Ko, medtem ko, dokler, preden: time through a subordinate clause
Joining two events in one sentence is the job of the time words, and each of them has its own task. For example: “Medtem ko sem kuhal, je on pospravljal kuhinjo” — While I was cooking, he was tidying the kitchen. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Joining two events in one sentence is the job of the time words, and each of them has its own task.
Ko is 'when', about a single event: Ko sem prišel domov, je bilo že temno. In a story about the past you use ko; kdaj stays a question: Kdaj prideš?
Medtem ko is 'while': Medtem ko sem kuhal, je on pospravljal. Preden is 'before': Preden odideš, zapri okno. Potem ko is 'after': Potem ko so odšli, je bilo tiho.
The trap is dokler. In the sense 'until' it carries ne, and that ne is not a negative: Počakaj, dokler ne pride. Without ne it simply means 'as long as': Dokler sem bil mlad, sem veliko hodil v hribe.
Table
| conjunction | meaning | example | the trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| ko | when | ko sem prišel | not “kdaj” |
| medtem ko | while | medtem ko sem kuhal | two actions at once |
| dokler ne | until | dokler ne pride | “ne” is obligatory |
| dokler | as long as | dokler sem bil mlad | without “ne” |
| preden | before | preden odideš | without “ne” |
| potem ko | after | potem ko so odšli | two words |
| takoj ko | as soon as | takoj ko pride | the future as the present |
| odkar | since | odkar živim tu | the start of the count |
By example
- Medtem ko sem kuhal, je on pospravljal kuhinjoWhile I was cooking, he was tidying the kitchen
- Počakaj tu, dokler ne pridem po tebeWait here until I come for you
- Preden odideš, ugasni luč in zapri oknoBefore you leave, turn off the light and close the window
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
Ko, medtem ko, dokler, preden: how does it work in Slovenian?
Joining two events in one sentence is the job of the time words, and each of them has its own task.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Medtem ko sem kuhal, je on pospravljal kuhinjo” — While I was cooking, he was tidying the kitchen. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.