Why Slovene? Start Simple and Stay Motivated
Slovene is a compact, musical South Slavic language with about 2.1 million speakers. For beginners, the good news is that it uses the Latin alphabet with a few extra letters (č, š, ž), and many everyday phrases are short and friendly. You can learn the basics free with a mix of online tools, PDFs, and bite-sized practice.
At A1–A2, focus on high-frequency words, set phrases, and simple grammar: present tense verbs, nouns in the nominative and accusative, and basic questions. Your goal is clarity, not perfection—learn to greet, ask for prices, order food, and talk about yourself.
- Keep sessions short (10–20 minutes) to avoid overwhelm.
- Learn words in chunks: Dober dan, Kako si?, Hvala lepa.
- Record yourself early to fix pronunciation of č/š/ž.
- Track wins: number of phrases you can say without notes.
- Mix reading, listening, and speaking every week.
Free Apps and Online Courses That Actually Help
Honest note on Duolingo: there isn’t a full Slovene course on Duolingo yet. You can still use the app for general study habits, but for Slovene itself, try the options below. Many are free or have generous free tiers for beginners.
Combine one structured path with a second app for vocabulary. Then add short listening on YouTube to make the language feel real from day one.
- Clozemaster (free tier): Sentence-based practice for Slovenian with translations; great for exposure to real patterns.
- Memrise (community courses): Search for “Slovenian/Slovene A1” decks; good for beginner vocabulary and phrases.
- Drops (free daily time): Visual word learning; fast and playful for beginners.
- YouTube — Easy Languages (Slovene): Street interviews with subtitles; perfect for listening at A1–A2.
- 50Languages / book2 (free lessons): Short audio-based modules to build core dialogues.
- Center for Slovene (online): Look for sample lessons, placement info, and events; useful orientation for serious learners.
Printable PDFs and Cheat Sheets for Fast Review
PDFs are perfect for quick, offline review. Aim for compact sheets: alphabet and sounds, polite phrases, numbers, days, common verbs, and a mini food menu set. Keep it one or two pages so you actually use it.
If you can’t find the perfect free PDF, build your own: list 60–80 words you’ll use this month (food, transport, introductions) and export from your notes app as a PDF. Print and carry it; repetition matters more than design.
- Search tips: “Slovene A1 PDF,” “Slovenian phrasebook PDF,” “Slovene pronunciation PDF.”
- Wikivoyage/Wikibooks often have print-friendly phrase pages you can save as PDF.
- Make a one-page verb mini-list: biti (to be), imeti (to have), iti (to go), jesti (to eat), piti (to drink).
- Create a café card: prosim (please), račun (bill), brez mesa (without meat), voda (water), kava (coffee).
- Pair your PDF with spaced repetition: retype the sheet into an app like Anki for daily review.
Build a Daily Habit and Nail Pronunciation Early
Consistency beats intensity. A beginner who studies 15 minutes daily will outpace a weekend crammer. Split sessions: 5 minutes review (flashcards), 5 minutes new words, 5 minutes speaking out loud.
Pronunciation is friendly once you map sounds: č (ch), š (sh), ž (zh). Listen-and-repeat with native audio and record yourself to compare. It’s a small investment that pays off when you start speaking to people.
- Use Forvo or similar sites to hear Slovene words by native speakers.
- Shadow short YouTube lines: pause, repeat, mimic rhythm.
- Say words in pairs: čaj/čas, šal/šalica, želim/žoga.
- Set a 7-day streak goal; reward yourself when you hit it.
- Rotate skills: Mon vocabulary, Tue listening, Wed speaking, Thu reading, Fri review.
Essential Phrases and Next Steps
Start with phrases you’ll actually use. Practice them aloud until they feel automatic, then plug in new words. Don’t wait for perfect grammar—communication is the win.
When you can handle greetings, numbers, and simple orders, move to small talk: where you’re from, what you do, and what you like. That’s A1–A2 gold.
- Živjo! / Dober dan! — Hi! / Good day!
- Jaz sem … / Sem začetnik. — I am … / I’m a beginner.
- Prosim. / Hvala (lepa). — Please. / Thank you (very much).
- Rad(a) bi kavo/vodo. — I’d like a coffee/water. (rad for male, rada for female)
- Koliko stane? — How much is it?
- Kje je …? — Where is …?
- Oprostite, ne razumem. Lahko ponovite? — Sorry, I don’t understand. Can you repeat?
FAQ
- Is Slovene on Duolingo?
- Not yet. Duolingo doesn’t offer a full Slovene (Slovenian) course at this time. Use it only for general habit building, and pair with alternatives like Clozemaster, Memrise community courses, YouTube (Easy Languages), and 50Languages.
- How long to reach A1–A2 in Slovene?
- With a steady 15–30 minutes per day, many beginners reach solid A1 in 6–10 weeks and early A2 in 3–6 months. Focus on daily consistency, high-frequency words, and lots of listening and speaking.
- What’s the difference between Slovene and Slovenian?
- They’re two names for the same language. Slovene is commonly used in linguistic contexts; Slovenian is widely used in English. Use whichever you prefer.
- What’s the best free app to learn Slovene?
- There’s no single best app. For a free start: Clozemaster for sentences, Memrise community decks for vocab, Drops for quick visuals, and YouTube for listening. Combine two tools and add a printable PDF cheat sheet.
- Where can I get a free Slovene PDF?
- Search “Slovene A1 PDF,” “Slovenian phrasebook PDF,” or “Slovene pronunciation PDF.” Many open resources (like print-friendly phrase pages) can be saved as PDF. You can also make your own one-page cheat sheet and print it.
- Is Slovene hard for English speakers?
- It has new grammar (cases, verb aspects), but A1–A2 survival language is very learnable. Focus on set phrases, present tense, and clear pronunciation early. Small, daily practice wins.