Prosim and oprostite: one word for three jobs
Prosim literally means 'I ask' and does three jobs. It is 'please' in a request: Tišje, prosim. It is 'not at all' in answer to hvala. And it is the way to ask again: a short Prosim? means 'what did you say?' For example: “Hvala. — Prosim.” — Thank you. — Not at all.. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Prosim literally means 'I ask' and does three jobs. It is 'please' in a request: Tišje, prosim. It is 'not at all' in answer to hvala. And it is the way to ask again: a short Prosim? means 'what did you say?'
Oprostite comes from prost, 'free', and literally asks to be freed from blame. It is both an apology and the way to stop a stranger in the street. To someone you are close to, say oprosti.
For a particular fault, add the reason: oprostite za zamudo — sorry for being late.
The trap cuts both ways. To hvala you answer prosim or ni za kaj, never oprostite. And to stop a passer-by you need oprostite: prosim there sounds like a request with the request missing.
Table
| The word | The job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| prosim | "please" in a request | Tišje, prosim |
| prosim | "not at all" after hvala | Hvala. — Prosim. |
| prosim? | asking again | Prosim? — what did you say? |
| oprostite | an apology | Oprostite za zamudo |
| oprostite | stopping a stranger | Oprostite, kje je postaja? |
| oprosti | the same, on first-name terms | Oprosti, nisem slišal |
| ni za kaj | another answer to hvala | Hvala. — Ni za kaj. |
By example
- Hvala. — Prosim.Thank you. — Not at all.
- Prosim?What did you say? (asking again)
- Oprostite, kje je postaja?Excuse me, where is the station?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Prosim vs oprostite?
Prosim literally means 'I ask' and does three jobs. It is 'please' in a request: Tišje, prosim. It is 'not at all' in answer to hvala. And it is the way to ask again: a short Prosim? means 'what did you say?'
What prosim means in Slovenian?
Oprostite comes from prost, 'free', and literally asks to be freed from blame. It is both an apology and the way to stop a stranger in the street. To someone you are close to, say oprosti.
How to ask someone to repeat in Slovenian?
For a particular fault, add the reason: oprostite za zamudo — sorry for being late.
How to answer hvala in Slovenian?
The trap cuts both ways. To hvala you answer prosim or ni za kaj, never oprostite. And to stop a passer-by you need oprostite: prosim there sounds like a request with the request missing.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Hvala. — Prosim.” — Thank you. — Not at all.. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.