Two options in Slovenian
The kitchen, evening, a talk about whether to take the new job in Slovenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Imava dve možnosti in obe sta slabi.» — The two of us have two options, and both are bad. Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: the kitchen, evening, a talk about whether to take the new job. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Imava dve možnosti in obe sta slabi.The two of us have two options, and both are bad.
- Nista slabi, samo drugačni. Pojasni mi vzrok za skrb.They’re not bad, just different. Explain to me the reason for the worry.
- Če sprejmem, moral bom vsak dan v Ljubljano.If I agree, I’ll have to commute to Ljubljana every day.
- Po eni strani je res daleč, po drugi strani pa je plača višja.On the one hand it really is far, and on the other the salary is higher.
- Nisem prepričan, da je razlika tako velika.I’m not sure the difference is that big.
- Takih priložnosti ne dobiš vsak dan. Škoda bi jo bilo zamuditi.Chances like this don’t come along every day. It would be a pity to miss it.
- Prav. Vseeno mi je težko, čeprav vem, da imaš prav.Okay. It’s still hard for me, even though I know you’re right.
- Potem se odloči jutri. Prej ali slej boš moral povedati.Then decide tomorrow. Sooner or later you’ll have to say it.
Lines one by one
| Slovenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Imava dve možnosti in obe sta slabi. | — | The two of us have two options, and both are bad. |
| Nista slabi, samo drugačni. Pojasni mi vzrok za skrb. | — | They’re not bad, just different. Explain to me the reason for the worry. |
| Če sprejmem, moral bom vsak dan v Ljubljano. | — | If I agree, I’ll have to commute to Ljubljana every day. |
| Po eni strani je res daleč, po drugi strani pa je plača višja. | — | On the one hand it really is far, and on the other the salary is higher. |
| Nisem prepričan, da je razlika tako velika. | — | I’m not sure the difference is that big. |
| Takih priložnosti ne dobiš vsak dan. Škoda bi jo bilo zamuditi. | — | Chances like this don’t come along every day. It would be a pity to miss it. |
| Prav. Vseeno mi je težko, čeprav vem, da imaš prav. | — | Okay. It’s still hard for me, even though I know you’re right. |
| Potem se odloči jutri. Prej ali slej boš moral povedati. | — | Then decide tomorrow. Sooner or later you’ll have to say it. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Slovenian in this situation?
“Imava dve možnosti in obe sta slabi.” — The two of us have two options, and both are bad.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.