Iz, z/s, od: what it is made of, what it is made with, and from whom
'Made of what', 'made with what' and 'from whom' often collapse into one English 'from'. Slovenian keeps them apart, and the slip is heard at once. For example: “Ta torbica je iz pravega usnja” — This bag is made of genuine leather. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
'Made of what', 'made with what' and 'from whom' often collapse into one English 'from'. Slovenian keeps them apart, and the slip is heard at once.
Iz is material and origin: torbica iz usnja, pulover iz volne, sok iz jabolk. The same preposition answers 'where from': iz Ljubljane, iz službe.
Z / s is the tool you do it with: rezati z nožem, plačati s kartico. The choice between z and s is pure sound: s before a voiceless consonant, z before everything else.
Od is 'from whom' and 'since when': darilo od babice, od ponedeljka. 'Made of wood' cannot go through od. There is also a route with no preposition at all: usnjena jakna, volnen pulover.
Table
| preposition | case | the question | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| iz | of what | made of what | iz volne |
| iz | of what | where from | iz Maribora |
| z | with what | the tool | z lepilom |
| s | with what | before a voiceless sound | s kartico |
| z | with what | together with whom | z ženo |
| od | of what | from whom | od babice |
| od | of what | since when | od ponedeljka |
| — | an adjective | what kind (material) | usnjena jakna |
By example
- Ta torbica je iz pravega usnjaThis bag is made of genuine leather
- Škatlo zalepi s trakom, ne z lepilomSeal the box with tape, not with glue
- Recept za potico imam od babiceI have the potica recipe from my grandmother
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
Iz, z/s, od: how does it work in Slovenian?
'Made of what', 'made with what' and 'from whom' often collapse into one English 'from'. Slovenian keeps them apart, and the slip is heard at once.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Ta torbica je iz pravega usnja” — This bag is made of genuine leather. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.