Tag Archives: learn slovenian

lokal

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Translation: pub, bar, kavarna [noun, m]

The noun lokal typically means a place where you would go for a cup of coffee (also known as kavarna) or a drink (pub). On the other hand, the adjective lokalen does mean exactly what you imagine: local.

Examples:

V nedeljo je lokal zaprt.
(The pub is closed on Sunday.)

Psom vstop v lokal prepovedan!
(Entrance to the bar forbidden for dogs.)

V sosednji hiši je gostinski lokal.
(There is a tavern / bar in the house next door.)

Lokal je stal v prijetni senci dreves.
(The bar stood in a pleasant shade of trees.)

Gremo na pivo? – Ja, poiščimo lokal.
(Shall we go for a beer? – Yes, let’s find a pub.)

Related:

kavarna – coffee (and tea and cake) place
čajnica – tea (and coffee and cake) place
gostilna – inn
restavracija – restaurant

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

božič

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Translation: Christmas

Examples:

Vesel božič in srečno novo leto!
(Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year)

Božič je predvsem družinski praznik.
(Christmas is mainly a family holiday.)

Kaj boš počel za božič? – Šel bom na božični koncert. Moj najljubši zbor bo pel božične pesmi.
(What are you going to do for Christmas? – I will attend a Chrismas concert. My favourite choir is going to sing Christmas songs.)

Related:

novoletna jelka – christmass tree (lit. new year’s fir tree)
cerkveni praznik – religious holiday

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

medved

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Translation: bear [noun, m]

Bears are a recurring theme in Slovenia. The increasing population of brown bears is causing ocassional conflicts between the animals and humans-and heated debates between the farmers and hunters (the kill-many camp) and the environmentalists (the kill-none camp).

Examples:

Medved je nevarna zver.
(Bear is a dangerous beast.)

Medvedek Pu ima rad med.
(Winnie-the-Pooh likes honey.)

Populacija rjavega medveda raste iz leta v leto.
(The brown bear population is growing each year.)

Expressions:

zaščiten kot medved
(protected, untouchable – lit. protected like a bear; the saying comes from the fact that the bear population in Slovenia enjoys protection from hunting.)

Direktorja so želeli odstaviti, a ga niso mogli–bil je zaščiten kot medved!
(They wanted to depose the manager, but couldn’t-he was well protected.)

tristo kosmatih medvedov
(lit. three hundred hairy bears; this is a famous Slovenian curse. It is more funny than serious. You can also omit “medvedov“.)

Related:

zver – beast
zaščititi – to protect
kosmat – hairy
volk – wolf

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

zima

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Translation: winter [noun, f]

Examples:

Zima prihaja!
(Winter is coming!)

Pozimi je mraz, poleti pa vroče.
(It is cold in winter, and hot in summer.)

Letošnja zima je precej mila.
(This year’s winter is quite mild.)

Related:

poletje – summer
jesen – autumn
pomlad – spring
sneg – snow
led – ice

Extra:

A popular children’s song about winter goes like this:

Zima, zima bela
vrh gore sedela,
pa tako je pela:
da bo Mirka vzela.
Ker on nič ne dela,
ker on nič ne naredi,
čakaj, čakaj Mirko ti!

(

Winter, white winter
sat on a mountain’s top,
singing like this:
that she will Mirko take.
Because he does not work at all,
because he does not do a thing,
just wait, you wait Mirko!

)

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

nič

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Sneaky. We all know that it’s a chocolate number.

Translation: zero, nothing

The word nič has several distinct meanings, and it can be found in many phrases and expressions. It has many different grammatical roles in sentences; hopefully, the examples will make it clear how and when to use it.

Examples:

Nič je število.
(Zero is a number.)

Štejem od nič do neskončno.
(I count from zero to infinity.)

Z nič denarja se ne da nič kupiti.
(With no money one cannot buy anything.)

Nič ga ni spravilo v zadrego.
(Nothing made him embarrassed.)

Kaj se je zgodilo? Nič, pozabi!
(What happened? Nothing, forget it.)

Expressions:

Prepirati se za prazen nič.
(to argue without cause – lit. To argue for empty nothing.)

Vse bo šlo v nič.
(Everything will fall apart / will be ruined / will be destroyed. – lit. Everything will go to nothing.)

za nič na svetu
(for all the world – lit. for nothing in the world)

Svojega avta ne bi zamenjala za nič na svetu.
(I wouldn’t change my car for all the world)

Related:

ničesar – nothing

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

povprečen

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Translation: average, mean, mediocre [adj]

Examples:

Povprečna dnevna temperatura bo enaindvajset stopinj Celzija.
(The average temperature during the day will be twenty-one degrees centigrade.)

Tukaj so meritve. Izračunajte njihovo povprečje.
(Here are the measurements. Calculate their average.)

Njegovo življenje je precej povprečno.
(His life is quite mediocre.)

Prebral sem vaše poročilo. Žal mi je, ampak je podpovprečno. Razočaran sem.
(I read your report. I am sorry, but it is below standards. I am disappointed.)

Related:

povprečje – average [noun, n]
nadpovprečen – above average (above standards)
podpovprečen – below average (below standards)

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

gladek

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Translation: smooth, slippery, easy [adj]

Examples:

Spodrsnilo mu je na gladkem ledu.
(He slipped on slippery ice.)

Z dlanjo je podrsala po gladki površini.
(With her hand she brushed the smooth surface.)

Danes si imel izpit, kajne? Kako ti je šlo? – V redu, vse je šlo gladko.
(You had the exam today, right? How did it go? – OK, everything went smoothly.)

Expressions:

(nekdo) ni gladek
((someone) is crazy; Lit. (someone) is not smooth)

Veš, kaj mi je rekel včeraj? Da je revščina stvar odločitve. Ta tip res ni gladek.
(You know what he said to me yesterday? That poverty is a choice. That guy is crazy.)

Related:

spolzek – slippery (more slippery than gladek)
glad – hunger
lakota – hunger

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

zemljevid

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Translation: map [noun, m]

The word zemljevid is composed of Zemlja (Earth) and vid (sight).

Examples:

Tukaj je zemljevid. Mi lahko pokažeš kje se nahaja Nizozemska?
(Here is the map. Can you show me the location of the The Netherlands?)

Haha, oblika Slovenije na zemljevidu me spominja na kuro.
(Haha, the shape of Slovenia on the map reminds me of a hen. Note – an alternative and less colloquial word for kura is kokoš.)

Poleti sem obiskal Pariz. Mesto je ogromno! Ne vem, kaj bi brez zemljevida.
(I visited Paris in the summer. The city is huge! I don’t know what I would do without a map.)

Expressions:

(nekaj) ni na zemljevidu
((something) is not recognized, or skips attention, of another person or organization; lit. (something) is not on the map)

Najnovejša lestvica 500 najboljših univerz: Slovenije ni na zemljevidu
(The newest list of the 500 best universities: Slovenia is not to be found there. Note – this is a title taken from a newspaper article)

Related:

zemljepisna širina – latitude
zemljepisna dolžina – longitude
zemljepis – geography (often the term “geografija” is used)

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

trobenta

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Translation: trumpet [noun, f]

Trobenta can be heard in many bands that play Slovenian folk music. However, harmonika (accordion) is probably most often associated with this type of music.

Examples:

Rad poslušam jazz. Še posebej mi je všeč zvok trobente.
(I like to listen to jazz. I especially like the sound of a trumpet.)

Trobenta, klarinet, bobni… Potrebujemo samo še pevca, pa imamo skupino!
(Trumpet, clarinet, drums… We only need a singer and we have a band!)

Trobentica je znanilka pomladi.
(Primrose is a herald of spring.)

Phrases:

Ne trobentaj!
(Don’t talk nonsense!)

Related:

trobentač – trumpet player
glasbenik – musician
trobilo – brass instrument
trobentica – primrose

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.

Extra:

Primrose is not named “trobentica” by coincident. Early in spring, when you’re walking in a park or a garden, pick up one primrose blossom and blow through its stalk. Did you hear it?

gnoj

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Translation: dung

You might find it a weird choice. Out of all the possible words or expressions that I could discuss here… I chose gnoj. Note that it is quite a useful word to know. In addition to its literal meaning, it can be used to refer to an especially bad person (On je gnoj!).

But to make the post especially interesting, I will not use the typical structure. Instead, I will introduce you to Srečko Kosovel, a poet who lived at the beginning of the 20th century. He died at 22; by that time he wrote about 500 poems. His poetry is regarded as of very high quality and he is a sort of an icon today. Here I give you one of the more entertaining poems.

Gnoj je zlato
in zlato je gnoj.
oboje = 0
0 = ∞
∞ = 0
AB <
1, 2 3
Kdor nima duše
ne potrebuje zlata
kdor ima dušo
ne potrebuje gnoja.
I, A.

(

Dung is gold
and gold is dung.
both = 0
0 = ∞
∞ = 0
AB <
1, 2 3.
Whoever has no soul
doesn’t need gold.
Whoever has a soul
doesn’t need dung.
EE-AW

)

Listen to the pronunciation of Slovenian words and phrases.