Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Pronouns-and-their-use

Slovenian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Unit 2 - Basic Grammar and Sentence Structure → Pronouns and their use

Introduction

Welcome to Unit 2 of the "Complete 0 to A1 Slovenian Course"! In this unit, we will dive into the world of pronouns and their use in Slovenian. Pronouns are an essential part of any language, as they allow us to refer to people, objects, and things without repeating their names. Understanding how to use pronouns correctly will greatly enhance your ability to communicate in Slovenian.

In this lesson, we will focus on personal and possessive pronouns. We will explore the different cases and tenses in which they are used. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid foundation in using pronouns in Slovenian sentences.

Let's begin!

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. They can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. In Slovenian, personal pronouns have different forms depending on the case and tense in which they are used.

Here is a table showing the personal pronouns in Slovenian:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
jaz	yahz	I
ti	tee	you (singular)
on	ohn	he
ona	ohnah	she
mi	mee	we
vi	vee	you (plural)
oni	ohnee	they (masculine)
one	ohneh	they (feminine)
ono	ohnoh	it

Using Personal Pronouns in Different Cases

In Slovenian, personal pronouns change depending on the case they are used in. There are six cases in Slovenian: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, locative, and instrumental.

Let's take a look at how personal pronouns change in each case:

Nominative Case

The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. Here are the personal pronouns in the nominative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
jaz	yahz	I
ti	tee	you (singular)
on	ohn	he
ona	ohnah	she
mi	mee	we
vi	vee	you (plural)
oni	ohnee	they (masculine)
one	ohneh	they (feminine)
ono	ohnoh	it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the nominative case:

• Jaz sem učitelj. (I am a teacher.)
• Ti si prijazen. (You are kind.)
• On je visok. (He is tall.)
• Ona je pametna. (She is smart.)
• Mi smo prijatelji. (We are friends.)
• Vi ste srečni. (You are happy.)
• Oni so moški. (They are men.)
• One so ženske. (They are women.)
• Ono je majhno. (It is small.)

Accusative Case

The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence. Here are the personal pronouns in the accusative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
mene	mehneh	me
tebe	tehbeh	you (singular)
njega	nyegah	him
njo	nyoh	her
nas	nahs	us
vas	vahs	you (plural)
njih	nyeeh	them (masculine)
njih	nyeeh	them (feminine)
to	toh	it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the accusative case:

• Vidim te. (I see you.)
• Ona vidi njega. (She sees him.)
• Njo slišim. (I hear her.)
• Vas pozdravljam. (I greet you.)
• Oni vidijo njih. (They see them.)
• To razumem. (I understand it.)

Genitive Case

The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate the object of a preposition. Here are the personal pronouns in the genitive case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
mene	mehneh	my
tebe	tehbeh	your (singular)
njega	nyegah	his
nje	nyeh	her
nas	nahs	our
vas	vahs	your (plural)
njih	nyeeh	their (masculine)
njih	nyeeh	their (feminine)
tega	tehgah	its

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the genitive case:

• To je moj avto. (This is my car.)
• To je tvoj avto. (This is your car.)
• To je njegov avto. (This is his car.)
• To je njen avto. (This is her car.)
• To je naš avto. (This is our car.)
• To je vaš avto. (This is your car.)
• To je njihov avto. (This is their car.)
• To je njihov avto. (This is their car.)
• To je njegovo kolo. (This is its bike.)

Dative Case

The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence or to show the recipient of an action. Here are the personal pronouns in the dative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
meni	mehnee	to me
tebi	tehbee	to you (singular)
njemu	nyemoo	to him
njej	nyay	to her
nam	nahm	to us
vam	vahm	to you (plural)
njim	nyem	to them (masculine)
njim	nyem	to them (feminine)
temu	tehmooh	to it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the dative case:

• Dam ti darilo. (I give you a gift.)
• On ji pomaga. (He helps her.)
• Povejte nam. (Tell us.)
• Govorim vam. (I speak to you.)
• Dajte jim knjigo. (Give them a book.)
• Povejte temu. (Tell it.)

Locative Case

The locative case is used to show the location of an action or to indicate a place or time. Here are the personal pronouns in the locative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
meni	mehnee	to/in/at me
tebi	tehbee	to/in/at you (singular)
njemu	nyemoo	to/in/at him
njej	nyay	to/in/at her
nam	nahm	to/in/at us
vam	vahm	to/in/at you (plural)
njim	nyem	to/in/at them (masculine)
njim	nyem	to/in/at them (feminine)
temu	tehmooh	to/in/at it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the locative case:

• Sem pri tebi. (I am at your place.)
• Hodim z njim. (I walk with him.)
• Grem k njej. (I go to her.)
• Pridemo k vam. (We come to you.)
• Gremo z njimi. (We go with them.)
• Sem v tem. (I am in it.)

Instrumental Case

The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument of an action. Here are the personal pronouns in the instrumental case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
z mano	z mahnoh	with me
s tabo	s tahboh	with you (singular)
z njim	z nyem	with him
z njo	z nyoh	with her
z nami	z nahmee	with us
z vami	z vahmee	with you (plural)
z njimi	z nyemee	with them (masculine)
z njimi	z nyemee	with them (feminine)
s tem	s tehm	with it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the instrumental case:

• Pišem z mano. (I write with me.)
• Govoriš s tabo. (You speak with yourself.)
• Dela z njim. (He works with him.)
• Pleše z njo. (She dances with her.)
• Pojemo z nami. (We sing with us.)
• Pogovarjate se z vami. (You talk with yourselves.)
• Igrajo z njimi. (They play with them.)
• S tem igračo se igra. (He plays with this toy.)

Using Personal Pronouns with Verbs in Different Tenses

Personal pronouns in Slovenian can also change depending on the tense of the verb they are used with. Let's take a look at how personal pronouns change in different tenses:

Present Tense

In the present tense, personal pronouns usually stay the same as in the nominative case. However, there are some exceptions when pronouns are attached to verbs as clitics.

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the present tense:

• Jaz grem v trgovino. (I am going to the store.)
• Ti hodiš v šolo. (You go to school.)
• On hodi na delo. (He goes to work.)
• Ona pleše v plesni dvorani. (She dances in the dance hall.)
• Mi beremo knjigo. (We read a book.)
• Vi se učite slovenščino. (You learn Slovenian.)
• Oni igrajo nogomet. (They play soccer.)
• One pojejo v zboru. (They sing in the choir.)
• Ono spi v postelji. (It sleeps in the bed.)

Past Tense

In the past tense, personal pronouns are attached to the end of the verb as clitics. Here are the personal pronouns in the past tense:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
sem	sehm	I
si	see	you (singular)
je	yeh	he
je	yeh	she
smo	smoh	we
ste	steh	you (plural)
so	soh	they (masculine)
so	soh	they (feminine)
je	yeh	it

Here are some examples of personal pronouns in the past tense:

• Sem šel v knjižnico. (I went to the library.)
• Si šla na sprehod? (Did you go for a walk?)
• Je prišel domov. (He came home.)
• Je odpotovala v tujino. (She traveled abroad.)
• Smo brali knjigo. (We read a book.)
• Ste se učili matematiko? (Did you learn math?)
• So igrali tenis. (They played tennis.)
• So pela v zboru. (They sang in the choir.)
• Je spal v postelji. (It slept in the bed.)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or possession. They agree in gender and number with the thing being possessed. In Slovenian, possessive pronouns have different forms depending on the case and tense in which they are used.

Here is a table showing the possessive pronouns in Slovenian:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
moj	moy	my (singular masculine)
moja	moyah	my (singular feminine)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
tvoj	tvoy	your (singular masculine)
tvoja	tvoyah	your (singular feminine)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
njegov	nyegov	his
njegova	nyegovah	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njen	nyen	her
njena	nyenah	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
najin	nyain	our (masculine)
najina	nyainah	our (feminine)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
vajin	vayin	your (singular masculine)
vajina	vayinah	your (singular feminine)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
njun	nyoon	their (masculine)
njuna	nyoonah	their (feminine)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njen	nyen	its
njena	nyenah	its
njeno	nyenoh	its

Using Possessive Pronouns in Different Cases

Possessive pronouns in Slovenian change depending on the case they are used in, just like personal pronouns. Let's take a look at how possessive pronouns change in each case:

Nominative Case

In the nominative case, possessive pronouns agree in gender and number with the thing being possessed. Here are the possessive pronouns in the nominative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
moj	moy	my (singular masculine)
moja	moyah	my (singular feminine)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
tvoj	tvoy	your (singular masculine)
tvoja	tvoyah	your (singular feminine)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
njegov	nyegov	his
njegova	nyegovah	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njen	nyen	her
njena	nyenah	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
najin	nyain	our (masculine)
najina	nyainah	our (feminine)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
vajin	vayin	your (singular masculine)
vajina	vayinah	your (singular feminine)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
njun	nyoon	their (masculine)
njuna	nyoonah	their (feminine)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njen	nyen	its
njena	nyenah	its
njeno	nyenoh	its

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in the nominative case:

• To je moj avto. (This is my car.)
• To je moja hiša. (This is my house.)
• To je moje kolo. (This is my bike.)
• To je tvoj avto. (This is your car.)
• To je tvoja hiša. (This is your house.)
• To je tvoje kolo. (This is your bike.)
• To je njegov avto. (This is his car.)
• To je njegova hiša. (This is his house.)
• To je njegovo kolo. (This is his bike.)

Accusative Case

In the accusative case, possessive pronouns also agree in gender and number with the thing being possessed. Here are the possessive pronouns in the accusative case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
mojega	moyehgah	my (singular masculine)
mojo	moyoh	my (singular feminine)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
tvojega	tvoyehgah	your (singular masculine)
tvojo	tvoyoh	your (singular feminine)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njene	nyeneh	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
najinega	nyainaygah	our (masculine)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
vajinega	vayinaygah	your (singular masculine)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
njunega	nyoonaygah	their (masculine)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	its
njegovo	nyegovoh	its
njegovo	nyegovoh	its

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in the accusative case:

• Vidim mojega brata. (I see my brother.)
• Vidim mojo sestro. (I see my sister.)
• Vidim moje prijatelje. (I see my friends.)
• Vidim tvojega brata. (I see your brother.)
• Vidim tvojo sestro. (I see your sister.)
• Vidim tvoje prijatelje. (I see your friends.)
• Vidim njegovega brata. (I see his brother.)
• Vidim njegovo sestro. (I see his sister.)
• Vidim njegove prijatelje. (I see his friends.)

Genitive Case

In the genitive case, possessive pronouns also agree in gender and number with the thing being possessed. Here are the possessive pronouns in the genitive case:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
mojega	moyehgah	my (singular masculine)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
tvojega	tvoyehgah	your (singular masculine)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	his
njegove	nyegovah	his
njegove	nyegovah	his
njene	nyeneh	her
njene	nyeneh	her
njene	nyeneh	her
najinega	nyainaygah	our (masculine)
najine	nyainah	our (feminine)
najine	nyainah	our (feminine)
vajinega	vayinaygah	your (singular masculine)
vajine	vayinah	your (singular feminine)
vajine	vayinah	your (singular feminine)
njunega	nyoonaygah	their (masculine)
njunega	nyoonaygah	their (masculine)
njunega	nyoonaygah	their (masculine)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	its
njegove	nyegovah	its
njegove	nyegovah	its

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in the genitive case:

• To je avto mojega brata. (This is my brother's car.)
• To je hiša moje sestre. (This is my sister's house.)
• To je kolo mojih prijateljev. (This is my friends' bike.)
• To je avto tvojega brata. (This is your brother's car.)
• To je hiša tvoje sestre. (This is your sister's house.)
• To je kolo tvojih prijateljev. (This is your friends' bike.)
• To je avto njegovega brata. (This is his brother's car.)
• To je hiša njegove sestre. (This is his sister's house.)
• To je kolo njegovih prijateljev. (This is his friends' bike.)

Using Possessive Pronouns with Verbs in Different Tenses

Possessive pronouns in Slovenian also change depending on the tense of the verb they are used with. Let's take a look at how possessive pronouns change in different tenses:

Present Tense

In the present tense, possessive pronouns usually stay the same as in the nominative case. However, there are some exceptions when pronouns are attached to verbs as clitics.

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in the present tense:

• To je moj avto. (This is my car.)
• To je tvoj avto. (This is your car.)
• To je njegov avto. (This is his car.)
• To je njen avto. (This is her car.)
• To je najin avto. (This is our car.)
• To je vajin avto. (This is your car.)
• To je njun avto. (This is their car.)
• To je njen avto. (This is its car.)

Past Tense

In the past tense, possessive pronouns are attached to the end of the verb as clitics. Here are the possessive pronouns in the past tense:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
mojega	moyehgah	my (singular masculine)
mojo	moyoh	my (singular feminine)
moje	moyeh	my (singular neuter)
tvojega	tvoyehgah	your (singular masculine)
tvojo	tvoyoh	your (singular feminine)
tvoje	tvoyeh	your (singular neuter)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njegovo	nyegovoh	his
njene	nyeneh	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
njeno	nyenoh	her
najinega	nyainaygah	our (masculine)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
najino	nyainoh	our (neuter)
vajinega	vayinaygah	your (singular masculine)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
vajino	vayinoh	your (singular neuter)
njunega	nyoonaygah	their (masculine)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njuno	nyoonoh	their (neuter)
njegovega	nyegovaygah	its
njegovo	nyegovoh	its
njegovo	nyegovoh	its

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in the past tense:

• Videl sem mojega brata. (I saw my brother.)
• Videla sem mojo sestro. (I saw my sister.)
• Videlo sem moje prijatelje. (I saw my friends.)
• Videl sem tvojega brata. (I saw your brother.)
• Videla sem tvojo sestro. (I saw your sister.)
• Videlo sem tvoje prijatelje. (I saw your friends.)
• Videl sem njegovega brata. (I saw his brother.)
• Videla sem njegovo sestro. (I saw his sister.)
• Videlo sem njegove prijatelje. (I saw his friends.)

Cultural Insights

The usage of pronouns in Slovenian reflects the cultural values and norms of the Slovenian people. Slovenians place great importance on personal relationships and respect for others. This is reflected in the use of personal pronouns, which are used to address others with politeness and to show respect.

In Slovenian culture, it is common to use the formal version of personal pronouns when speaking to someone you are not familiar with or someone of higher social status. This is a sign of respect and politeness. The informal version of personal pronouns is used when speaking to friends, family members, or people of the same age or social status.

It is also worth noting that Slovenian is a gender-neutral language. Unlike many other languages, Slovenian does not have separate pronouns for male and female. This reflects the egalitarian values of Slovenian society, where gender equality is highly valued.

Practice Exercises

Now that we have learned about personal and possessive pronouns in Slovenian, let's practice using them in different cases and tenses. Complete the following exercises, and then check your answers below.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blank with the appropriate personal pronoun in the given case and tense.

1. _______________ sem učitelj. (nominative, present tense) 2. Vidim _______________. (accusative, present tense) 3. To je avto _______________. (genitive, present tense) 4. Povejte _______________. (dative, present tense) 5. Sem pri _______________. (locative, present tense) 6. Pišem z _______________. (instrumental, present tense) 7. _______________ sem šel v knjižnico. (nominative, past tense) 8. Vidim _______________ brata. (accusative, past tense) 9. To je avto _______________ brata. (genitive, past tense) 10. Videl sem _______________ brata. (accusative, past tense)

Exercise 2: Fill in the blank with the appropriate possessive pronoun in the given case and tense.

1. To je _______________ avto. (nominative, present tense) 2. Vidim _______________ brata. (accusative, present tense) 3. To je avto _______________ brata. (genitive, present tense) 4. Videl sem _______________ brata. (accusative, past tense) 5. To je _______________ avto. (nominative, past tense) 6. Videla sem _______________ sestro. (accusative, past tense) 7. To je avto _______________ prijateljev. (genitive, past tense) 8. Videla sem _______________ prijatelje. (accusative, past tense)

Exercise 3: Translate the following sentences into Slovenian.

1. She is my best friend. 2. We are going to their house. 3. I gave him a present. 4. Are you coming with us? 5. This is his book.

Exercise 4: Translate the following sentences into English.

1. To je njegova hiša. 2. Vidim vaš avto. 3. Ona je njegova sestra. 4. Povejte jim. 5. Sem pri tebi.

Exercise Solutions

Exercise 1:

1. Jaz 2. tebe 3. mojega 4. nam 5. meni 6. mano 7. Sem 8. svojega 9. mojega 10. svojega

Exercise 2:

1. moj 2. mojega 3. mojega 4. svojega 5. moj 6. svojo 7. njihov 8. njihove

Exercise 3:

1. Ona je moja najboljša prijateljica. 2. Gremo k njihovi hiši. 3. Sem mu dal darilo. 4. Greš z nami? 5. To je njegova knjiga.

Exercise 4:

1. This is his house. 2. I see your car. 3. She is his sister. 4. Tell them. 5. I am at your place.

That's it for this lesson! You have learned how to use personal and possessive pronouns in Slovenian, including the different cases and tenses in which they are used. Keep practicing and using pronouns in your conversations to become more fluent in Slovenian. Good luck!

Table of Contents - Slovenian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time
• Days of the Week

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Hobbies and Free Time

• Common Hobbies
• Talking about Free Time

  ---

Slovenian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Food and Drink

Sources

• Easy Slovenian Pronouns: A Guide To 3+ Categories - Ling App

Other Lessons

• Conjugation
• The subjunctive mood and modal verbs
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns
• Complex sentences and subordinations
• Questions
• How to Use Be
• Cases