ZivjoLuka

Just an American trying to learn Slovene so I can say hi to Luka Dončić

#Slovenia #Slovene #slovenščina #languagelearning #lukadoncic

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Živjo @luka7doncic! Sem Američanka in se učim slovensko, da se lahko pogovorim s teboj!

It took me 10 minutes to write that sentence because I had to look up "so that", "talk", and the proper conjugation of "with you", but it's worth it!

#Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

In Slovene, "to be outdoors" (na prostem) is a conjugation of the word for "free / without obligations" (prost). #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Why does @duolingo not offer any Balkan language courses?! I mean, they have Navajo and Klingon, but no Slovene! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

The Slovene word "skrbeti" means both 'to worry' and 'to take care of'. So in Slovenia, you can't just worry endlessly - you have to actively help others and improve the situation! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

True story: I have a 1-year-old Slovenian niece, and I was reading one of her counting books. Ena žoga, dva stola ... sedem jagod. "Isn't it 'jagode'?" I asked her mom. Well, there are 4 different numeric suffixes: 1, 2, 3-4, and 5+. Even kids books are complicated in Slovene!

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Slovenes call fresh water 'sladka voda', which means 'sweet water'. Now that I think about it, that makes sense, since sweet is the opposite of salty. But it's also literally true - Slovene water tastes soooo good! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

@anja5ek cool, good to know!

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

In Slovene, if you want to say something is just short of an hour, you call it a "bad hour", or "slabo uro". What's a dobro uro, then? A little more than an hour? #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

I remember pohajkovati means "to wander / roam" because it sounds like "hike" in the middle, and my mind transports me to hikes wandering among the beautiful Slovene forests! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

In Slovene, "srečen" means both lucky and happy. This continues to confuse me. Does this mean that luck and happiness are the same thing in Slovene? #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

One of the best ways to learn a language is to try and describe your day. When I have time, I sit down in the evening and write 2-3 sentences about what I did in Slovene. This video from Anna in Slovenia is a great intro to this strategy: https://t.co/z2xo6qmWXr

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

When I was first learning Slovene, I learned š č and ž as "letters with hats". So when I wrote words with these letters, I drew the accent mark as ^, because in my mind that looked more like a hat. So embarrassing (but also funny)! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

I'm from California, and I have to say, the Golden Gate Bridge is the MOST majestic of all. ;)
#Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Živjo twitter! I took a mini pavza, but now I'm back! And yes, that's pavza with a "v", though it's pronounced in English like "paw-za". Ok, here we go, diving right back into this language... #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

I used to think Slovenes were strangely obsessed with books featuring romantic plotlines or the history of the Roman empire. That was before I learned that the word for novel in Slovene is "roman". #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Hvala for introducing me to this new amazing verb! It has a direct translation, "to sunbathe", and I love how it derives from "martinček", which means sand lizard. They really are the ultimate sunbathers!

[Angel Arh @Poezija2015]

@ZivjoLuka Not to forget "martinčkati", which is "kofetkati" without coffee.
🌞🦎

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

My new favorite Slovene verb is "kofetkati", which means to sit at a sunny outdoor cafe drinking coffee and chit chatting with friends. How nice to have a verb for this delightful event! I have to use three verbs in English to properly translate it! #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Examples for folks who like grammar:
(this only applies to male singular 4th sklon / case)
Imam delfina (I have a dolphin - animate so delfin -> delfina)
Imam bor (I have a pine tree - inanimate so bor -> bor)

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Sometimes Slovene grammar distinguishes between animate and inanimate objects. People & animals are animate, obviously - Is anyone else a little bummed that plants don't count as animate? #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Živjo Twitter! I published an article about my Slovene Language Journey in Zarja, a magazine from the Slovenian Union of America. I also list my favorite resources to learn Slovene. Check it out! (sorry, no online version yet) #Slovenia #LanguageLearning

[ZivjoLuka @ZivjoLuka]

Hudo!! Luka!! 42 točk! Gledam balet ali košarko?!?

[Dallas Mavericks @dallasmavs]

LUKA GONNA LUKA 🤷‍♂️

#ALLIN