SLOVENIAN LANGUAGE
SLOVENIAN LANGUAGE
In Slovenia the official language is Slovenian language (or Slovene), which is similar to other Slavic languages, particularly close to Serbian and Croatian, and uses the Latin alphabet.
Many Slovenes speak English very well, some use German and Italian as a foreign language. Slovenes generally appreciate any effort you make in their language.
Freising Manuscripts
Slovenian Language
The first written sample of the Slovenian language (also first among Slavic languages) are the Freising manuscripts (Brizinski
The Catechism is the oldest preserved printed book in
Now the Slovenian language is spoken by about 2,5 million speakers and is one of the official languages of the European Union.
Please find below some Slovenian language phrases and words you may need while travelling around Slovenia and Ljubljana.
There are some special letters in Slovenian alphabet:
Č – reads: CH (Chocolate)
Š – reads: SH (Cash)
Ž – reads: J without D (Garage)
| Good day | Dober dan! |
| Good evening | Dober večer! |
| Good morning | Dobro jutro! |
| Thank you | Hvala! |
| Please | Prosim! |
| Excuse me | Oprostite! |
| How are you ? (between friends, informal) | Kako si? |
| How are you ? (polite form) | Kako ste? |
| Bye (informal) | Adijo! |
| Good bye | Nasvidenje! |
| Cheers! | Na zdravje! |
| Beer | Pivo |
| Good luck! | Srečno! |
| Lucky journey! | Srečno pot! |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What is the main language spoken in Slovenia?
The main language spoken in Slovenia is Slovenian language. - How many languages do Slovenians speak?
Slovenians speak at least two to three different languages if not more. Slovene is our mother language. Most Slovenes speak Serbian and Croatian or at least understand it very well. English is widely spoken and understood while many would also know some German or Italian. - What is the closest language to Slovenian?
The closest language to Slovenian is Croatian and Serbian. - What language family is Slovenian?
Slovenian belongs to Southern Slavic language family. - Is Slovenian the same as Serbian?
No. - How hard is it to learn Slovenian?
It all depends on what languages you already speak. But in general, Slovenian is pretty difficult language to learn if you are not a Slav. Namely, It has 6 cases, lots of exceptions and the dual. Slovene is one of the rare languages in the world that has the grammatical number dual – it is used specifically for two objects or persons. - Can Slovenians understand Russian?
We can understand some words in Russian which have the same or similar meaning than in Slovenian but generally, we can get lost in translation pretty easily. However, a Russian and a Slovenian will not be able to communicate effectively without an interpreter. - What is Slovenian language code?
Slovenian language code is sl-Sl. - How many people speak Slovenian?
Slovenian language is spoken by about 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia, where it is one of the three official languages.
- Is Slovakia language same as Slovenian language?
No. Slovenia and Slovakia are two different countries with two different languages. - Where can I buy Slovenian language books for Slovenian language course?
In certain bookshops.
More resources:
- How to pronounce Ljubljana Origin of the name and pronunciation,
- Slovene for Travelers Slovenian expressions and common phrases for different situations like eating out and asking for directions.
- Slovenian language translator (English to Slovenian and from other languages to Slovenian)
