Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Nouns

Slovenian Grammar - Nouns

Hi Slovenian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Slovenian nouns, one of the most important parts of speech in the Slovenian language. Like in many other languages, it's crucial to master nouns to become fluent in Slovenian.

First of all, what is a noun? A noun is a word that represents a person, a place, or a thing. In Slovenian, all nouns have a gender (masculine, feminine or neuter), which requires various inflections and different adjectives.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Gender, Perfect tense, Singular and Plural Nouns & Conjunctions.

Gender

In Slovenian, there are three genders - masculine, feminine, and neuter. However, unlike many other languages, Slovenian nouns can be any gender, regardless of the object's actual gender. For example, a chair is feminine, but the word stol (chair) is masculine. In Slovenian, the gender of the noun is simply a grammatical feature, and its gender often cannot be determined by the object's real gender.

Number

In Slovenian, like in other languages, nouns can be singular or plural. To form a noun's plural, you need to conjugate it with different endings.

Here are some basic Slovenian rules for forming plurals:

- If masculine nouns have one syllable, the plural ending is -i, for example, stol > stoli (chair > chairs). - If masculine nouns have two syllables, the plural ending is -je, for example, cest > ceste (road > roads). - If masculine nouns have three or more syllables, the plural ending is -i, for example, zdravnik > zdravniki (doctor > doctors). - Feminine nouns are often characterized by the ending -a in the singular. The plural ending for feminine nouns is -e. For example, hiša > hiše (house > houses). - Neuter nouns often end with -o in the singular. The plural often ends with -a or -i. For example, oblak > oblaki or oblak i(cloud > clouds).

Cases

Nouns in Slovenian also have seven cases that indicate their function in a sentence. Each case is associated with a specific preposition or verb.

Here are the seven cases with their corresponding prepositions or verbs:

1. Nominative (kdo, kaj?) - used for the subject of a sentence, e.g., "Jaz sem dobil darilo." (I got a gift). 2. Genitive (koga, česa?) - used for possession, e.g., "To je torbica moje sestre." (This is my sister's bag). 3. Dative (komu, čemu?) - used for the indirect object of a sentence, e.g., "Mama je dala meni piškote." (Mom gave me cookies). 4. Accusative (koga, kaj?) - used for the direct object of a sentence, e.g., "Jaz vidim ptico." (I see a bird). 5. Locative (o kom, o čem?) - used to specify the location of an object, e.g., "Kuhinja našega stanovanja je velika." (The kitchen in our apartment is big). 6. Instrumental (s kom, s čim?) - used to describe the means of performing an action or the tool used, e.g., "Pismo pišem s svinčnikom." (I am writing the letter with a pencil). 7. Vocative (o!) - used when directly addressing a person, e.g., "Peter, preberi knjigo." (Peter, read the book).

Examples

Let us practice what we have learned with some examples:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
hiša	/hiːʃa/	house
hiš e	/h iːʃ ɛ/	houses
ptica	/ptɪtsa/	bird
ptic e	/ptɪt sɛ /	birds
svinčnik	/svinʧnɪk/	pen
svinčniki	/svinʧniːki/	pens
majhen	/maiehen/	small
majhna	/maiehna/	small
majhno	/maiehno/	small

• Person 1: Ali imaš majhen avto? (/Aliee ieemash maiehen auto?/) (Do you have a small car?)
• Person 2: Ne, imam velik avto. (/Ne ieemam veliik auto/) (No, I have a big car.)

Culture corner

The Slovenian language is a highly inflected Slavic language with various dialects. It has an interesting history - it was influenced by Latin, German, and other Central European languages. Slovenian is the official language of Slovenia, but it is also spoken in parts of Italy, Austria, and Hungary. To learn more about Slovenian grammar and language, be sure to visit Polyglot Club. You can also find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have!

Sources

• Slovenian Language - Structure, Writing & Alphabet - MustGo

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Questions
• How to Use Be
• How to Use Have
• Conjugation
• Gender
• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense
• Adjectives