Language/Slovenian/Grammar/Simple-past-tense

The Slovenian language features a diverse verb system that includes various tenses to express actions, events, or states at different points in time. An essential tense to learn in Slovenian is the simple past tense (Preteklik), which is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. In this guide, we will explore the formation of the simple past tense and its usage in the Slovenian language.

Slovenian - Grammar- Tenses - Simple Past Tense

Formation of the Simple Past Tense

In Slovenian, the simple past tense is formed using the past participle of the verb and the auxiliary verb "biti" (to be) in the past tense. The past participle is created by adding a suffix to the verb stem, which depends on the verb's conjugation group. Slovenian verbs are divided into three conjugation groups based on the infinitive ending: -ti (first conjugation), -či (second conjugation), and -iti (third conjugation).

First conjugation (-ti verbs):

Add the suffix -l (for masculine and neuter) or -la (for feminine) to the verb stem.

Example: delati (to work)

• Jaz sem delal (I worked, masculine)
• Jaz sem delala (I worked, feminine)

Second conjugation (-či verbs):

Add the suffix -l (for masculine and neuter) or -la (for feminine) to the verb stem, but also replace the -č- with -š-.

Example: peči (to bake)

• Jaz sem pekel (I baked, masculine)
• Jaz sem pekla (I baked, feminine)

Third conjugation (-iti verbs):

Add the suffix -il (for masculine and neuter) or -ila (for feminine) to the verb stem.

Example: dobiti (to receive)

• Jaz sem dobil (I received, masculine)
• Jaz sem dobila (I received, feminine)

Auxiliary verb "biti" in the past tense

The past tense of "biti" is used in combination with the past participle to form the simple past tense. It is conjugated as follows:

• Jaz sem (I was)
• Ti si (You were)
• On/Ona/Ono je (He/She/It was)
• Mi smo (We were)
• Vi ste (You all were)
• Oni/One/Ona so (They were)

Usage of the Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense in Slovenian is used to describe completed actions or events that took place in the past. It can be used in various contexts, such as telling a story, recounting past experiences, or describing past states or conditions.

Example sentences:

• Včeraj sem šel v kino. (Yesterday, I went to the cinema.)
• Ona je prebrala knjigo. (She read the book.)
• Lani smo potovali po Evropi. (Last year, we traveled around Europe.)

Conclusion

Understanding the simple past tense (Preteklik) in Slovenian is crucial for communicating past events and actions effectively. By learning the formation of past participles and the conjugation of the auxiliary verb "biti," you will be well-equipped to express yourself in the past tense in Slovenian.

Other lessons

• Past Tense
• How to Use Be
• Cases
• Conditional perfect tense
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Conjugation
• Questions
• Complex sentences and subordinations
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Imperfect past tense
• Nouns, articles and gender
• Adjective Agreement
• Pluperfect tense
• Negation
• Conditional Mood
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives