Common prepositions in Slovenian
Slovenian ⋙
Slovenian A1
Welcome to our Slovenian grammar course for beginners! Today, we're going to talk about prepositions.
Prepositions in Slovenian are often the same as their English counterparts. However, there are nuances and differences that deserve our investigation. Today we are not going to cover this entire topic, but rather the prepositions that are most often found in Slovenian.
Common prepositions
Na (on, in, at, to)
This preposition accompanies verbs of motion, signifying direction and location.
Grem na pošto (I am heading to the post office).
Occasionally, it can even be translated as "in," as in:
Učimo se na univerzi (We study at the university).
Od (from, since)
"Od" is a sign of departure or a start point, articulates both spatial relationships and the genesis of motion. For instance:
Daleč od doma (Far from home)
Od jutri dalje (Starting from tomorrow onwards).
Do (to, until)
This is a preposition that shows the canvas of culmination, be it in space or time. For example:
Grem do hiše (I'm going to the house);
Šli bodo do konca (They will go until the end).
Brez (without)
"Brez" shows an absence or a state of lacking.
Brez skrbi (Without problems / No problems).
Za (behind, for)
"Za" is a preposition that shows a position or purpose. Examples:
Portal za delodajalce (Portal for Employers);
Za hišo je vrt (There is a garden behind the house).
V (in, into)
A preposition shows entities nestled within others:
On je v hiši (He is in the house).
Po (after, through)
"Po" is a guide through time and space, signifies occurrences that follow or traverse through. For instance:
Prodajajo po nizki ceni (They are selling at a low price);
Po koncu TV oddaje (After the end of the TV show).
Z (with)
"Z" summons companionship and cooperation. Example:
Grem z mano (Let's go with me).
Pred (before, in front of)
"Pred" shows an item that is nearby, or an action that has already happened in the past. For example:
Pred sončnim zahodom (Before sunset);
Pred počitnicami (Before the holidays).
Med (between, during)
"Med" signifies both spatial relationships "between" and temporal duration "during." Examples:
Med poletnimi počitnicami (During the summer holidays);
Med oblaki (Between the clouds).
Pri (near, beside)
"Pri" shows objects positioned close to certain places or items. An example:
Čakam pri trgovini (I am waiting near the store).
Čez (across, after)
"Čez" is a voyager across time and space, shows both traversal and culmination.
Čez par minut (In a few minutes);
Grem čez most (I am going across the bridge).
Zaradi (because of, due to)
"Zaradi" emphasizes the reasoning behind events. Example:
Zaradi dopusta lokal je zaprt (Because of the vacation, the bar is closed).
Summary
All prepositions show us many linguistic nuances. With their help, we can construct various expressions and be confident in any situation. Don't forget to use prepositions in conversation, and it will improve your Slovenian.
We are waiting for you in the next lesson. Good luck!
