Transport in Slovenian
14 words Slovenian words on the topic “transport”: avtobus — bus, vlak — train, postaja — station, taksi — taxi. 14 words can be played from recordings.
14 words on the topic
- avtobusbusv before a consonant sounds like "u": OW-toh-boos
- vlaktrainv before a consonant sounds like "u": vlak with an initial "u" glide
- postajastationOne word for the station and the stop: železniška postaja is the train station, avtobusna postaja the bus stop.
- taksitaxiYou do not hail one in the street: you phone or use an app. A rank is taksi postajališče.
- postajališčebus stopš is "sh", č is "ch"
- potnikpassengerFrom pot, "the way" — the same word names the traveler. Feminine potnica.
- sedežseatž is the "zh" of "measure"
- držalohandrailž is the "zh" of "measure"
- kontrolorticket inspectorsprevodnik walks the train and helps passengers; kontrolor comes to check tickets.
- vozninafarež is the "zh" of "measure"
- prenatrpanovercrowdedThe pre- prefix means "beyond measure": natrpan is packed, prenatrpan is too much.
- prosto mestofree seatprosto delovno mesto is the job vacancy; without delovno it is a seat in the carriage. And mind: mesto is also a city.
- avtomat za vozovniceticket machineThe purpose is carried by za plus accusative plural — za vozovnice — not by an adjective.
- zamudadelayKnown from zamuda leta; the bare word is also a person being late: oprostite za zamudo.
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Avtobus pelje vsakih deset minutThe bus runs every ten minutes
- Vlak za Maribor odpelje ob osmihThe train to Maribor leaves at eight
- Železniška postaja je pet minut od tuThe station is five minutes from here
- Pokličite mi taksi, prosimPlease call me a taxi
- Na postajališču čaka veliko ljudiA lot of people are waiting at the bus stop
- Potnik je pokazal vozovnicoThe passenger showed the ticket
What is worth knowing about these words
avtobus — bus. In Ljubljana you pay with the Urbana card; the driver takes no cash at all.
vlak — train. Literally "what is dragged along" — a tow in motion.
postaja — station. One word for the station and the stop: železniška postaja is the train station, avtobusna postaja the bus stop.
taksi — taxi. You do not hail one in the street: you phone or use an app. A rank is taksi postajališče.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is avtobus — bus.
- What is this word?
It is potnik — passenger.
- What is this word?
It is prenatrpan — overcrowded.
- What is this word?
It is vlak — train.
- What is this word?
It is sedež — seat.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “bus” in Slovenian?
In Ljubljana you pay with the Urbana card; the driver takes no cash at all.
- How do you say “passenger” in Slovenian?
From pot, "the way" — the same word names the traveler. Feminine potnica.
- How do you say “overcrowded” in Slovenian?
The pre- prefix means "beyond measure": natrpan is packed, prenatrpan is too much.
- How do you say “train” in Slovenian?
Literally "what is dragged along" — a tow in motion.
- How do you say “seat” in Slovenian?
Known from sedež ob oknu; on its own masculine, genitive sedeža, plural sedeži.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Bus, metro, taxi, stop, station. These are words you need to recognize in writing — off a departure board and off a sign.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “bus” in Slovenian?
«avtobus». v before a consonant sounds like "u": OW-toh-boos. It is one of 14 words in the set “transport” — the rest are in the table above.
How many transport words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 14 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 14 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.