Naj bi, baje, pravijo: how to mark words as someone else’s
English marks other people's words with 'allegedly' and 'they say'. Slovenian does it with a verb form, and that form is naj bi. For example: “Sosed naj bi prodal hišo, a nihče ne ve zagotovo” — The neighbor allegedly sold the house, but nobody knows for sure. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English marks other people's words with 'allegedly' and 'they say'. Slovenian does it with a verb form, and that form is naj bi.
Naj bi plus the -l form means 'by somebody else's account, and I don't vouch for it'. Naj bi bil bolan — he's said to be ill. Sosed naj bi prodal hišo — the neighbour reportedly sold the house. No 'that' is needed.
The same form has a second meaning: a plan that did not come off. Vlak naj bi prišel ob petih. The sense tells them apart — a timetable is a plan, a person and their affairs is more likely a rumour.
Simpler, and for speech: baje — allegedly, menda — apparently, pravijo, da — they say that. And a trap: naj without bi means 'let': Naj pride.
Table
| the device | example | what it signals |
|---|---|---|
| naj bi + -l | Naj bi bil bolan | hearsay, nobody vouches |
| naj bi + -l | Vlak naj bi prišel ob petih | a plan by the timetable |
| naj (without bi) | Naj pride | let him come |
| baje | Baje se selijo | allegedly, one word |
| menda | Menda je doma | supposedly, unsure myself |
| pravijo, da | Pravijo, da bo zima mrzla | they say that |
| po besedah | Po besedah zdravnika | according to the doctor |
| kot je znano | Kot je znano, praznik pade v sredo | as is well known |
By example
- Sosed naj bi prodal hišo, a nihče ne ve zagotovoThe neighbor allegedly sold the house, but nobody knows for sure
- Vlak naj bi prišel ob petih, prišel pa je ob šestihThe train was due at five, but it came at six
- Po besedah direktorja naj bi se plače dvignile spomladiAccording to the director, wages are supposedly going up in spring
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
Naj bi, baje, pravijo: how does it work in Slovenian?
English marks other people's words with 'allegedly' and 'they say'. Slovenian does it with a verb form, and that form is naj bi.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Sosed naj bi prodal hišo, a nihče ne ve zagotovo” — The neighbor allegedly sold the house, but nobody knows for sure. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.