Slovenščina
Slovenian
Slavic
Slovenian is a South Slavic language and the sole official language of Slovenia (~2.5M speakers); also spoken by minorities in Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Austria (Carinthia), Hungary, and Croatia. Famously retains the Proto-Slavic dual grammatical number — alongside singular and plural — making it one of only a handful of modern European languages with three-way number marking. Despite its small population, it has over 40 distinct dialects across seven major dialect groups, reflecting Slovenia's mountainous terrain. EU official language since 2004.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Slovenian
Water
voda
/voːda/
Fire
ogenj
/oːɡənj/
Sun
sonce
/soːnt͡sɛ/
Moon
luna
/luːna/
Mother
mati
/maːti/
Father
oče
/oːt͡ʃɛ/
Eat
jesti
/jɛːsti/
Drink
piti
/piːti/
Love
ljubezen
/ljubeːzɛn/
Heart
srce
/sərt͡sɛ/
Tree
drevo
/dɾeːʋo/
House
hiša
/xiːʃa/
Dog
pes
/pɛːs/
Cat
mačka
/maːt͡ʃka/
Hand
roka
/ɾɔːka/
Eye
oko
/ɔːko/
Hello
živjo
/ʒiːʋjo/
Thank you
hvala
/xʋaːla/
One
eden
/ɛːdən/
Good
dober
/doːbər/
Words compared
Compared with related Slavic languages
| Meaning | Slovenian | Croatian | Bulgarian | Czech | Old East Slavic | Old Church Slavonic | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | voda /voːda/ | voda /ˈʋoda/ | вода /vɔda/ | voda /ˈvoda/ | вода /voda/ | вода /vodɑ/ | вода /vɐˈda/ |
| Fire | ogenj /oːɡənj/ | vatra /ˈʋatra/ | огън /ɔɡɤn/ | oheň /ˈoɦɛɲ/ | огнь /oɡnĭ/ | огнь /oɡnʲ/ | огонь /ɐˈɡonʲ/ |
| Sun | sonce /soːnt͡sɛ/ | sunce /ˈsuːnt͡se/ | слънце /slɤnt͡sɛ/ | slunce /ˈslunt͡sɛ/ | сълньце /sŭlnĭtse/ | слъньце /slɤnɪtse/ | солнце /ˈsont͡sə/ |
| Moon | luna /luːna/ | mjesec /ˈmjeseːt͡s/ | луна /luna/ | měsíc /ˈmɲɛsiːt͡s/ | мѣсѧць /měsętsĭ/ | лоуна /lunɑ/ | луна /ɫʊˈna/ |
| Mother | mati /maːti/ | majka /ˈmaːjka/ | майка /majka/ | matka /ˈmatka/ | мати /mati/ | мати /mɑti/ | мать /matʲ/ |
| Father | oče /oːt͡ʃɛ/ | otac /ˈotat͡s/ | баща /baʃta/ | otec /ˈotɛt͡s/ | отьць /otĭtsĭ/ | отьць /otɪtsɪ/ | отец /ɐˈtʲet͡s/ |
| Eat | jesti /jɛːsti/ | jesti /ˈjɛsti/ | ям /jam/ | jíst /jiːst/ | ѣсти /ěsti/ | ꙗсти /jɑsti/ | есть /jesʲtʲ/ |
| Drink | piti /piːti/ | piti /ˈpiːti/ | пия /pijɐ/ | pít /piːt/ | пити /piti/ | пити /piti/ | пить /pʲitʲ/ |
| Love | ljubezen /ljubeːzɛn/ | ljubav /ˈʎuːbaʋ/ | любов /ljubɔf/ | láska /ˈlaːska/ | любити /ljubiti/ | любъвь /lʲubɤvɪ/ | любовь /lʲʊˈbofʲ/ |
| Heart | srce /sərt͡sɛ/ | srce /ˈsr̩t͡se/ | сърце /sɤrt͡sɛ/ | srdce /ˈsr̩t͡sɛ/ | сьрдьце /sĭrdĭtse/ | срьдьце /sɪrɪdɪtse/ | сердце /ˈsʲert͡sə/ |
| Tree | drevo /dɾeːʋo/ | drvo /ˈdr̩ʋo/ | дърво /dɤrvɔ/ | strom /strom/ | дрѣво /drɛːvo/ | дрѣво /drɛːvo/ | дерево /ˈdʲerʲɪvə/ |
| House | hiša /xiːʃa/ | kuća /ˈkuːt͡ɕa/ | къща /kɤʃtɐ/ | dům /duːm/ | домъ /domŭ/ | домъ /domɤ/ | дом /dom/ |
| Dog | pes /pɛːs/ | pas /pas/ | куче /kut͡ʃɛ/ | pes /pɛs/ | пьсъ /pĭsŭ/ | пьсъ /pɪsɤ/ | собака /sɐˈbakɐ/ |
| Cat | mačka /maːt͡ʃka/ | mačka /ˈmaːt͡ʃka/ | котка /kɔtka/ | kočka /ˈkot͡ʃka/ | котъка /kotŭka/ | котъка /kotɤkɑ/ | кошка /ˈkoʂkə/ |
| Hand | roka /ɾɔːka/ | ruka /ˈruːka/ | ръка /rɤka/ | ruka /ˈruka/ | рѫка /rǫka/ | рѫка /rõkɑ/ | рука /rʊˈka/ |
| Eye | oko /ɔːko/ | oko /ˈoːko/ | око /ɔkɔ/ | oko /ˈoko/ | око /oko/ | око /oko/ | глаз /ɡɫas/ |
| Hello | živjo /ʒiːʋjo/ | bok /bok/ | здравей /zdravɛj/ | ahoj /ˈaɦoj/ | здравъ /zdravŭ/ | радоуисѧ /rɑdujisẽ/ | привет /prʲɪˈvʲet/ |
| Thank you | hvala /xʋaːla/ | hvala /ˈxʋaːla/ | благодаря /blaɡɔdarʲa/ | děkuji /ˈɟɛkuji/ | — /—/ | благодарьствоую /blɑɡodɑrʲstvuju/ | спасибо /spɐˈsʲibɐ/ |
| One | eden /ɛːdən/ | jedan /ˈjɛdan/ | един /ɛdin/ | jeden /ˈjɛdɛn/ | одинъ /odinŭ/ | ѥдинъ /jedinɤ/ | один /ɐˈdʲin/ |
| Good | dober /doːbər/ | dobar /ˈdobar/ | добър /dɔbɤr/ | dobrý /ˈdobriː/ | добръ /dobrŭ/ | добръ /dobrɤ/ | хороший /xɐˈroʂɨj/ |
Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
Compare with closely-related languages
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