10 Slovenian words to learn before you come
Everyone here speaks some English, but try one of these and watch the locals light up.
Slovenian looks scary on paper, with all those č, š and ž. Good news: it's spelled exactly as it sounds. Here are the ten words I'd teach a friend on the drive from the airport.
Hi and bye, for friends and anyone your age.
Good day. The polite greeting for shops, farms and anyone older.
Thank you. Hvala lepa if you really mean it.
Please, you're welcome and "sorry, what?", all in one word.
Cheers! Literally "to health". Look people in the eye when you clink.
Enjoy your meal. Nobody starts eating before someone says it.
The mid-morning snack break. Treated as almost sacred, at work and on the trail.
A traditional inn. If you see one, stop.
Homemade. The best word you can find on a menu or a farm sign.
Nice, beautiful. "Lepo je!" covers every view on the trail.
Bonus: on a Tomke Trail you'll hear all ten before lunch, and probably say "na zdravje" at least twice.