A question starts with 'ali' — or just with 'a'
A yes-or-no question starts with the little word ali: Ali govorite angleško?, Ali je daleč? For example: “Ali je daleč?” — Is it far?. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A yes-or-no question starts with the little word ali: Ali govorite angleško?, Ali je daleč?
In speech it shrinks to a single sound — a: A greš z mano? That is not sloppiness. Everybody talks that way, and writes that way in messages too.
Question words come first and leave the rest of the order alone: Kje je postaja?, Koliko stane?, Kako ti je ime? One pair is worth learning on its own. Kje is 'where at', kam is 'where to'. Slovenian keeps them apart, and 'kje greš?' sounds wrong.
By example
- Ali je daleč?Is it far?
- A imate vodo?Do you have water?
- Kam greš?Where are you going?
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
A question starts with 'ali' — or just with 'a': how does it work in Slovenian?
A yes-or-no question starts with the little word ali: Ali govorite angleško?, Ali je daleč?
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Ali je daleč?” — Is it far?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.