Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Adjectives

Slovenian Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Slovenian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on one of the core components of the Slovenian language – adjectives. Adjectives add flavor to any sentence, and in Slovenian, they can be used in multiple ways to describe different aspects of a noun, such as its size, color, shape, and more!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Gender, Perfect tense, Nouns & Tenses.

Adjectives in Slovenian

As you might know, adjectives are words that describe nouns, telling us more about their color, size, shape, and more. In Slovenian, adjectives are often placed before the noun they describe, much like in English:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
velik avto	vɛlik ˈàːʋtɔ	big car
rdeča vrtnica	ˈrdɛtʃa ˈʋərt̀nitsa	red rose
debelo knjigo	ˈdɛbɛlɔ knjɪɡɔ	thick book
lepi kraji	ˈlɛpi kraji	beautiful places

However, the order of words in Slovenian adjectives may vary based on how important it is to emphasize a specific part of the description:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
zeleno jabolko	ˈzɛlɛnɔ jɐˈbɔlkɔ	green apple
jabolko zeleno	jɐˈbɔlkɔ ˈzɛlɛnɔ	(the) apple green

Did you know that Slovenians also have a cute way of forming adjectives by adding the suffix "-ški"? This suffix indicates something originates from a certain place, town, or area. For example, if you order a beer in Ljubljana, you might hear the following:

• Person 1: Lahko dobim kozarec Ljubljanskega piva? (May I have a glass of Ljubljana beer?)
• Person 2: Seveda, to je najboljše pivo na svetu! (Sure, that's the best beer in the world!)

Here, "Ljubljana" becomes "ljubljanski" by adding the suffix "-ški" at the end.

Comparison of Adjectives

Just like in many other languages, Slovenian adjectives have three different levels of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. Let's see some examples below.

Positive Form

The positive form of adjectives is used to describe a noun in its normal state, without comparison. Here are some examples:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
nov avto	ˈnɔu ˈàːʋtɔ	new car
lep dan	lɛp dan	beautiful day
modra bluza	ˈmɔdra ˈblùza	blue blouse
visoko drevo	vɪˈsɔ̀kɔ ˈdrɛʋɔ	tall tree

Comparative Form

The comparative form is used when comparing two nouns or elements. It expresses the difference between the two, indicating which one is greater, lesser, or equal to the other. In Slovenian, the comparative is formed by adding the suffix "-ši" to the basic adjective.

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
bolj nov avto	bɔlj nɔu ˈàːʋtɔ	newer car
lepši dan	ˈlɛpʃi dan	more beautiful day
bolj modra bluza	bɔlj ˈmɔdra ˈblùza	bluer blouse
višje drevo	ˈʋiʃjɛ ˈdrɛʋɔ	taller tree

It's essential to keep in mind that the comparative form can differ based on the gender and number of the adjective.

Superlative Form

The superlative is used when comparing three or more nouns or elements, indicating the highest or lowest value. In Slovenian, the superlative is similar to the comparative in its structure, but we add the suffix "-ši" at the end of the adjective.

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English
najnovejši avto	ˈnajnɔʋɛiʃi ˈàːʋtɔ	newest car
najlepši dan	ˈnajlɛpʃi dan	the most beautiful day
najmodrejša bluza	ˈnajmɔdrɛjʃa ˈblùza	the bluest blouse
najvišje drevo	ˈnajʋiʃjɛ ˈdrɛʋɔ	the tallest tree

Placement of Adjectives

As we mentioned before, adjectives are typically placed before the noun they describe. However, in Slovenian, adjectives can also be placed after the noun, indicating emphasis or lending poignancy to the description.

Let's take a look at the difference below:

• Slovenian: avto, ki je rdeč (the car that is red) – emphasizes that the car is red
• Slovenian: rdeč avto (red car) - emphasizes the color of the car

Test Your Knowledge

Let's practice what we've learned today. Try to form the comparative and superlative of the following adjectives, and check your answers below.

• Slovenian: velik (big)
• Slovenian: hiter (fast)
• Slovenian: dober (good)
• Slovenian: lep (beautiful)

Slovenian	Comparative	Superlative
velik	večji	največji
hiter	hitrejši	najhitrejši
dober	boljši	najboljši
lep	lepši	najlepši

Practice Makes Perfect

To improve your Slovenian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Now it's time to practice what you've learned today. Use the Slovenian adjectives to describe the following items below:

• car
• coffee
• book
• sunset
• sea

We hope this lesson has been both fun and informative! Keep practicing your adjectives, and you will see your Slovenian skills improve in no time!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

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