Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Conjugation-of-verbs-in-the-present-tense
Welcome to the lesson on conjugating verbs in the present tense in Slovenian! As a crucial building block in mastering any language, understanding verb conjugation allows you to express actions happening right now, making your conversations lively and engaging. In this lesson, we will explore both regular and irregular verbs, diving into their conjugation patterns and providing practical examples that you can use in everyday conversation.
By the end of this lesson, you will not only be able to conjugate these verbs but also use them confidently in sentences. This lesson is designed for complete beginners, so we’ll take it step by step. Let's embark on this exciting journey into the world of Slovenian verbs!
The Importance of Present Tense
The present tense in Slovenian, just like in English, is used to describe actions that are currently happening or habitual actions. Mastery of the present tense will enable you to engage in daily conversations, share your daily routine, and express your thoughts and feelings.
How to Conjugate Regular Verbs
Regular verbs in Slovenian follow predictable patterns when conjugated. The majority of verbs in Slovenian fall into one of three categories based on their endings: -ati, -eti, and -iti.
Conjugation Patterns
1. -ati Verbs: The most common type of regular verbs.
- Example: delati (to work)
- Conjugation:
- ja delam (I work)
- ti delaš (you work)
- on/ona dela (he/she works)
- mi delamo (we work)
- vi delate (you work - formal/plural)
- oni/one delajo (they work)
2. -eti Verbs: The second type of regular verbs.
- Example: videti (to see)
- Conjugation:
- ja vidim (I see)
- ti vidiš (you see)
- on/ona vidi (he/she sees)
- mi vidimo (we see)
- vi vidite (you see - formal/plural)
- oni/one vidijo (they see)
3. -iti Verbs: The least common type of regular verbs.
- Example: ljubiti (to love)
- Conjugation:
- ja ljubim (I love)
- ti ljubiš (you love)
- on/ona ljubi (he/she loves)
- mi ljubimo (we love)
- vi ljubite (you love - formal/plural)
- oni/one ljubijo (they love)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| delati | deh-lah-tee | to work |
| ja delam | yah deh-lahm | I work |
| ti delaš | tee deh-lahsh | you work |
| on dela | own deh-lah | he works |
| ona dela | oh-nah deh-lah | she works |
| mi delamo | mee deh-lah-mo | we work |
| vi delate | vee deh-lah-teh | you work (formal/plural) |
| oni delajo | oh-nee deh-lah-yo | they work |
| videti | vee-deh-tee | to see |
| ja vidim | yah vee-deem | I see |
| ti vidiš | tee vee-deesh | you see |
| on vidi | own vee-dee | he sees |
| ona vidi | oh-nah vee-dee | she sees |
| mi vidimo | mee vee-dee-mo | we see |
| vi vidite | vee vee-dee-teh | you see (formal/plural) |
| oni vidijo | oh-nee vee-dee-yo | they see |
| ljubiti | lyoo-bee-tee | to love |
| ja ljubim | yah loo-beem | I love |
| ti ljubiš | tee loo-beesh | you love |
| on ljubi | own loo-bee | he loves |
| ona ljubi | oh-nah loo-bee | she loves |
| mi ljubimo | mee loo-bee-mo | we love |
| vi ljubite | vee loo-bee-teh | you love (formal/plural) |
| oni ljubijo | oh-nee loo-bee-yo | they love |
How to Conjugate Irregular Verbs
While many verbs are regular, some are irregular and do not follow the standard conjugation rules. Let's look at a few of these verbs.
1. biti (to be)
- Conjugation:
- ja sem (I am)
- ti si (you are)
- on/ona je (he/she is)
- mi smo (we are)
- vi ste (you are - formal/plural)
- oni/one so (they are)
2. imeti (to have)
- Conjugation:
- ja imam (I have)
- ti imaš (you have)
- on/ona ima (he/she has)
- mi imamo (we have)
- vi imate (you have - formal/plural)
- oni/one imajo (they have)
3. iti (to go)
- Conjugation:
- jaz grem (I go)
- ti greš (you go)
- on/ona gre (he/she goes)
- mi gremo (we go)
- vi greste (you go - formal/plural)
- oni/one gredo (they go)
| Slovenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| biti | bee-tee | to be |
| ja sem | yah sem | I am |
| ti si | tee see | you are |
| on je | own yeh | he is |
| ona je | oh-nah yeh | she is |
| mi smo | mee smo | we are |
| vi ste | vee steh | you are (formal/plural) |
| oni so | oh-nee so | they are |
| imeti | ee-meh-tee | to have |
| ja imam | yah ee-mahm | I have |
| ti imaš | tee ee-mahsh | you have |
| on ima | own ee-mah | he has |
| ona ima | oh-nah ee-mah | she has |
| mi imamo | mee ee-mah-mo | we have |
| vi imate | vee ee-mah-teh | you have (formal/plural) |
| oni imajo | oh-nee ee-mah-yo | they have |
| iti | ee-tee | to go |
| jaz grem | yahz grehm | I go |
| ti greš | tee grehsh | you go |
| on gre | own greh | he goes |
| ona gre | oh-nah greh | she goes |
| mi gremo | mee greh-mo | we go |
| vi greste | vee greh-steh | you go (formal/plural) |
| oni gredo | oh-nee greh-do | they go |
Using Conjugated Verbs in Sentences
Now that we’ve covered how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs, let’s see how to use them in sentences. Here are some examples:
1. Jaz delam v pisarni. (I work in the office.)
2. Ti vidiš film. (You see a movie.)
3. On ljubi glasbo. (He loves music.)
4. Mi gremo na sprehod. (We are going for a walk.)
5. Oni so srečni. (They are happy.)
You can also make questions by simply changing the order of the words:
1. Ali ti delaš v pisarni? (Do you work in the office?)
2. Ali ona vidi film? (Does she see a movie?)
3. Ali vi imate kolo? (Do you have a bike?)
4. Ali mi gremo na sprehod? (Are we going for a walk?)
5. Ali oni so srečni? (Are they happy?)
Practice Exercises
To help solidify your understanding, here are some exercises.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1. Jaz __________ (delati) v trgovini. (I work in the store.)
2. Ti __________ (videti) prijatelja. (You see a friend.)
3. Ona __________ (ljubiti) naravo. (She loves nature.)
4. Mi __________ (iti) na kosilo. (We are going for lunch.)
5. Oni __________ (imeti) hišo. (They have a house.)
Solutions:
1. delam
2. vidiš
3. ljubi
4. gremo
5. imajo
Exercise 2: Conjugate the verbs
Conjugate the following verbs based on the subject provided.
1. (on) biti - __________
2. (mi) imeti - __________
3. (ti) iti - __________
4. (oni) delati - __________
5. (ona) videti - __________
Solutions:
1. je
2. imamo
3. greš
4. delajo
5. vidi
Exercise 3: Sentence construction
Create sentences using the given subjects and verbs.
1. (mi, ljubiti) - __________
2. (ti, delati) - __________
3. (oni, iti) - __________
4. (ja, imeti) - __________
5. (on, videti) - __________
Solutions:
1. Mi ljubimo.
2. Ti delaš.
3. Oni gredo.
4. Jaz imam.
5. On vidi.
Exercise 4: Questions
Transform the following statements into questions.
1. Ti delaš doma. - __________
2. Ona ima knjigo. - __________
3. Mi gremo v kino. - __________
4. Oni ljubijo šport. - __________
5. Jaz vidim ptico. - __________
Solutions:
1. Ali ti delaš doma?
2. Ali ona ima knjigo?
3. Ali mi gremo v kino?
4. Ali oni ljubijo šport?
5. Ali jaz vidim ptico?
Exercise 5: Translate to Slovenian
Translate the following sentences into Slovenian.
1. I work every day. - __________
2. You love music. - __________
3. They go to the park. - __________
4. She sees the stars. - __________
5. We have a dog. - __________
Solutions:
1. Jaz delam vsak dan.
2. Ti ljubiš glasbo.
3. Oni gredo v park.
4. Ona vidi zvezde.
5. Mi imamo psa.
Exercise 6: Verb matching
Match the verb with its correct conjugation for the subject given.
1. (ja) biti - __________
2. (ti) iti - __________
3. (oni) imeti - __________
4. (ona) delati - __________
5. (mi) videti - __________
Solutions:
1. sem
2. greš
3. imajo
4. dela
5. vidimo
Exercise 7: Conjugation chart
Fill out the conjugation chart for the verb "delati."
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ja | __________ |
| ti | __________ |
| on/ona | __________ |
| mi | __________ |
| vi | __________ |
| oni/one | __________ |
Solutions:
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ja | delam |
| ti | delaš |
| on/ona | dela |
| mi | delamo |
| vi | delate |
| oni/one | delajo |
Exercise 8: Complete the dialogue
Complete the dialogue using the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.
A: Kje __________ (iti) danes?
B: Jaz __________ (iti) v trgovino.
A: Ti __________ (imeti) čas?
B: Ne, jaz __________ (delati) doma.
Solutions:
A: Kje greš danes?
B: Jaz grem v trgovino.
A: Ti imaš čas?
B: Ne, jaz delam doma.
Exercise 9: Write your own sentences
Write three sentences using at least one regular and one irregular verb.
Solutions will vary based on student responses.
Exercise 10: Group activity
In pairs, take turns asking each other questions using the present tense verbs. For example: "Ali ti delaš doma?"
Make sure to keep the conversation going and respond appropriately!
Solutions will vary based on student interactions.
With these exercises, you should have ample opportunity to practice your newfound knowledge of present tense verbs in Slovenian. Make sure to review the conjugation patterns regularly, as repetition is key to mastering any language!
Other Lessons
- Conditional and future tense
- 0 to A1 Course
- Active and passive voice
- Adverbs and prepositions
- Give your Opinion
- Nouns
- Gender
- Adjectives
- Pronouns
- Pronouns and their use