Prosim and oprostite: one word for three jobs
Prosim literally means "I ask", and it works in three roles at once. The first is "please" in a request: Tišje, prosim. The second is "not at all" in reply to hvala. The third is asking again: a short Prosim? means "sorry, what did you say?". One word instead of three, and one of the most convenient words in the language at that. For example: “Hvala. — Prosim.” — Thank you. — Not at all.. A rule from the Slovenian…
How it works
Prosim literally means "I ask", and it works in three roles at once. The first is "please" in a request: Tišje, prosim. The second is "not at all" in reply to hvala. The third is asking again: a short Prosim? means "sorry, what did you say?". One word instead of three, and one of the most convenient words in the language at that.
Oprostite comes from the root prost, "free": literally "set me free of the fault". It is both the apology and the way to stop a stranger in the street. Between your own people it drops to oprosti, on first-name terms. For a concrete offense you add the reason: oprostite za zamudo — sorry for the delay.
The trap has two sides. After hvala the answer is prosim or ni za kaj ("it is nothing"), never oprostite. And to stop a passerby and ask for directions you need exactly oprostite: in that role prosim does not work — it will be heard as the beginning of a request with no request in sight.
Table
| The word | The job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| prosim | "please" in a request | Tišje, prosim |
| prosim | "not at all" after hvala | Hvala. — Prosim. |
| prosim? | asking again | Prosim? — what did you say? |
| oprostite | an apology | Oprostite za zamudo |
| oprostite | stopping a stranger | Oprostite, kje je postaja? |
| oprosti | the same, on first-name terms | Oprosti, nisem slišal |
| ni za kaj | another answer to hvala | Hvala. — Ni za kaj. |
By example
- Hvala. — Prosim.Thank you. — Not at all.
- Prosim?What did you say? (asking again)
- Oprostite, kje je postaja?Excuse me, where is the station?
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
Prosim vs oprostite?
Prosim literally means "I ask", and it works in three roles at once. The first is "please" in a request: Tišje, prosim. The second is "not at all" in reply to hvala. The third is asking again: a short Prosim? means "sorry, what did you say?". One word instead of three, and one of the most…
What prosim means in Slovenian?
Oprostite comes from the root prost, "free": literally "set me free of the fault". It is both the apology and the way to stop a stranger in the street. Between your own people it drops to oprosti, on first-name terms. For a concrete offense you add the reason: oprostite za zamudo — sorry for the…
How to ask someone to repeat in Slovenian?
The trap has two sides. After hvala the answer is prosim or ni za kaj ("it is nothing"), never oprostite. And to stop a passerby and ask for directions you need exactly oprostite: in that role prosim does not work — it will be heard as the beginning of a request with no request in sight.
How to answer hvala in Slovenian?
The trap has two sides. After hvala the answer is prosim or ni za kaj ("it is nothing"), never oprostite. And to stop a passerby and ask for directions you need exactly oprostite: in that role prosim does not work — it will be heard as the beginning of a request with no request in sight.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Hvala. — Prosim.” — Thank you. — Not at all.. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.