In some Slovene words the letter ''r'', like Serbo-Croatian, becomes a hard semi-vowel when it stands before another consonant, as in ''rde?'' (red) or ''rjav'' (brown), or when it stands between two consonants, as in ''Brnik'' (the Ljubljana airport) or ''vrt'' (garden). Like the other Slavic languaghes, the sound of each vowel is pure and very clear. Like Serbo-Croatian, stress usually falls on the second or third-last syllable, but in any case the stressed is always put in capital letters.
; a : the 'a' in "article" ; e : the 'e' in "bed" ; i : the 'ee' in "see" ; o : the 'o' in "open" ; u : the 'oo' in "moon"
; b : the 'b' in "best" ; c : the 'ts' in "bets" ; ? : the 'ch' in "chocolate" ; d : the 'd' in "day" ; d? : the 'j' in "jeep" ; f : the 'f' in "far" ; g : the 'g' in "go" ; h : the 'h' in "heat" ; j : the 'y' in "Yankee" ; k : the 'k' in "kick" ; l : the 'l' in "left", but 'w' after another consonant or at the end of a word ; m : the 'm' in "mom" ; n : the 'n' in "nothing"; pronounced like a Spanish n as in "Senor" after an an i; a common trait among Slavs. ; p : the 'p' in "path" ; r : the 'r' in trilled like spanish 'r' in "rico", or 'er' when used as a vowel ; s : the 's' in "seven" ; ? : the 'sh' in "shock" ; t : the 't' in "taxi" ; v : the 'v' in "vase", but sometimes 'w' (see below) ; z : the 'z' in "zero" ; ? : the 'su' in "pleasure" or 'ge' in "garage"
The voiced consonants are: b, d, g, j, l, m, n, r, v, z, ?. The unvoiced consonants are: c, ?, f, h, k, p, s, ?, t.
Look carefully at the letters ?, ?, and ?. They are typical for Slovene and some other Central and South European languages. Also note how you pronounce j and h in Slovene.
Certain letters will at times be grouped with certain other letters and have a slightly different pronunciation. The same happens when they occupy a certain position in the word. For example:
When l is at the end of a word or placed after any other consonant than j it is pronounced as w as in ''bel'' (BEW, "white"), ''popoldan'' (POPOWDAN, "afternoon").
"V" is pronounced as v before vowels (''vaja'' "exercise", ''voda'' "water"), before the consonants r (''vrt'' "garden", ''vreme'' "weather") and before vowels within a word (''?iveti'' "to live", ''zvezek'' "notebook"). When v is at the end of the word, after a vowel or before a consonant (except for r and l) it is pronounced as w, as in ''prav''[prow] ("OK"), ''kov?ek''[kowcheck] ("suitcase"). When v is at the beginning of the word or when it appears between consonants or before two or more consonants it is pronounced as u as in ''vpra?ati''[uprashati] ("to ask"), ''vhod''[ukhod] ("entrance"), avto[auto] ("car,automobile"). The Slovene r is pronounced strongly, slightly rolled. It is pronounced as er when it stands before another consonant or when it stands between two consonants.
In a few words where they appear, two identical vowels or consonants are pronounced as one long one, as in ''priimek'' ("surname"), ''oddelek'' ("department").
; Hello. : ?ivijo. (''zhee-VEE-oh'') ; How are you? : Kako si? (''kah-KOH see?'') ; Fine, thank you. : Hvala, dobro. (''HVAH-lah, DOH-broh'') ; What is your name? : Kako ti je ime? (inf) (''kah-KOH tee yeh ee-MEH?'') / Kako vam je ime? (pol) (''kah-KOH vahm yeh ee-MEH'') ; My name is ______ . : Ime mi je ______ . (''ee-MEH mee yeh'') ; Nice to meet you. : Lepo, da sva se spoznala . (''leh-POH, dah svah seh spohz-NAH-lah'') ; Please. : Prosim. (''PROH-seem'') ; Thank you. : Hvala. (''HVAH-lah'') ; You're welcome. : Dobrodo?li. (''doh-broh-DOHSH-lee'') ; Yes. : Da. (''dah'') / Ja. (''yah'') (inf) ; No. : Ne. (''neh'') ; Excuse me. : Oprostite. (''oh-prohs-TEE-teh'') ; I'm sorry. : Oprostite. (''oh-prohs-TEE-teh'') ; Goodbye : Nasvidenje. (''nahs-VEE-deh-nyeh'') ; I have trouble speaking Slovenian. : Slabo govorim slovensko. (''slah-BOH goh-voh-REEM sloh-VEHNS-koh'') ; Do you speak English? : Govorite angle?ko? (''goh-voh-REE-teh ahn-GLEHSH-koh?'') ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : Je tukaj kdo, ki govori angle?ko? (''yeh TOO-kay KUH-doh, kee goh-voh-REE ahn-GLEHSH-koh?'') ; Help! : Na pomo?! (''nah poh-MOHTCH'') ; Look out! : Pazi! (''PAH-zee'') ; Good day. : Dober dan (''DOH-ber dahn'') ; Good morning. : Dobro jutro. (''DOH-broh YOO-troh'') ; Good evening. : Dober ve?er. (''DOH-behr veh-CHEHR'') ; Good night. : Lahko no?. (''LAH-koh nohtch'') ; I don't understand. : Ne razumem. (''neh rah-ZOO-mehm'') ; Where is the toilet? : Kje je strani??e? (''kyeh yeh strah-NEESH-cheh'')/ Kje je W.C.? (''kyeh yeh veh.tseh'')
; Leave me alone. : Pustite me pri miru. (''POOS-tee-teh meh pree MEE-roo'') ; Don't touch me! : Ne dotikajte se me! (''nah doh-TEE-kahj-teh seh meh!'') ; I'll call the police. : Poklical bom policijo. (''poh-KLEE-kahl bohm poh-lee-TSEE-yoh'') ; Police! : Policija! (''poh-lee-TSEE-yah!'') ; Stop! Thief! : Ustavite tatu! (''oos-TAH-vee-teh TAH-too!'') ; I need your help. : Potrebujem va?o pomo?. (''poh-treh-BOO-yehm VAH-shoh poh-MOHTS'') ; It's an emergency. : Sem v stiski. (''sehm vuh STEES-kee'') ; I'm lost. : Izgubil sem se. (''eez-GOO-beel sehm seh'') ; I lost my bag. : Izgubil sem torbo. (''eez-GOO-beel sehm TOHR-boh'') ; I lost my wallet. : Izgubil sem denarnico. (''eez-GOO-beel sehm deh-NAHR-nee-tsoh'') ; I'm sick. : Bolan sem./Slabo mi je. (''BOH-lahm sehm/ SLAH-boh mee yeh'') ; I've been injured. : Po?kodoval sem se. (''pohsh-KOH-doh-vahl sehm seh'') ; I need a doctor. : Potrebujem zdravnika. (''poh-treh-BOO-yehm zdrahv-NEE-kah'') ; Can I use your phone? : Lahko uporabim va? telefon? (''lah-KOH oo-poh-RAH-beem vahsh teh-leh-FOHN?'')
; 1 : ena (''EH-nah'') ; 2 : dva (''dvah'') ; 3 : tri (''tree'') ; 4 : ?tiri (''SHTEE-ree'') ; 5 : pet (''peht'') ; 6 : ?est (''shehst'') ; 7 : sedem (''SEH-dehm'') ; 8 : osem (''OH-sehm'') ; 9 : devet (''deh-VEHT'') ; 10 : deset (''deh-SEHT'') ; 11 : enajst (''eh-NAH-yuhst'') ; 12 : dvanajst (''dvah-NAH-yuhst'') ; 13 : trinajst (''tree-NAH-yuhst'') ; 14 : ?tirinajst (''shtee-ree-NAH-yuhst'') ; 15 : petnajst (''peht-NAH-yuhst'') ; 16 : ?estnajst (''shest-NAH-yuhst'') ; 17 : sedemnajst (''seh-dehm-NAH-yuhst'') ; 18 : osemnajst (''oh-sehm-NAH-yuhst'') ; 19 : devetnajst (''deh-veht-NAH-yuhst'') ; 20 : dvajset (''DVAH-yuh-seht'') ; 21 : enaindvajset (''eh-nain-DVAH-yuh-seht'') ; 30 : trideset (''TREE-deh-seht'') ; 40 : ?tirideset (''shtee-ree-DEH-seht'') ; 50 : petdeset (''peht-DEH-seht'') ; 60 : ?estdeset (''shehst-DEH-seht'') ; 70 : sedemdeset (''seh-dehm-DEH-seht'') ; 80 : osemdeset (''oh-sehm-DEH-seht'') ; 90 : devetdeset (''deh-veht-DEH-seht'') ; 100 : sto (''stoh'') ; 101 : stoena (''STOH-eh-nah'') ; 200 : dvesto (''DVEHS-toh'') ; 300 : tristo (''TREES-toh ; 1000 : tiso? (''TEE-sohch'') ; 1001 : tiso?ena (''tee-SOH-cheh-nah'') ; 2000 : dvatiso? (''dvah-TEE-sohch'') ; 10,000 : deset tiso? (''DEH-seht TEE-sohch'') ; 1,000,000 : milijon ('''mee-LYOHN''') ; number _____ (''train, bus, etc.'') : ?tevilka (''shteh-VEEL-kah'') (?t.) _____ (''vlak, avtobus, itd.'') ; half : pol (''pohl'') ; less : manj (''mahnj'') ; more : ve? (''vehch'')
; now : sedaj (''seh-DAH-yh'') ; later : kasneje (''kahs-NEH-yeh'') ; before : pred (''prehd'') ; morning : jutro (''YOO-troh'') ; noon : poldan (''POHL-dahn'') ; afternoon : popoldne (''poh-POHL-dneh'') ; evening : ve?er (''veh-CHEHR'') ; night : no? (''nohch'')
; today : danes (''DAH-nehs'') ; yesterday : v?eraj (''VCHEH-ray'') ; tomorrow : jutri (''YOO-tree'') ; tonight : nocoj (''NOH-tsoy'') ; this week : ta teden (''tah TEH-dehn'') ; last week : prej?nji teden (''PREYSH-nyee TEH-dehn'') ; next week : naslednji teden (''nah-SLEHD-nyee'')
; one o'clock AM : ena zjutraj (''EH-nah ZYOO-trai'') ; two o'clock AM : dve zjutraj (''dveh ZYOO-trai'') ; noon : poldan (''POWL-dahn'') ; one o'clock PM : ena popoldne (''EH-nah poh-POWD-neh'') ; two o'clock PM : dve popoldne (''dveh poh-POWD-neh'') ; midnight : polno? (''POWL-nohtch'')
; _____ minute(s) : 1 minuta/ 2 minuti/ 3,4 minute/ 5-100 minut (''mee-NOO-tah/ mee-NOO-tee/ mee-NOO-teh/ MEE-noot'') ; _____ hour(s) : 1 ura/ 2 uri/ 3,4 ure/ 5-100 ur (''OO-rah/ OO-ree/ OO-reh/ oor'') ; _____ day(s) : 1 dan/ 2 dneva/ 3,4 dnevi/ 5-100 dni (''dahn/ DNEH-vah/ DNEH-vee/ dnee'') ; _____ week(s) : 1 teden/ 2 tedna/ 3,4 tedni/ 5-100 tednov (''TEH-dehn/ TEHD-nah/ TEHD-nee/ TEHD-nohf'') ; _____ month(s) : 1 mesec/ 2 meseca/ 3,4 meseci/ 5-100 mesecev (''MEH-sets/ meh-SEH-tsah/ meh-SEH-tsee/ meh-SEH-tsehf'') ; _____ year(s) : 1 leto/ 2 leti/ 3,4 leta/ 5-100 let (''LEH-toh/ LEH-tee/ LEH-tah/ leht'')
; Sunday : nedelja (''neh-DEH-lyah'') ; Monday : ponedeljek (poh-neh-DEH-lyehk'') ; Tuesday : torek (''TOH-rehk'') ; Wednesday : sreda (''SREH-dah'') ; Thursday : ?etrtek (''CHEH-tuhr-tehk'') ; Friday : petek (''PEH-tehk'') ; Saturday : sobota (''soh-BOH-tah'')
; January : januar (''YAH-nwahr'') ; February : februar (''FEH-brwahr'') ; March : marec (''MAH-rehts'') ; April : april (''AH-preel'') ; May : maj (''mai'') ; June : junij (''YOO-nee'') ; July : julij (''YOO-lee'') ; August : avgust (''OW-goost'') ; September : september (''sehp-TAHM-buhr'') ; October : oktober (''ohk-TOH-buhr'') ; November : november (''noh-VAHM-buhr'') ; December : december (''daht-SAHM-buhr'')
date: (day/month/year) 12. avgust 2005, 12.8.2005
; black : ?rna (''CHEHR-nah'') ; white : bela (''BEH-lah'') ; gray : siva (''SEE-vah'') ; red : rde?a (''rehd-DEH-chah'') ; blue : modra (''MOH-drah'') ; cyan : sinja (''SEE-nyah'') ; yellow : rumena (''roo-MEH-nah'') ; green : zelena (zeh-LEH-nah'') ; orange : oran?na (''ORAHN-zhnah'') ; purple : vijoli?na, ?krlatna (''vyoh-LEECH-nah, shkreh-LAHT-nah'') ; brown : rjava (''RYAH-vah'') ; pink : roza (''ROH-zah'')
;airplane/ airline : letalo (''leh-TAH-loh'') ;taxi : taksi (''TAHK-see'') ;train : vlak (''vlahk'') ;tram : tramvaj (''TRAHM-vay'') ;bus : avtobus (''ow-TOH-boos'') ;car : avto (''OW-toh'') ;ferry : trajekt (''TRAH-yehkt'') ;ship : brod (''brohd'') ;boat : ladja (''LAH-dyah'') ;bicycle : kolo (''KOH-loh'')
; How much is a ticket to _____? : Kak?na je cena vozovnice do_____? (''KAHKSH-nah yeh TSEH-nah VOH-zohv-nee-tseh doh...?'') ; One ticket to _____, please. : Eno vozovnico do _____, prosim. (''EH-noh VOH-zohv-nee-tsoh doh...?'') ; Where does this train/bus go? : Kam gre ta vlak/avtobus? (''kahm greh tah vlahk/AHF-toh-boos?'') ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : Kje ima odhod vlak/avtobus do _____? (''kyeh EE-mah OHD-khohd vlahk/AHF-toh-boos doh...?'') ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : Ali ta vlak/avtobus ustavi v _____? (''AH-lee tah vlahk/AHF-toh-boos OOS-tah-vee veh...?'') ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Kdaj odide vlak/avtobus za _____? (''kdai OH-dee-deh vlahk/AHF-toh-boos zah...?'') ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Kdaj pride vlak/avtobus v _____? (''kdai PREE-deh vlahk/AHF-toh-boos veh...?'') ; bus station: avtobusna postaja (''AHF-toh-boos-nah POHS-tah-yah'') ; train station: ?elezni?ka postaja (''ZHEH-lehz-neesh-kah POHS-tah-yah'') ; waiting room: ?akalnica (''CHAH-kahl-nee-tsah'') ; ticket sale: prodaja vozovnic (''PROH-dah-yah VOH-zohv-neets'') ; track: peron (''PEH-rohn'') ; ticket: karta/vozovnica (''KAHR-tah/VOH-zohv-nee-tsah'') ; seat: sede? (''SEH-dehzh'') ; coach: vagon (''VAH-gohn'') ; conductor: sprevodnik (''SPREH-vohd-neek'') ; express train: ekspres vlak (''EHKS-prehs vlahk'') ; intercity train: IC vlak (''EE-TSEH vlahk'') ; Slovenian Railways: Slovenske ?eleznice (S?) (''SLOH-vehn-skeh ZHEH-lehzh-nee-tseh (SEH-ZHEH)'')
; How do I get to _____ ? : Kako pridem do _____ ? (''KAH-koh PREE-dehm doh...?'') ; How do I get to the train station? : Kako pridem do ?elezni?ke postaje? (''KAH-koh PREE-dehm do zheh-LEHZ-neesh-keh POHS-tai?'') ; How do I get to the bus station? : Kako pridem do avtobusne postaje? ; How do I get to the airport? : Kako pridem na letali??e? ; How do I get downtown? : Kako pridem do centra? ; How do I get to the youth hostel? : Kako pridem do mladinskega hotela? ; How do I get to the _____ hotel? : Kako pridem do hotela _____? ; How do I get to the American/Canadian/Australian/British/French/German/Italian/Russian/Polish/Czech/Greek consulate? : Kako pridem do ameri?kega/kanadskega/avstralskega/britanskega/francoskega/nem?kega/italijanskega/ruskega/poljskega/?e?kega/gr?kega konzulata? ; Where are there a lot of... : Kje je polno... (''kyeh yeh POHL-noh...'') ; ...hotels? : ...hotelov? (''HOH-teh-low'') ; ...restaurants? : ...restavracija? (''REHS-tow-rah-tsyah'') ; ...bars? : ...barov? (''BAH-row'') ; ...sites to see? : ...znamenitosti? (''ZNAH-meh-nee-tohs-tee?'') ; Can you show me on the map? : Mi lahko poka?ete na zemljevidu/na?rtu? ; street : cesta/ulica (''TSEHS-tah/ OO-lee-tsah'') ; Turn left. : Zavijte levo. ; Turn right. : Zavijte desno. ; left : levo (''LEH-voh'') ; right : desno (''DEHS-noh'') ; straight ahead : naravnost (''NAH-rahv-nohst'') ; towards the _____ : proti _____ (''PROH-tee'') ; past the _____ : mimo _____ (''MEE-moh'') ; before the _____ : pred _____ (''prehd'') ; Watch for the _____. : Bodite pozorni na _____. (''BOH-dee-teh POH-zohr-nee mah...'') ; intersection : kri?i??e (''KREE-zhee-shcheh'') ; north : sever (''SEH-vehr'') ; south : jug (''yoog'') ; east : vzhod (''VUHZ-hohd'') ; west : zahod (''ZAH-hohd'') ; uphill : navzgor (''NAHVZ-gohr'') ; downhill : navzdol (''NAHVZ-doh'')