Family members in Slovenian
Slovenian ⋙
Slovenian A1
Welcome to our Slovenian course for beginners! Today we`re going to talk about the family members in Slovenian in detail.
Slovenian, like many languages, has specific terms for different family members. Here are some common ones.
Father
Slovenian:
Oče (informal),
Ata (informal, used by children)
Oče is the informal term for "father" in Slovenian. It is commonly used within the family.
Ata is an affectionate informal term often used by children to address their fathers.
Mother
Slovenian:
Mama (informal),
Mamica (informal, affectionate, used by children)
Mama is the informal term for "mother." It is commonly used within the family.
Mamica is an affectionate variation of mama often used by children.
Grandfather
Slovenian:
Dedek (informal),
Dedi (informal, affectionate),
Stari oče (formal)
Dedek is the informal term for "grandfather."
Dedi is an affectionate term for a grandfather.
Stari oče is the formal term for "grandfather."
Grandmother
Slovenian:
Babica (informal),
Babi (informal, affectionate),
Stara mama (formal)
Babica is the informal term for "grandmother."
Babi is an affectionate term for a grandmother.
Stara mama is the formal term for "grandmother."
Brother
Slovenian:
Brat (informal),
Bratec (informal, affectionate)
Brat is the informal term for "brother." It is commonly used within the family.
Bratec is an affectionate term for a younger brother.
Sister
Slovenian:
Sestra (informal),
Sestrica (informal, affectionate)
Sestra is the informal term for "sister." It is commonly used within the family.
Sestrica is an affectionate term for a younger sister.
Son
Slovenian:
Sin (informal),
Sinček (informal, affectionate)
Sin is the informal term for "son." It is commonly used within the family.
Sinček is an affectionate term for a young son.
Daughter
Slovenian:
Hči (informal),
Hčerka (informal, affectionate)
Hči is the informal term for "daughter." It is commonly used within the family.
Hčerka is an affectionate term for a young daughter.
Husband
Slovenian:
Mož (informal),
Dragi (informal, affectionate term for husband)
Mož is the informal term for "husband."
Dragi is an informal and affectionate term that can be used to refer to one`s husband.
Wife
Slovenian:
Žena (informal),
Draga (informal, affectionate term for wife)
Žena is the informal term for "wife."
Draga is an informal and affectionate term used to refer to one`s wife.
Uncle
Slovenian:
Stric (informal).
When addressing an uncle informally, you can simply say "
stric." If you want to be more specific, you can use "
stric po očetovi strani" (uncle on the father`s side) or "
stric po mamini strani" (uncle on the mother`s side). When speaking formally, you can use "
gospod" followed by their last name.
Aunt
Slovenian:
Teta (informal).
Similarly to uncles, addressing an aunt informally is done with "
teta." You can specify the side of the family with "
teta po očetovi strani" (aunt on the father`s side) or "
teta po mamini strani" (aunt on the mother`s side). In formal situations, use "gospa" followed by their last name.
Cousin
Slovenian:
Bratranec (male cousin),
Sestrična (female cousin)
Slovenian uses the same terms for cousins as for uncles and aunts informally. You can specify the gender by saying "
moj bratranec" (my male cousin) or "
moja sestrična" (my female cousin).
Nephew
Slovenian:
Nečak (informal/formal)
The term for nephew is the same for both informal and formal situations. To specify the gender, you can say "
moj nečak" (my nephew).
Niece
Slovenian:
Nečakinja (informal/formal)
Similar to nephews, the term for niece remains the same in both informal and formal contexts. To specify the gender, you can say "
moja nečakinja" (my niece).
In-Laws
Slovenian uses similar terms for in-laws as for blood relatives. For example, your mother-in-law can be called "
tašča" (informal) or "
gospa" (formal), and your father-in-law can be referred to as "
tast" (informal) or "
gospod" (formal).
Godparents
Slovenian:
Krstni boter (godfather),
Krstna botra (godmother)
These terms are used for your child`s godparents. They can also be called "
boter" and "
botra" informally.
It is important to note that Slovenian, like many languages, has both formal and informal ways of addressing family members. Formal versions are often used when speaking to someone you want to show respect to, or someone you don`t know well. Unofficial versions are used among close relatives or with friends.
For example, you can say "
Oče" when referring to your father informally, but if you are referring to someone else`s father or speaking formally, you can say "
Moj oče" (My father) or "
Gospod Novak" (Mr. Novak) if you know his last name.
Remember that the choice between formal and informal language may depend on the specific context and your relationship with the person you are talking to. Slovenian culture places importance on politeness, so it is useful to be aware of these differences. Good luck!