for that too.
Learn Slovenian language on the following websites:
Learn Slovenian language on the following mobile apps:
- Duolingo (available for iOS and Android)
- Learn Slovenian – 50 languages (available for iOS and Android)
- Memrise (available for iOS and Android)
Luckily, most Slovenes speak either English, Italian or German embarrassingly well, so chances are you won’t have to worry about any communication problems. However, as with most countries, attempting to use a little bit of the local language can go a long way towards winning over your hosts. Even the odd ‘hvala’ and ‘prosim’ won’t go unnoticed.
Learn the Slovenian Aphabet
The modern Slovene alphabet was developed in the 1840s. The alphabet uses the basic Latin alphabet with added letters Č, Š, Ž. The alphabet does not use X and Y.
How to properly pronounce the name of the country that has LOVE in it?
We hear many variations of how people pronounce the name of our country – Slovenia. Learn how to properly pronounce Slovenia here.
How to pronounce Ljubljana?
Now that you’ve mastered how to pronounce Slovenia, it’s only fair its capital city also rolls off your tongue as smoothly as butter on hot morning toast.
THE Ljubljana Book – SOLD OUT
From the same team that’s been publishing Slovenia´s acclaimed In Your Pocket city and regional guides since 2008 and authors of the best-selling THE Slovenia Book, we are proud to present THE Ljubljana Book. Get the best of the beautiful Slovene capital in one elegant package!
Depending what your language background is, the lovely Ljubljana might be a nightmare for you to pronounce or a piece of cake. Learn how to pronounce Ljubljana here.
How to count in the Slovenian language?
Want to give your Slovenian crush your phone number? Learning how to count or say numbers in Slovenian language is an easy task. Slovenian use the Arab numbers for writing down the number.
Learn how to count or say numbers in Slovenian language with the video below!
More about Slovenians here.
We are in an interesting nation, to say the least. Learn more about us here.
THE Slovenia book Top 100 Destinations, 2020
This new edition of THE Slovenia Book is packed with tips and advice from our experienced foreign journalists who reside in the country. It doesn’t matter what type of trip you are going on, THE Slovenia Book is a great companion on any visit to Slovenia and is the perfect souvenir to take home with you.
We updated the format of the best seller, changed the pictures, updated the interviews, and checked all the data.
