Živjo and dober dan: your own people and strangers
Živjo is 'hi' between people who know each other, and it works at any hour. The same word says goodbye, so one word covers both ends of a conversation. For example: “Živjo, kako si?” — Hi, how are you?. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Živjo is 'hi' between people who know each other, and it works at any hour. The same word says goodbye, so one word covers both ends of a conversation.
With a stranger, start with dober dan: neutral and polite. It has its hours: dobro jutro until about nine or ten, dober večer from about six in the evening. The borders are soft, and dober dan at nine in the morning surprises nobody.
For parting there are two words. Na svidenje is neutral. Adijo is for your own people, and you hear it all over the country. Really close friends say čau.
One trap: se vidiva is about two people. With three or more it is se vidimo.
Table
| What is said | To whom | When |
|---|---|---|
| živjo | your own people, peers | any time of day; doubles as a farewell |
| dober dan | a stranger, politely | the day |
| dobro jutro | anyone | in the morning, until about nine or ten |
| dober večer | anyone | from about six in the evening |
| na svidenje | neutral | when parting |
| adijo | your own people | when parting, all over the country |
By example
- Živjo, kako si?Hi, how are you?
- Dober dan, kako ste?Good afternoon, how are you?
- Adijo, se vidiva!Bye, see you!
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
How to say hi in Slovenian?
Živjo is 'hi' between people who know each other, and it works at any hour. The same word says goodbye, so one word covers both ends of a conversation.
Živjo vs dober dan?
With a stranger, start with dober dan: neutral and polite. It has its hours: dobro jutro until about nine or ten, dober večer from about six in the evening. The borders are soft, and dober dan at nine in the morning surprises nobody.
How to greet in Slovenia?
For parting there are two words. Na svidenje is neutral. Adijo is for your own people, and you hear it all over the country. Really close friends say čau.
Živjo or dober dan for a stranger?
One trap: se vidiva is about two people. With three or more it is se vidimo.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Živjo, kako si?” — Hi, how are you?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.