# Slovenian for Travelers: Basic Phrases & Easy Pronunciation (2026)

> Pronunciation in 2 minutes, 15 essential phrases, restaurant, transport and hotel vocabulary, plus the Slovenian etiquette that makes the difference (toasting, greetings, tipping): the traveler's pocket guide to Slovenian.

- Author : Patrick Faust — French expat living in Slovenia since 2004, founder of e-Slovenie
- Published : 2026-07-09
- Updated : 2026-08-05
- Language : English
- Canonical : https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/slovenian-for-travelers/
- French version : https://www.e-slovenie.com/articles/slovene-pour-voyageurs/
- Tags : slovenian language, slovene, useful phrases, pronunciation, etiquette, slovenian culture, travel tips, slovenia travel

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Slovenians speak excellent English (and often German or Italian), but a few words of Slovenian instantly earn you smiles. It's a Slavic language, related to Croatian and Czech — exotic at first sight, but with one huge advantage: **every letter is pronounced, always the same way**. Here is everything you need for your trip: pronunciation in 2 minutes, the essential phrases for restaurants, transport and hotels, and above all the local etiquette that makes the difference.

## Pronunciation in 2 minutes

Good news: Slovenian is written exactly as it sounds. You only need to learn a handful of letters. In this guide, the stressed syllable is in CAPITALS.

| **Letter** | **Sounds like** | **Example** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **č** | "ch" as in church | račun (the bill) = rah-CHOON |
| **š** | "sh" as in shoe | štruklji = SHTROO-klyee |
| **ž** | "zh" as in measure | žganje (brandy) = ZHGAHN-yeh |
| **c** | "ts" as in cats | cesta (road) = TSEH-stah |
| **j** | "y" as in yes | jezero (lake) = YEH-zeh-roh |
| **r** | rolled, as in Spanish | dober dan |
| **e** | always "eh", never silent | dober = DOH-behr |
| **u** | "oo" as in moon | jutro (morning) = YOO-troh |

No silent letters, no nasal vowels, no surprises. For extra practice, listen to our podcast series [basic Slovene phrases with Barbara Horvat](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/basic-slovene-phrases-with-barbara-horvat).

## The 15 essential phrases

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hello / good day | **Dober dan** | DOH-behr DAHN |
| Good morning | **Dobro jutro** | DOH-broh YOO-troh |
| Good evening | **Dober večer** | DOH-behr veh-CHEHR |
| Hi (informal) | **Živjo** | ZHEE-vyoh |
| Goodbye | **Nasvidenje** | nah-SVEE-dehn-yeh |
| Thank you (very much) | **Hvala (lepa)** | HVAH-lah LEH-pah |
| Please / you're welcome | **Prosim** | PROH-seem |
| Yes / No | **Ja / Ne** | yah / neh |
| Excuse me / sorry | **Oprostite** | oh-proh-STEE-teh |
| Do you speak English? | **Govorite angleško?** | goh-voh-REE-teh ahn-GLEHSH-koh |
| I don't understand | **Ne razumem** | neh rah-ZOO-mehm |
| I don't speak Slovenian | **Ne govorim slovensko** | neh goh-voh-REEM sloh-VEHN-skoh |
| How are you? | **Kako ste?** | kah-KOH steh |
| Fine, thank you | **Dobro, hvala** | DOH-broh HVAH-lah |
| What's your name? | **Kako vam je ime?** | kah-KOH vahm yeh ee-MEH |

**The magic word: "prosim."** It means please, you're welcome, here you go (when handing something over), and even hello? when answering the phone. When in doubt, say "prosim" and smile.

## Greetings around the clock: good morning, good evening, good night

“Good morning” in Slovenian is **dobro jutro** (DOH-broh YOO-troh), used until around 9–10 am. From late morning to early evening, the default greeting is **dober dan** (good day); after roughly 6 pm switch to **dober večer** (good evening), and when leaving at night say **lahko noč** (LAH-koh NOHCH — good night). Among friends, **živjo** works at any hour, and **adijo** (ah-DEE-yoh) is the casual goodbye.

## At the restaurant and café

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The menu, please | **Jedilni list, prosim** | yeh-DEEL-nee leest PROH-seem |
| A beer, please | **Eno pivo, prosim** | EH-noh PEE-voh PROH-seem |
| A coffee | **Eno kavo** | EH-noh KAH-voh |
| Water, please | **Vodo, prosim** | VOH-doh PROH-seem |
| A glass of white / red wine | **Kozarec belega / rdečega vina** | koh-ZAH-rehts BEH-leh-gah / ur-DEH-cheh-gah VEE-nah |
| Enjoy your meal! | **Dober tek!** | DOH-behr TEHK |
| Cheers! | **Na zdravje!** | nah ZDROW-yeh |
| I'm vegetarian | **Sem vegetarijanec / vegetarijanka (m/f)** | sehm veh-geh-tah-ree-YAH-nehts / -YAHN-kah |
| It was delicious | **Bilo je odlično** | BEE-loh yeh ohd-LEECH-noh |
| The bill, please | **Račun, prosim** | rah-CHOON PROH-seem |
| Where is the toilet? | **Kje je stranišče?** | kyeh yeh strah-NEESH-cheh |

Order these by name: **potica** (poh-TEE-tsah, rolled walnut cake), **štruklji** (SHTROO-klyee, dough dumplings), **kranjska klobasa** (Carniolan sausage), **pršut** (pur-SHOOT, Karst dry-cured ham), and a **malica** (MAH-lee-tsah) — the cheap and generous workers' lunch menu. Hungry for more? See [where to eat in Ljubljana](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/where-to-eat-in-ljubljana).

## Getting around

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where is…? | **Kje je…?** | kyeh yeh |
| …the train station | **železniška postaja** | zheh-lehz-NEESH-kah poh-STAH-yah |
| …the bus station | **avtobusna postaja** | ow-toh-BOOS-nah poh-STAH-yah |
| …the airport | **letališče** | leh-tah-LEESH-cheh |
| …the city center | **center mesta** | TSEHN-tehr MEHS-tah |
| …the castle | **grad** | grahd |
| …the lake | **jezero** | YEH-zeh-roh |
| Left / right | **levo / desno** | LEH-voh / DEHS-noh |
| Straight ahead | **naravnost** | nah-ROW-nohst |
| Is it far? | **Je daleč?** | yeh DAH-lehch |
| One ticket to…, please | **Eno vozovnico do…, prosim** | EH-noh voh-ZOHV-nee-tsoh doh… PROH-seem |

## Shopping and paying

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How much is it? | **Koliko stane?** | KOH-lee-koh STAH-neh |
| That's expensive | **Drago je** | DRAH-goh yeh |
| Can I pay by card? | **Lahko plačam s kartico?** | lah-KOH PLAH-chahm s KAR-tee-tsoh |
| I would like… | **Rad bi… (m) / Rada bi… (f)** | rahd bee / RAH-dah bee |
| Just this, thanks | **Samo to, hvala** | SAH-moh TOH HVAH-lah |

Numbers: **ena** (1), **dve** (2), **tri** (3), **štiri** (SHTEE-ree, 4), **pet** (5), **šest** (shehst, 6), **sedem** (SEH-dehm, 7), **osem** (OH-sehm, 8), **devet** (deh-VEHT, 9), **deset** (deh-SEHT, 10), **dvajset** (20), **sto** (100). Want to master them all? Try our audio series [Slovene numbers from 0 to 10](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/slovene-numbers-0-to-ten-postcast). Slovenia uses the euro — one thing you won't need to translate.

## At the hotel

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I have a reservation under the name… | **Imam rezervacijo na ime…** | EE-mahm reh-zehr-VAH-tsee-yoh nah EE-meh |
| Do you have a room available? | **Imate prosto sobo?** | EE-mah-teh PROH-stoh SOH-boh |
| Is breakfast included? | **Je zajtrk vključen?** | yeh ZIGH-turk vklyoo-CHEHN |
| The key, please | **Ključ, prosim** | klyooch PROH-seem |

## Emergencies

The European emergency number **112** works everywhere in Slovenia (**113** for police).

| **English** | **Slovenian** | **Pronunciation** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Help! | **Na pomoč!** | nah poh-MOCH |
| Call a doctor / the police | **Pokličite zdravnika / policijo** | poh-KLEE-chee-teh zdrow-NEE-kah / poh-LEE-tsee-yoh |
| Pharmacy | **lekarna** | leh-KAR-nah |
| Hospital | **bolnišnica** | bohl-NEESH-nee-tsah |
| I'm lost | **Izgubil sem se (m) / Izgubila sem se (f)** | eez-goo-BEEL sehm seh / eez-goo-BEE-lah |

## Slovenian etiquette: how the locals do it

Knowing three words of Slovenian is good; knowing the local codes is even better. Slovenians can seem reserved at first, but they warm up quickly when you follow a few customs:

- **Formal address is the default.** Like French or German, Slovenian distinguishes formal (vikanje) from informal (tikanje) "you". Use the formal form with strangers, shopkeepers and older people — every phrase in this guide is already in the polite form, so you're covered.
- **Greet everyone, everywhere.** Say "dober dan" when entering a small shop and "nasvidenje" when leaving. And in the mountains, you greet every hiker you pass on the trail; staying silent is considered rude.
- **"Dober tek" before eating.** Slovenians always wish each other a good meal — even to strangers sitting at the next table in a gostilna (country inn).
- **Toasting has rules.** Say "Na zdravje!", clink glasses while looking each other in the eye, and don't drink before everyone has toasted. Bonus points: avoid toasting with a glass of water.
- **Tipping is optional.** Round up or leave ~10% for good service, and say it when paying rather than leaving coins on the table. "Je v redu" (yeh oo REH-doo — "it's fine, keep it") sounds perfectly natural.
- **Shoes off indoors.** If you're invited into a home (or some rental apartments), leave your shoes at the door — you'll often be handed copati (slippers). Bringing a small gift (wine, or flowers in an odd number) is customary.
- **Punctuality and quiet.** Slovenians are punctual and speak softly in public; loud conversations on a train or in a restaurant will turn heads. On Sundays almost all shops are closed — do your shopping on Saturday.
- **Slovenia ≠ Slovakia.** The mix-up is so common that the two embassies famously exchange misdirected mail. Slovenians are proud of their Alpine-Adriatic identity: showing you know where you are is the easiest compliment you can pay.
- **The dual still exists.** Slovenian is one of the very few languages in the world that grammatically distinguishes one, two and many: "the two of us are walking" uses different forms than "the three of us are walking". Useless for ordering coffee, unbeatable as a dinner-party fact.

## The cheat sheet

**Dober dan** (hello) · **Hvala** (thank you) · **Prosim** (please) · **Ja / Ne** (yes / no) · **Oprostite** (excuse me) · **Račun, prosim** (the bill, please) · **Na zdravje!** (cheers!) · **Kje je…?** (where is…?) · **Koliko stane?** (how much?) · **Nasvidenje** (goodbye)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you travel in Slovenia without speaking Slovenian?

Yes, easily: English is very widely spoken, especially by people under 50 and in tourist areas, and Italian or German often help too. But a few words of Slovenian — dober dan, hvala, prosim — instantly change the welcome you get.

### Is Slovenian hard to learn?

It's a Slavic language with six cases, three genders and even a dual form — grammatically demanding. But for a holiday, about twenty words are enough, and pronunciation is very regular: everything is written the way it sounds.

### What languages are spoken in Slovenia?

Slovenian is the official language. Italian is co-official on the coast ([Piran](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/visit-piran/), [Izola](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/izola-slovenia-guide/), [Koper](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/koper-slovenia-guide/)) and Hungarian in Prekmurje. English is widespread, German common among older generations and in tourism, and Croatian widely understood.

### How do you say hello and thank you in Slovenian?

Hello is "dober dan" (DOH-behr DAHN) and thank you is "hvala" (HVAH-lah). Add "prosim" (please) and "nasvidenje" (goodbye) and you've covered 90% of polite situations.

### How do you say good morning in Slovenian?

Good morning is “dobro jutro” (DOH-broh YOO-troh), used until about 9–10 am. Later in the day, use “dober dan” (good day); in the evening “dober večer”, and “lahko noč” for good night.

### Are Slovenian and Slovak the same language?

No: Slovenian is spoken in Slovenia (capital Ljubljana), Slovak in Slovakia (capital Bratislava). They are two distinct Slavic languages and not mutually intelligible — and mixing up the two countries is the classic blunder to avoid.

## Going further

Curious about the language and the culture? Read [how to become Slovene and how to learn Slovene](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/slovene-learn-slovene), practise with [basic Slovene phrases with Barbara Horvat](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/basic-slovene-phrases-with-barbara-horvat), and put it all to use with our guide on [where to eat in Ljubljana](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/where-to-eat-in-ljubljana). Srečno pot — safe travels!

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Source: [https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/slovenian-for-travelers/](https://www.e-slovenie.com/en/articles/slovenian-for-travelers/) — e-Slovenie, Slovenia travel guide by Patrick Faust. Full index: https://www.e-slovenie.com/llms.txt