Da, ker, če, ko: two thoughts in one sentence
Four joining words sew short sentences into speech: da — that, ker — because, če — if, ko — when. That set covers almost any story about your own life. For example: “Vem, da ti bom pomagal, ker si moj brat” — I know I'll help you, because you're my brother. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Four joining words sew short sentences into speech: da — that, ker — because, če — if, ko — when. That set covers almost any story about your own life.
The second half of the sentence does not move the verb: it stands where it would stand on its own. Vem, da prideš jutri — I know you're coming tomorrow. The comma before the joining word is always there: Grem domov, ker sem utrujen.
What does move are the short unstressed words. The joining word takes first place, and such a word steps in right behind it. Vem, da ti bom pomagal. Ker se mi mudi, grem. Če se ne motim, je zaprto.
Two small things. Ko is 'when once', kadar is 'every time': Ko sem prišel domov, sem zaspal against Kadar dežuje, ostanem doma. And after ko Slovenian uses the future: Ko bom prišel, te pokličem.
Table
| conjunction | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| da | that, so that | Rekel je, da pride |
| ker | because | Ostal sem doma, ker sem bolan |
| zato | therefore (not a cause word) | Bolan sem, zato ostanem doma |
| če | if | Če imaš čas, se dobiva |
| ko | when (once) | Ko sem prišel, si spal |
| kadar | whenever | Kadar dežuje, berem |
| the short word | right after the joining word | Vem, da ti bom pisal |
By example
- Vem, da ti bom pomagal, ker si moj bratI know I'll help you, because you're my brother
- Če bo lepo vreme, gremo pojutrišnjem na piknikIf the weather is nice, we're going on a picnic the day after tomorrow
- Ko bo dostavljavec prišel, me pokličiWhen the courier arrives, call me
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
Da, ker, če, ko: how does it work in Slovenian?
Four joining words sew short sentences into speech: da — that, ker — because, če — if, ko — when. That set covers almost any story about your own life.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Vem, da ti bom pomagal, ker si moj brat” — I know I'll help you, because you're my brother. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.