Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Writing-and-composing-simple-texts

Slovenian → Grammar → Writing and composing simple texts

As a Slovenian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I have noticed that one of the most challenging aspects of learning a new language is putting it into practice. It can be intimidating to try to write in a new language, especially if you aren't familiar with the rules of grammar or if you are worried about making mistakes.

In this lesson, we will focus on practicing your Slovenian writing skills by composing simple texts, such as emails, letters, and short narratives. By using all the grammar and vocabulary covered in the course so far, you will have the opportunity to become more comfortable with the language and gain confidence in your ability to communicate effectively in Slovenian.

Basic Rules for Writing in Slovenian

Before we dive into writing, let's review some basic rules for writing in Slovenian. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Slovenian nouns are declined based on their case, gender, and number. It's important to use the correct case in your writing to ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct.

• Verb conjugation in Slovenian can be complex, but it's important to pay attention to the tense and subject-verb agreement when writing sentences.

• Slovenian word order is different from English, so it's important to consider the position of the subject, object, and verb when writing sentences.

• Finally, it's important to use correct spelling and punctuation in your writing. Slovenian uses the Latin alphabet, with a few additional letters such as č, š, and ž.

Now that we have reviewed some basic rules for writing in Slovenian, let's move on to practice by composing some simple texts.

Composing Simple Texts in Slovenian

To practice writing in Slovenian, we will focus on composing three types of simple texts: emails, letters, and short narratives. Each type of text has its own specific structure, so let's take a look at each one in turn.

Emails

Emails are a great way to practice writing in Slovenian, as they are often more casual and less formal than a traditional letter. Here are some tips to keep in mind when composing an email:

• Use a friendly greeting, such as "Pozdravljeni" (hello) or "Živijo" (hi).

• Introduce yourself clearly, especially if you are writing to someone for the first time.

• Keep your tone friendly and informal, but still polite.

• Use correct grammar and spelling, but don't worry too much about being overly formal.

• Finally, end your email with a friendly closing, such as "Lep pozdrav" (best regards) or "Vse dobro" (all the best).

Here's an example of a simple email:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Pozdravljeni,	"Poz-drah-vleh-nee"	Hello,
Moje ime je Ana.	"Moh-yeh ee-meh yeh Ah-nah"	My name is Ana.
Zelo sem vesela, da sem dobila vaš e-poštni naslov.	"Zeh-loh sem veh-seh-lah dah sem doh-bee-lah vahsh eh pohsht-nee nahs-lohv"	I'm very happy that I received your email address.
Želela sem vam napisati, ker bi se rada dogovorila za sestanek.	"Zheh-leh-lah sem vahm nah-pee-sah-tee, kehr bee seh rah-dah doh-goh-vo-ree-lah zah seh-stah-nek"	I wanted to write to you because I would like to arrange a meeting.
Prosim, sporočite mi, kdaj bi vam ustrezalo.	"Proh-seem, spoh-roh-chee-teh mee, kdahy bee vahm oos-treh-zaa-loh"	Please let me know when it would be convenient for you.
Lep pozdrav, Ana	"Lehp pohz-drahv, Ah-nah"	Best regards, Ana

Letters

While emails are great for casual communication, letters are more formal and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as expressing congratulations, sympathy, gratitude, or apologies. When writing a letter, you should keep the following things in mind:

• Use a formal greeting, such as "Spoštovani" (dear) or "Cenjeni" (esteemed).

• Use a polite and respectful tone throughout the letter.

• Organize your thoughts clearly and logically.

• Use correct grammar and spelling, and write in complete sentences.

• End your letter with a respectful closing, such as "Lep pozdrav" (best regards) or "S spoštovanjem" (with respect).

Here's an example of a simple letter:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Spoštovani gospod Novak,	"Spo-shtoh-vah-nee goh-spohd No-vahk"	Dear Mr. Novak,
Pišem vam, ker bi se vam rada zahvalila za vašo pomoč.	"Pee-shem vahm, kehr bee seh vahm rah-dah zah-hvah-lee-lah zah vah-shoh poh-mo-ch"	I am writing to you to thank you for your help.
Vaša prijaznost in ustrežljivost sta mi pomenili veliko.	"Vah-shah pree-yahz-nost een oos-trehzh-lee-voast stah mee poh-men-ee-lee veh-lee-koh"	Your kindness and helpfulness have meant a lot to me.
Hvala vam še enkrat!	"Hva-lah vahm sheh ehn-kraht"	Thank you again!
Lep pozdrav, Ana	"Lehp pohz-drahv, Ah-nah"	Best regards, Ana

Short Narratives

Writing a short narrative, such as a story or a personal anecdote, can be a fun way to practice your Slovenian writing skills. Here are some tips to keep in mind when composing a short narrative:

• Think about the purpose of your narrative. Are you trying to amuse, inform, or persuade your reader?

• Use descriptive language and details to bring your story to life.

• Use correct grammar and spelling, but feel free to be creative with your sentence structure.

• Consider the pacing and structure of your story. How will you begin and end your narrative?

Here's an example of a short narrative:

Slovenian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Naša družina je vsako leto poleti obiskovala babico, ki živi na podeželju.	"Nah-shah droo-zhee-nah yeh vsah-koh leh-toh poh-leh-tee oh-bee-skoh-vah-lah bah-bee-tsoh, kee zhee-vee nah poh-deh-zhel-yoo"	Our family used to visit Grandma every summer, who lives in the countryside.
Spomnim se enega izleta, ko smo se odpravili v hribe in nabrali ogromno gob.	"Spoh-mneem seh eh-neh-gah eez-leh-tah, koh smo seh oh-dprah-vee-lee v hree-beh een nah-brah-lee oh-groh-mno gob"	I remember one trip when we went to the mountains and collected a lot of mushrooms.
Zvečer smo se vrnili k babici, ki nam je pripravila čudovito večerjo iz gob.	"Zveh-cher smo seh vur-nee-lee k bah-bee-tsee, kee nahm yeh pree-prah-vee-lah choo-doh-vee-to veh-chehr-yoh eez gob"	In the evening, we returned to Grandma's house, where she prepared a delicious dinner from the mushrooms.
Tisti večer smo se zabavali do poznih ur, poslušali glasbo in se smejali ob številnih anekdotah.	"Tee-stee veh-chehr smo seh zah-bah-vah-lee doh pohz-neeh oor, poh-sloo-sha-lee glahs-boh een seh Related Lessons Nouns How to Use Have The subjunctive mood and modal verbs Conjugation of verbs in the present tense Complex sentences and subordinations 0 to A1 Course Conditional Mood How to Use Be Conditional and future tense