When it comes to pogovarjanje, or conversing with the locals, you can never go wrong when you start with greetings in Slovenian, from a simple zdravo (hello) onward. English is widely spoken in Slovenia, but greeting locals in their own language earns you extra brownie points and a better connection.
In this post, we walk you through the phrases you can use in both formal and informal contexts when greeting Slovenians. Let’s start learning!
What Are The Basic Greetings In Slovenian?
Depending on where you are precisely in Slovenia, please note that the greetings may change since the country has many dialects. In this part, we will only focus on the general ones which do not have double meaning so that you are safe when trying to use them in your everyday conversation.
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| English | Slovenian |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day! | Zdravo |
| Hello (On the phone) | Halo |
| Hello | Pozdravljeni |
| Hello (casual) | Živjo |
| Welcome | Dobrodošli |
| Have a nice day | Lep dan vam želim |
| Have a nice day (casual) | Lep dan ti želim |
| Good morning | Dobro jutro |
| Good day / Good afternoon | Dober dan |
| Good evening | Dober večer |
| Good night | Lahko noč |
| How are you? | Kako ste? |
| How are you? (casual) | Kako si? |
| Goodbye (formal) | Nasvidenje |
| Bye (casual) | Adijo |
| Bye (casual) | Čav |
| Farewell | Slovo |
| Bon voyage | Srečno pot |
| See you | Se vidimo |
What Other Conversational Phrases Are Useful In Slovenian?
When you’re meeting people or catching up with friends in Slovenia, knowing the right greetings can make a great impression. Here are some other basic Slovenian phrases that will help you start conversations and connect with others.
| English | Slovenian | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Kako si? | Casual greeting |
| How do you do? | Kako ste? | Formal greeting |
| Nice to meet you | Lepo vas je spoznati | Formal introduction |
| Nice to meet you | Me veseli | Informal introduction |
| What’s up? | Kaj je novega? | Casual greeting |
| How’s it going? | Kako gre? | Casual greeting |
| Good to see you | Dobro te je videti | Casual or informal |
| Long time no see | Dolgo se nismo videli | Informal greeting for someone you haven’t seen in a while |
How Do You Make A Great First Impression In Slovenia?
While you can always stick with hello or hi in the Slovenian language, learning other expressions and greetings can significantly change how the locals treat you. It shows how genuinely interested you are in their culture, which shapes the relationship you can build with them.
Unlike in countries where greetings stay casual even with an authority figure, the tradition in Slovenia is to speak in a formal and polite manner. Also keep these customs in mind:
- When speaking with someone, maintaining eye contact is a must.
- It is expected that you will greet someone with a big smile and a firm handshake.
- Friends and family sometimes kiss twice on the cheek (ladies) or give each other a pat on the back (men).
- When you are in the office setting, it would be wise to call your colleagues formally using an honorific title or just by simply adding Mr. and Ms. along with their last names.
- When you are already best buds, you can start calling them by their first names.
To build on these greetings, check out our Slovenian basic words and phrases every traveler should know.
How Do You Say Greetings In Slovenian?
The word for greetings in Slovenian is pozdravi.
What Other Slovenian Phrases Should You Know?
If you want to go beyond greetings, here are a few more general phrases and questions that come up in everyday conversation.
| English | Slovenian |
| Where is the toilet? | Kje je stranišče? |
| What is your name? | Kako ti je ime? |
| How much is this? | Koliko je to? |
| What are you doing here? | Kaj delate tukaj? |
| Where do you live? | Kje živite? |
| How are you today? | Kako ste danes? |
| Which bus is the right one | Kateri avtobus je pravilen? |
| How much time do you have? | Koliko časa imate? |
| Why are you sad? | Zakaj si žalosten? |
| Do you know me? | Me poznaš? |
| Can I help you? | Vam lahko pomagam? |
| What time is it now? | Koliko je ura? |
| What is this? | Kaj je to? |
Frequently Asked Questions About Greetings In Slovenian
How Do You Say Hello In Slovenian Slang?
Slovenian slang words for saying hello to close friends are oj, čav, hej or serbus.
How Do You Say ”Do You Speak English” In Slovenian?
The informal way to ask ‘do you speak English’ in Slovenian is ali govoriš angleško? The formal version is ali govorite angleško?
How Do You Say Best Wishes In Slovenian?
It depends on the context. On someone’s birthday, say vse najboljše, and to wish someone good luck in Slovenian, say srečno or vso srečo.
Best wishes translates to najlepše želje, but to congratulate someone you’d say iskrene čestitke!
Greetings In Slovenian Recap: What Should You Remember?
Now that you know the key Slovenian greetings, you’re all set to make a great impression: zdravo or dober dan to say hello, kako ste? with people you don’t know well and kako si? with friends, and a firm handshake with eye contact. Practice speaking Slovenian a little and use these phrases whenever you get the chance.
Learn Slovenian With Ling
Great job working through these greetings! To keep building your Slovenian, Ling gives you flashcards with native speaker audio, mini-games and Dialog for real conversation practice, so learning stays simple and fun.
Start learning Slovenian today and greet your next new friend with a warm živjo!
