Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Present-Tense
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- Lessons regarding all the Slovenian Tenses: Tenses
The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or are generally true. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs in the present tense in Slovenian. You will also learn about the various endings used in Slovenian verbs and see examples of how to use each verb tense correctly.
With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Conjugation of verbs in the present tense & Imperfect past tense.
Regular Verbs[edit | edit source]
Regular verbs are the simplest verbs to conjugate in Slovenian. They have the same root in all forms of the present tense, which ends in "-ti". The endings are then added onto the root depending on the subject.
The endings for regular verbs are:
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| jaz (I) | -m |
| ti (you, singular) | -š |
| on/ona/ono (he/she/it) | - |
| midva (we, dual, male) | -va |
| medve (we, dual, female) | -ve |
| vidva/vedve (you, dual, male/female) | -ta |
| onadva/onidve (they, dual, male/female) | -sta |
| mi/me (we, plural, male/female) | -mo |
| vi/ve (you, plural, male/female) | -te |
| oni/one (they, plural, male/female) | -jo |
For example:
- hoditi (to walk)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hodim | hó-dim | I walk |
| hodiš | hó-dish | you walk (singular) |
| hodi | hó-dy | he/she/it walks |
| hodiva | hó-diva | we walk (dual) |
| hodita | hó-dita | you walk (dual) |
| hodita | hó-dita | they walk (dual) |
| hodimo | hó-di-mo | we walk (plural) |
| hodite | hó-di-te | you walk (plural) |
| hodijo | hó-dyoyo | they walk (plural) |
Other examples of regular verbs include:
- gledati (to watch)
- poslušati (to listen)
- peti (to sing)
- delati (to work)
- igrati (to play)
Irregular Verbs[edit | edit source]
Irregular verbs are more complex to conjugate than regular verbs, as their roots change depending on the subject. There are several groups of irregular verbs in Slovenian, each with its own pattern of conjugation.
Group 1[edit | edit source]
The first group of irregular verbs includes verbs whose root changes in the first, second, and third persons singular. Here are some examples:
- biti (to be)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sem | sém | I am |
| si | sì | you are (singular) |
| je | yé | he/she/it is |
| sva | svà | we are (dual) |
| sta | stà | you are (dual/the players) |
| sta | stà | they are (dual/the players) |
| smo | smó | we are (plural) |
| ste | sté | you are (plural) |
| so | só | they are (plural) |
- imeti (to have)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| imam | í-mam | I have |
| imaš | í-mash | you have (singular) |
| ima | í-ma | he/she/it has |
| imava | í-mava | we have (dual) |
| imata | í-mata | you have (dual) |
| imata | í-mata | they have (dual) |
| imamo | í-ma-mo | we have (plural) |
| imate | í-ma-te | you have (plural) |
| imajo | í-ma-yo | they have (plural) |
- jesti (to eat)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| jem | yém | I eat |
| ješ | yésh | you eat (singular) |
| je | yé | he/she/it eats |
| jemava | yémava | we eat (dual) |
| jesta | yésta | you eat (dual) |
| jesta | yésta | they eat (dual) |
| jemo | yé-mo | we eat (plural) |
| jeste | yés-te | you eat (plural) |
| jedo | yé-do | they eat (plural) |
Other verbs in the first group include:
- dati (to give)
- vzeti (to take)
- narediti (to do/make)
Group 2[edit | edit source]
The second group of irregular verbs includes verbs whose root changes in the first person singular, but not in any other form.
- vedeti (to know)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| vem | vèm | I know |
| veš | vésh | you know (singular) |
| ve | vé | he/she/it knows |
| veva | vè-va | we know (dual) |
| vesta | vè-sta | you know (dual) |
| vesta | vè-sta | they know (dual) |
| vemo | vè-mo | we know (plural) |
| veste | vès-te | you know (plural) |
| vedo | vè-do | they know (plural) |
- videti (to see)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| vidim | vì-dim | I see |
| vidiš | vì-dish | you see (singular) |
| vidi | vì-di | he/she/it sees |
| vidiva | vì-diva | we see (dual) |
| vidita | vì-dita | you see (dual) |
| vidita | vì-dita | they see (dual) |
| vidimo | vì-di-mo | we see (plural) |
| vidite | vì-di-te | you see (plural) |
| vidijo | vì-dì-yo | they see (plural) |
- reči (to say)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| rečem | ré-chèm | I say |
| rečeš | ré-chèsh | you say (singular) |
| reče | ré-chè | he/she/it says |
| rečeva | ré-chè-va | we say (dual) |
| rečeta | ré-chè-ta | you say (dual) |
| rečeta | ré-chè-ta | they say (dual) |
| rečemo | ré-chè-mo | we say (plural) |
| rečete | ré-chè-te | you say (plural) |
| rečejo | ré-chè-yo | they say (plural) |
Other verbs in the second group include:
- leči (to lie)
- sedeti (to sit)
- vstati (to stand up)
Usage of Present Tense[edit | edit source]
The present tense has several uses in Slovenian, including:
- describing actions or conditions that are ongoing in the present moment ("Pijem kavo." - I am drinking coffee.)
- describing habitual actions or states ("Običajno hodim v kino vsak petek." - I usually go to the cinema every Friday.)
- describing general truths or facts that are always true ("Trava je zelena." - Grass is green.)
- expressing future actions that are scheduled or planned ("Letalo vzleti ob štirih." - The airplane takes off at four.)
- expressing emotions or attitudes ("Srečna sem." - I am happy.)
- making requests, invitations or suggestions ("Gremo v kino?" - Shall we go to the cinema?)
Exercises[edit | edit source]
To practice conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, try the following exercises:
- Conjugate the verb hoditi (to walk) for all subjects in the present tense.
- Conjugate the verb biti (to be) for all subjects in the present tense.
- Conjugate the verb videti (to see) for all subjects in the present tense.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, you have learned how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs in the present tense in Slovenian, including verb endings and examples of usage. The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or are generally true. By studying and practicing the present tense, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Slovenian and understand the language at a fundamental level.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Conjugation
- Adverbs
- The subjunctive mood and modal verbs
- Negation
- Nouns
- Future Tense
- Conjugation of verbs in the present tense
- Personal Pronouns
- Word order and sentence structure
- Active and passive voice
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