Slovenian Verbs Article Index for
Slovenian 		Website Links For
Slovenian 		 

Information About

Slovenian Verbs
  CATEGORIES ABOUT SLOVENIAN VERBS
   
slovenian language
   
APPAREL
BABY
BEAUTY
BOOKS
CAR TOYS
CELL PHONES
DVD'S
ELECTRONICS
GOURMET FOOD
GROCERIES
HEALTH & PERSONAL
HOME & GARDEN
JEWELRY
MUSIC
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
OFFICE PRODUCTS
SOFTWARE
SPORTING GOODS
TOOLS & HARDWARE
TOYS
VIDEO GAMES
SHOPPING HOME
MORE SHOPPING...




CLASSIFICATION OF VERBS

The Slovenian verb can be classified based on the forms of the present and infinitive into 6 different conjugation patterns:
# First conjugation in -a-, for example, oddati (to let, rent)
# Second conjugation in -ni-, for example, venite (to fade/wilt)
# Third conjugation in -je-, for example, biti (to beat) compare with the first person singular present indicative form ''bijem''
# Fourth conjugation in -e-, for example, risati (to cut wood) compare with the first person singular present indicative form ''risem''
# Fifth conjugation in -i-, for example, hoditi (to walk)
# Sixth conjugation which consists of all the irregular verbs, such as ''biti'' (to be).

As well, verbs can be classified based on their Transitivity (''Glagolska prehodnost'') and Aspect (''Glagolski vid''). Many verbs in Slovenian can be both transitive and intransitive depending on their use in a sentence. However, all reflexive verbs, which are marked by the participle ''se'' (one self) are intransitive.

As in all Slavic languages, Slovenian verbs are classified based on their aspect into 2 categories: perfective (''dovršni'') verbs, which represent a completed action, and '''imperfective''' (''nedovršni'') verbs, which represent a continued action. For example, the
concept of ''jumping'' is expressed in the 2 different aspects is ''skakati'', which has an imperfective aspect and can roughly be translated as ''to be jumping (continuously)'', and ''skočiti'', which has a perfective aspect and can roughly be translated as ''to jump (once)''. In Slovenian, this difference in aspects is found in all tenses and voices.


VOICE

In Slovenian, a verb can be used in 2 different voices: Active (''Tvornik '')and Passive (''Trpnik''). Only the active voice maintains a complete conjugation pattern for all the tenses. In Slovenian, the passive voice is formed by using the verb ''biti'' (to be), appropriately conjugated, and the passive past participle in ''-en'' of the main verb or for reflexive verbs it is formed by adding ''-se'' to the end of a verb. Except for reflexive verbs, the passive voice is rarely used. An example of the passive voice is ''Izvoljen je bil za člana Kraljeve družbe'' (He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society). However, this is more commonly stated, using the active voice, as ''Izvolili so ga za člana Kraljeve družbe'' (They elected him a fellow of the Royal Society).


VERB MOOD AND TENSE (''GLAGOLSKI čAS'')

Slovenian has 3 verb moods:
# Indicative mood, which is used to state a fact or opinion
# Imperative mood, which is used to give commands
# Conditional mood, which is used to state possibilities or wishes, for example, ''If only I knew that...''

Of the moods, only the indicative has a complete set of verb forms.

In Slovenian, there are four Tenses :
# the Pluperfect (past perfect) tense (predpreteklik), which considers events that occurred before a given event already in the past.
# the Preterite (past simple) tense (preteklik), which considers events that occurred in the past.
# the Present Tense (sedanjik), which considers events that are occurring.
# the Future Tense (prihodnjik), which considers events that will occur.


Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is used to state facts or opinions. It has separate forms for all 4 tenses.


The Present Tense (''Sedanjik'')

The present tense has 2 different meanings:
# For imperfective verbs, it has present meaning.
# For perfective verbs, it has a future meaning expressing a desire to care out the action. For example , ''To kravo prodam'', (''I want to sell the cow'') compared with the future tense 'To kravo bom prodal' ('I will sell the cow'').

In Slovenian, the present tense can be formed in 2 different manners:
  • Athematic conjugation: an s is inserted in certain cases. This is a remnant of the original athematic conjugation.

  • Thematic conjugation: The “normal” conjugation for a verb.


In some dialects, the differences between the 2 groups are blurred and verbs of one group are conjugated based on the other group. This is considered incorrect in the standard literary language.

The personal endings for the present indicative are:

The correct form for the third person plural depends on the stress. The first form is used if the ending is stressed, while the second ending is used if the ending is unstressed.


Future Indicative (''Prihodnjik'')

The future indicative tense is used to state events that will happen. It is formed in the following manner: the auxiliary verb ''biti'' (to be) conjugated in the future tense + the l-participle (past active participle I) of the lexical verb. The participle must agree with the subject in number and gender. For example, ''videl bom'' (I shall see), ''odšla bo'' (she will go), and ''bodo odkrili'' (they will discover).


Preterite or Past Indicative (''Preteklik'')

In Slovenian, the preterite, which is based on the Slavonic Perfect tense, is used to indicate events that occurred in the past. It is formed in the following manner: the auxiliary verb ''biti'' (to be) in the present tense + the l-participle (past active participle I) of the lexical verb. The participle must agree with the subject in number and gender. For example, ''sem videl'' (I saw), ''je odšla (she went)'', and ''so odkrili'' (they discovered).


=Pluperfect Indicative (''Predpreteklik'')

The pluperfect indicative is used to indicate an action that occurred before some other future action. It is rarely used in colloquial speech, where it is replaced by the past tense. The pluperfect is formed as follows: the auxiliary verb ''biti'' (to be) in the present tense + l-participle of the auxiliary verb ''biti'' (to be) + the l-participle of the lexical verb. The participles must agree with the subject in number and gender. For example, ''sem bil videl'' (I had seen), ''je bila odšla'' (she had gone), and ''so bili odkrili'' (they had discovered).


Imperative Mood (''Velelnik'')

The imperative mood is used to give commands. It does not have a complete conjugation pattern. Forms only exist in the present, as well there are no forms for the first person singular. Most verbs add the endings to the present tense. However, it should be noted that there is often a change of vowel of final consonant.

The ''-i-'' changes to an ''-j-'' for verbs whose stem ends in a vowel.


Conditional Mood (''Pogojnik'')

The conditional mood is used to express desires, wishes, and hypothetical (often impossible) conditions. There is only a present and past conditional moods; both of which are compound tenses.

The present conditional is form by taking the participle ''bi'' plus the l'-participle of the lexical verb. The “bi” participle is a remnant of the original Common Slavic aorist conjugation of the verb ''biti'' (to be). The past conditional is formed as follows: the conditional of the verb ''biti'' (to be) plus the participle ''bi'' plus the l-participle of the lexical verb. Examples of the conditional mood are:

  • Če ''bi'' mi postalo slabo, mi, prosim, podajte tiste tablete. (Literally: ''If it became sick to me, to me, I kindly ask, pass those pills.''; If I should become sick, kindly pass me those pills.)

  • V primeru, da bi prišlo do požara, bomo umrli. (Should there be a fire, we would die.)

  • Če bi (bili) končali prej, bi bili zdaj prosti. (If we had finished earlier, we would be free now.)

  • Želi si, da bi bil maneken, vendar s svojimi obraznimi nečistočami nima možnosti. (He wishes that he were a model, but with his facial impurities, he has no chance.)

  • O, da bi bila jesen! (O, if only it were autumn!) (literary)

  • O, ko bi le bila jesen! (O, if only it were autumn!)



Participles (''Deležnik'') and Gerunds

In Slovenian, there are 5 participles and 2 gerunds. They are formed as follows:

  • The present active participle in -č, which corresponds to the English participle in ''-ing''. It is formed by taking the short form of the third person plural and adding ''' č'''. The corresponding gerund, which is rarely used, is formed by adding '''-e''' to the imperfective present stem. Examples of this participle are:

  • --- Otrok, ki joka, je jokajoč otrok. (A child that cries is a '''crying''' child.)

  • --- V sobo je vstopil glasno pojoč. (He entered the room '''singing''' loudly.)


  • The past active participle I in -l: This participle is commonly used to form verbs in the past tense. It is formed by adding to the infinitive stem the ending -l for the masculine singular, '''-la''' for the feminine singular, '''-lo''' for the neuter singular. The other forms are obtained from the appropriate nominative forms. A fill vowel ('''-e-'') may be inserted in the masculine singular form. The following exception should be noted:

  • After a stem ending in -d-, the -d- can drop out.

    • Examples of this participle are:

  • --- Videl sem. (I '''saw'''.)

  • --- Ob tej novici je prebledela. (Upon {Link without Title} the news, she '''became pale'''.)

  • --- Bleda je. (She is '''pale'''.)

    • An example of the gerund would be:


  • The past active II participle in -ši: This participle is rarely used now. On the other hand, the gerund is occasionally encountered. The gerund is formed by adding to the infinitive stem, the ending -ši. A '''-v-''' is inserted before this ending if the stem ends in a vowel.

  • --- Stopivši iz hiše, se je napotil v krčmo. ('''Having stepped''' out of the house, he headed to the pub.)


  • The past passive participle in -n/'''-t''': This participle corresponds to the English participle in '''-ed''' or ''-en'''. It is formed by adding either '''-n, -na, -no''' or '''-t, -ta, -to''' to the infinitive stem. Classs I verbs and less common Class 5 verbs add an '''-e-''' before the endings. while class 2 verbs and the more common Class 5 verbs add an '''-je-'''. Finally, nasal and ''r''-stem verbs of Classes 1 and 3, along with Class 3 consonant verbs use the ending in '''-t'''. Examples of this participle are:

  • --- Parkiran avto je bil ukraden. (The '''parked''' car was stolen.) (perhaps better in the active voice, "Parkiran avto so ukradli.")

  • --- Sodišče je sodilo obtoženemu roparju. (The court tried the '''accused''' robber.)

  • --- Spočit konj je čakal na dvorišču. (A '''rested''' horse was waiting on the yard.)


When the participles are used as adjectives, there are declined using the adjectival declension.


Verbal Nouns

In Slovenian, there are 2 verbal nouns: the ''supine'' (namenilnik) and the ''infinitive'' (nedoločnik). The infinitive is the basic verb form that ends in -ti, for all verbs except those whose roots end in a velar. In this case, the ending is '''-či'''. For example, ''postati'' (to become) and ''peči'' from a root ''pek-'' (to bake).

The supine is used after verbs that designate motion. It is formed by dropping the ''-i'' of the infinitive. Thus, ''postat'' and ''peč''. For example, the supine would be used in the following sentences, (the supine has been bolded):
  • V novi svet so odšli iskat bogastvo. (They went to the New World to seek fortune.)

  • Pojdi se solit. (Literally, Go salt yourself. This idiomatic statement is used to express annoyance or refusal)

  • Stekli smo pogasit ogenj. (We ran to put out the fire.)



SAMPLE CONJUGATIONS OF SLOVENIAN VERBS

The following table present the conjugation pattern for each of the 5 classes, as well as the irregular verbs.

(1)Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

(1) Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

(1)Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

(1)Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

(1) Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

The following is the conjugation of the athematic Slovenian verbs: dati (to give), vedeti (to know), jesti (to eat), and biti (to be).

(1)Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

Compound verbs whose ending is vedeti have imperatives in '''-vej'''. Thus, for example, '''povej''', '''povejte''' from '''povedeti''' (to say).

(1) Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

(1)Indicates that the participle must agree with the subject of the sentence.

In the future, there also exist forms with an inserted -de between the stem '''bo-''' and the ending. For example, '''bodem''' for '''bom'''. The negative form of the verb, (to not be), is formed by attaching '''ni''' to the present indicative forms.


REFERENCES

  • De Bray, R. G. A. ''Introduction to Slavonic Languages''. London, 1951.