An introductory word and the second place: where je, sem, se go
A short unstressed word (sem, je, bom, bi, se, me, mu) never stands first. It squeezes in right after the first stressed word: Pozabil sem ključe. An opening word upsets that count. For example: “Poleg tega sem pozabil ključe v avtu” — Besides, I forgot the keys in the car. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A short unstressed word (sem, je, bom, bi, se, me, mu) never stands first. It squeezes in right after the first stressed word: Pozabil sem ključe. An opening word upsets that count.
The opening word takes first place itself, and the short word follows it: Poleg tega sem pozabil ključe, Verjetno se motiš. Poleg tega pozabil sem is impossible. A phrase of several words counts as one place.
Joining words take no place at all: in, ampak, vendar, ker, da, čeprav. The next word becomes the first stressed one: ampak jaz sem vedel, ker se mi mudi, vendar se ni izšlo.
The comma has its own rules. Before ki, da, ker, če, ko, čeprav it is obligatory. After an opening word there usually is none: Verjetno je zaprto.
Table
| the first word | does it count as the slot? | how it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| poleg tega | yes, the whole phrase | poleg tega sem … |
| verjetno | yes | verjetno se motiš |
| zato | yes | zato sem ostal |
| po mojem | yes | po mojem se motiš |
| ampak | no, a conjunction | ampak jaz sem vedel |
| vendar | no, a conjunction | vendar se ni izšlo |
| ker / da / čeprav | no, a conjunction | ker se mi mudi |
| two short words | the queue is the same | poleg tega sem si ga … |
| comma after an intro word | usually absent | Verjetno je zaprto |
| comma before a conjunction | always present | Vem, da prideš |
By example
- Poleg tega sem pozabil ključe v avtuBesides, I forgot the keys in the car
- Verjetno se motim, vendar se mi zdi predragoI am probably wrong, but it seems too expensive to me
- Po eni strani mi je žal, po drugi strani pa mi je odlegloOn the one hand I am sorry, and on the other I feel relieved
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
An introductory word and the second place: how does it work in Slovenian?
A short unstressed word (sem, je, bom, bi, se, me, mu) never stands first. It squeezes in right after the first stressed word: Pozabil sem ključe. An opening word upsets that count.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Poleg tega sem pozabil ključe v avtu” — Besides, I forgot the keys in the car. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.