Proti, kljub, zahvaljujoč: three prepositions that ask for 'to whom'
English 'against' needs no special form, but Slovenian proti asks for the 'to whom' shape: cepljenje proti gripi, tableta proti bolečinam. That is the commonest slip at the pharmacy. For example: “Kljub bolečini v hrbtu je prišel na pregled” — In spite of the back pain, he came in for the examination. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English 'against' needs no special form, but Slovenian proti asks for the 'to whom' shape: cepljenje proti gripi, tableta proti bolečinam. That is the commonest slip at the pharmacy.
The shape looks like this. Masculine and neuter take -u: zdravnik → zdravniku. Feminine takes -i: sestra → sestri. In the plural, -om and -am: otrokom, bolečinam. One word is irregular: ljudje → ljudem.
The same form follows kljub — in spite of: kljub dežju, kljub bolezni je prišel. And zahvaljujoč — thanks to: zahvaljujoč sosedom. Verbs pull it too: verjeti prijatelju, izogibati se sladkorju.
The trap is complaining about pain. There the person is the object: Boli me hrbet, Bolijo ga noge. The 'to whom' stays where the state is general: Slabo mi je, Vroče mu je.
Table
| word | what it demands | example | the English |
|---|---|---|---|
| proti | 'to whom' | tableta proti bolečinam | a painkiller tablet |
| proti | 'to whom' | proti predlogu | against the proposal |
| kljub | 'to whom' | kljub dežju | in spite of the rain |
| zahvaljujoč | 'to whom' | zahvaljujoč zdravniku | thanks to the doctor |
| verjeti | 'to whom' | verjeti prijatelju | believe a friend |
| izogibati se | 'to whom' | izogibati se sladkorju | avoid sugar |
| boli | the object | boli me želodec | my stomach hurts |
| slabo je | 'to whom' | slabo mi je | I feel bad |
By example
- Kljub bolečini v hrbtu je prišel na pregledIn spite of the back pain, he came in for the examination
- Zdravnik mi je svetoval cepljenje proti gripiThe doctor advised me to get a flu shot
- Zahvaljujoč sosedom je hitro prišel v bolnišnicoThanks to the neighbors he reached the hospital quickly
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
Proti, kljub, zahvaljujoč: how does it work in Slovenian?
English 'against' needs no special form, but Slovenian proti asks for the 'to whom' shape: cepljenje proti gripi, tableta proti bolečinam. That is the commonest slip at the pharmacy.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Kljub bolečini v hrbtu je prišel na pregled” — In spite of the back pain, he came in for the examination. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.