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.
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.
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.
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. 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, Izola, Koper) 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.
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, practise with basic Slovene phrases with Barbara Horvat, and put it all to use with our guide on where to eat in Ljubljana. Srečno pot — safe travels!
Patrick Faust
French expat in Slovenia since 2004. Founder of e-Slovénie, a Slovenia travel guide. Learn more →