Some favorite Slovene-English phrases for modern usage

Checked by native speakers on both ends of the divide. A suitable reference for your next trip to Slovenia or the USA, as the case may be.

Unfortunately, your browser probably doesn't support the special characters in the Slovene alphabet (the letters c, s and z sometimes have little hooks over them, which changes the pronunciation completely) so I've omitted them in the interest of simplification. Anyone interested in the pronunciation of a specific saying or two should e-mail me, or ask a Slovene, or move to Slovenia for a few years...

  • Excuse me, baby, is that your pigeon? = Oprosti ljubica, ali to tvoj golob?
  • Yes, it is my pigeon, and fuck you = Ja, to je moj golob, in jebi se
  • Long live the bride and groom = Zivela nevesta in zenin
  • I think the bride is pregnant = Mislim, da je nevesta noseca
  • Yesterday I went to the Beekeeping Museum = Vceraj sem sel v cebelarski muzej
  • Are you mentally unbalanced? = Ali si dusevno neuravnovesen?
  • I think I owe you 3000 tolars = Mislim, da dozan sem ti 3000 tolarjev
  • Where is the poste restante window? = Kje je okence za postno lezece posiljke?
  • Shut up! Ask my ass! = Tiho! Pisi mi v rit !
  • I have a heinous roommate from hell = Imam ostudnega sostanovalca iz pekla
  • I am an aging child = Sem starajoc se otrok
  • I am hellbent for destruction = Sem nagnjen k razdejanju
  • I am insane = Sem dusevno bolan or Sem nor
  • I hate yuppies = Sovrazem mlade ambiciozne poslovneze (japije)
  • I have a splitting headache = Imam hud glavobol
  • I would like scrambled eggs with Tabasco, please = Rad bi vmesana jajca s tabasko omako, prosim
  • The weather is very bad. It's been raining the whole month = Vreme je zelo slabo. Ze ves mesec dezuje.
  • What am I, fuckin' stupid? = Ali sem trapasta ali kaj?
  • I have no idea = Nimam pojma or pojma nimam (depending on your mood)
  • Isn't it weird? = Ali ni cudno?
  • I don't have any more patience, I'm angry = Zgubil sem potrpljenje, jezen sem
  • I don't even dream about it = Niti sanja se mi ne
  • I think a world full of weirdos would be wonderful = Mislim, da bi bil svet poln cudakov cudovit
  • I'd like to show you something = Rad bi nekaj pokazal
  • I forgot what's next = Pozabil sem kaj sledi
  • I forgot to remember to forget = Pozabil sem si zapomniti pozabiti
  • The door doesn't close properly = Vrata se na zapirajo dobro
  • I feel like shit = Pocutim se posrano
  • Don't ask = Ne sprasujte
  • I love it when they turn their heads = Vsec mi je ce obracajo glave z mano
  • It's none of your business, you goddamn fucking witch = To ni tvoja stvar, prekleta pizda carovnica
  • I have to memorize only 54 cases, it's easy = Potrebujem ucitem se na pamet samo 54 sklanjatev, lahek je
  • Baloney! = Bedarija!
  • Go to hell = Pojdi k vragu
  • Fuck off! = Klinc te gleda! (Literally, "a dick is looking at you")
  • Sunset upstairs construction site - Mrak zgoraj gradbisce
  • I wish you a nervous breakdown and a happy New Year = Zivceni zlom in srecno novo leto vam zeli
  • Better than nothing = Bolje kot nic
  • It's a complicated story = Zapletena zgodba je
  • No thanks for the advice = Ne hvala za nasvet
  • Yesterday I went to two Christmas parties = Vceraj sem sel na dve bozicni zabavi
  • I think that if you remember a party, it was bad = Mislim da, ce se spomnis zabave, je bila slaba
  • What's so bad about feeling good? = Kaj je narobe, ce se imas dobro?
  • Live dangerously! = Zivimo nevarno !

    Inspirational credit for the above should be given to the art work in board game form entitled Play Your City (1996), by Slovene artist Marija Mojca Pungercar. Here are a few samples from that work, which I've included here with the kind permission of the artist (who would like to point out that the phrases aren't something you'd encounter in standard Slovene, but were created as part of the work):

  • Obmocje visokega krvnega pritiska (High blood pressure zone): PYC - Urban
  • Z burekom nisi sam (You're never alone with a burek): PYC - Existential
  • Domaca klobasa zblizuje (A homemade sausage brings people together): PYC - Rural

    © 2000-2002 Wes Eichenwald/Double Shot Productions, except for the final three selections, from the art work Play Your City, 1996, ©Marija Mojca Pungercar, all rights reserved, used with the permission of the artist. (Visit Ms. Pungercar's web site, The Mojca Case, at http://www.ljudmila.org/scca/mojca)