Slovene cases — full example phrases
Each entry: verb + (optional preposition) + adjective + noun.
Nouns used: pes (M), ženska (F), mesto (N).
Numbers shown: singular / dual / plural.
Nominative — subject
Genitive — of / from / absence
Dative — to / for
Accusative — direct object / motion
Locative — about / in (with preposition)
Instrumental — with / by
Nominative — Kdo? Kaj? (subject)
Verb shows agreement with the subject (number). Examples:
Teče lep pes. — (singular)
A beautiful dog is running.
Tečeta lepa psa. — (dual)
The two beautiful dogs are running.
Tečejo lepi psi. — (plural)
The beautiful dogs are running.
Čaka lepa ženska. — (singular)
A beautiful woman is waiting.
Čakata lepi ženski. — (dual)
The two beautiful women are waiting.
Čakajo lepe ženske. — (plural)
The beautiful women are waiting.
Raste lepo mesto. — (singular)
A small/beautiful town is growing.
Rasteta lepi mesti. — (dual)
The two small/beautiful towns are growing.
Rastejo lepa mesta. — (plural)
The beautiful towns are growing.
Genitive — Koga? Česa? (of / from / absence)
Often used after negation, some prepositions and verbs of fearing/need.
Ni lepega psa. — (singular)
There is no (the) big/beautiful dog.
Ni lepih psov. — (dual)
There are none of the two beautiful dogs.
Ni lepih psov. — (plural)
There are no beautiful dogs.
Ni lepe ženske. — (singular)
There is no beautiful woman.
Ni lepih žensk. — (dual)
There are none of the two beautiful women.
Ni lepih žensk. — (plural)
There are no beautiful women.
Ni lepega mesta. — (singular)
There is no beautiful town.
Ni lepih mest. — (dual)
There are none of the two beautiful towns.
Ni lepih mest. — (plural)
There are no beautiful towns.
Dative — Komu? Čemu? (to / for)
Indirect objects: verbs like pomagati (to help), pisati (to write to).
Pomaga lepemu psu. — (singular)
(He/She) helps the beautiful dog.
Pomagata lepima psoma. — (dual)
(They two) help the two beautiful dogs.
Pomagajo lepim psom. — (plural)
(They) help the beautiful dogs.
Piše lepi ženski. — (singular)
(He/She) writes to the beautiful woman.
Pišeta lepima ženskama. — (dual)
(They two) write to the two beautiful women.
Pišejo lepim ženskam. — (plural)
(They) write to the beautiful women.
Približa se lepemu mestu. — (singular)
(He/She) approaches the beautiful town.
Približata se lepima mestoma. — (dual)
(They two) approach the two beautiful towns.
Približajo se lepim mestom. — (plural)
(They) approach the beautiful towns.
Accusative — Koga? Kaj? (direct object / motion)
Direct objects or motion toward something.
Vidi lepega psa. — (singular)
(He/She) sees the beautiful dog.
Vidita lepa psa. — (dual)
(They two) see the two beautiful dogs.
Vidijo lepe pse. — (plural)
(They) see the beautiful dogs.
Vidi lepo žensko. — (singular)
(He/She) sees the beautiful woman.
Vidita lepi ženski. — (dual)
(They two) see the two beautiful women.
Vidijo lepe ženske. — (plural)
(They) see the beautiful women.
Vidi lepo mesto. — (singular)
(He/She) sees the beautiful town.
Vidita lepi mesti. — (dual)
(They two) see the two beautiful towns.
Vidijo lepa mesta. — (plural)
(They) see the beautiful towns.
Locative — O kom? O čem? (with preposition: about / in / at)
Locative normally appears with a preposition (o, v, pri, na).
Govorimo o lepem psu. — (singular)
We are talking about the beautiful dog.
Govorimo o lepima psoma. — (dual)
We are talking about the two beautiful dogs.
Govorimo o lepih psih. — (plural)
We are talking about the beautiful dogs.
Sedim v lepi restavraciji z lepi ženski? — (singular)
I sit in a nice restaurant with the beautiful woman.
Sedimo v lepih ženah? — (dual/plural example; better: 'Sedimo v lepih ženskah')
We sit in the (two/beautiful) women's place. (Use: v lepih ženskah for plural loc.)
Sedimo v lepih ženskah. — (plural)
We sit among the beautiful women. (colloquial locative usage)
Živimo v lepem mestu. — (singular)
We live in the beautiful town.
Živimo v lepima mestoma. — (dual)
We live in the two beautiful towns.
Živimo v lepih mestih. — (plural)
We live in beautiful towns.
Instrumental — S kom? S čim? (with / by)
Instrumental typically used with s / z (with), or to indicate means.
Potuje z lepim psom. — (singular)
(He/She) travels with the beautiful dog.
Potujeta z lepima psoma. — (dual)
(They two) travel with the two beautiful dogs.
Potujejo z lepimi psi. — (plural)
(They) travel with the beautiful dogs.
Govorim z lepo žensko. — (singular)
I speak with the beautiful woman.
Govorita z lepima ženskama. — (dual)
(They two) speak with the two beautiful women.
Govorijo z lepimi ženskami. — (plural)
(They) speak with the beautiful women.
Piše z lepim pisalom / Piše z lepim mestom? — use 'pisalom' for tool. Correct:
Writes with a beautiful pen. (instrumental with noun 'pisalo' — example only)
Potujeta z lepima mestoma. — (dual)
(They two) travel with the two beautiful towns (rare literal meaning).
Potujejo z lepimi mesti. — (plural)
(They) travel with the beautiful towns (rare literal meaning).