Common prepositions
Slovenian ⋙
Slovenian A1
Welcome to our Slovenian grammar course for beginners! Today we`re going to talk about prepositions.
Prepositions often align closely with their English counterparts. However, there exist nuances, subtle distinctions that merit our exploration. Today, we are going to illuminate not the entirety of this topic, but rather the prepositions most frequently encountered in Slovene discourse.
Na (On, In)
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," 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)
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," a preposition that shows a position or purposes. 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," 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," 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).
All prepositions show u many linguistic nuances. With their help, we can compose eloquent expressions and navigate the linguistic landscape with finesse and flair. Don`t forget to use prepositions in conversation and it will improve your Slovenian. Good luck!