Conjugation of 'Biti' (To Be) in Present
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The verb 'biti' (to be) is the foundation of Slovenian; remember that it has both full and short forms.
- Use the full form at the start of a sentence: 'Jaz sem študent.'
- Use the short form for emphasis or mid-sentence: 'Sem študent.'
- Slovenian has three grammatical numbers: singular, dual, and plural.
Present Tense of 'Biti'
| Person | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1st
|
sem
|
sva
|
smo
|
|
2nd
|
si
|
sta
|
ste
|
|
3rd
|
je
|
sta
|
so
|
Meanings
The verb 'biti' acts as a copula, linking a subject to a noun or adjective, or indicating existence/location.
Identity/State
Describing who or what someone is.
“Jaz sem učitelj.”
“Ti si prijazen.”
Existence
Stating that something exists.
“Tam je hiša.”
“Tu je kava.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb
|
Jaz sem tu.
|
|
Negative
|
Nisem + Subject
|
Nisem utrujen.
|
|
Question
|
Verb + Subject?
|
Si ti lačen?
|
|
Dual
|
Verb (Dual)
|
Midva sva doma.
|
|
Plural
|
Verb (Plural)
|
Mi smo srečni.
|
|
Short Answer
|
Verb
|
Sem.
|
طيف الرسمية
Jaz sem študent. (Introducing yourself)
Sem študent. (Introducing yourself)
Sem študent. (Introducing yourself)
Študent sem. (Introducing yourself)
The Biti Universe
Singular
- sem I am
- si you are
Dual
- sva we two are
- sta you two are
Plural
- smo we are
- so they are
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Jaz sem Peter.
I am Peter.
Ti si prijazen.
You are kind.
Ona je doma.
She is at home.
Midva sva prijatelja.
We two are friends.
Ali si ti iz Ljubljane?
Are you from Ljubljana?
Nismo utrujeni.
We are not tired.
Vidva sta zelo hitra.
You two are very fast.
Oni so v šoli.
They are at school.
Če bi bil jaz na tvojem mestu, bi šel.
If I were in your place, I would go.
Nisem prepričan, ali je to res.
I am not sure if this is true.
Sva že dolgo časa prijatelja.
We have been friends for a long time.
So bili tam včeraj?
Were they there yesterday?
Biti ali ne biti, to je vprašanje.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Niti niso tako slabi, kot pravijo.
They are not even as bad as they say.
Sta bila vidva tista, ki sta klicala?
Were you two the ones who called?
Bilo je jasno, da ne bodo prišli.
It was clear that they would not come.
Bodi, kar si.
Be who you are.
Četudi bi bili vsi proti, bi vztrajal.
Even if everyone were against it, I would persist.
Bilo bi neumno ne poskusiti.
It would be foolish not to try.
Naj bo tako, kot si želiš.
Let it be as you wish.
Bivši predsednik je bil včeraj v mestu.
The former president was in town yesterday.
Biti vreden zaupanja je ključno.
Being trustworthy is key.
Kdo bi si mislil, da bo tako.
Who would have thought it would be like this.
Bodi pozoren na podrobnosti.
Be attentive to details.
سهل الخلط
Learners mix up 'to be' and 'to have'.
Learners use plural for two people.
Learners confuse the verb 'si' with the reflexive 'se'.
أخطاء شائعة
Jaz sem študent.
Sem študent.
Oni sem.
Oni so.
Ti je.
Ti si.
Jaz so.
Jaz sem.
Mi sva.
Mi smo.
Vidva so.
Vidva sta.
Oni sva.
Oni so.
Biti sem.
Sem.
Jaz bi sem.
Jaz bi bil.
Je bil doma.
Bil je doma.
Biti je pomembno.
Biti je pomembno (correct but context-dependent).
Oni so bili šli.
Oni so šli.
Bodi ti.
Bodi to, kar si.
Je bil rekel.
Je rekel.
أنماط الجُمل
Jaz sem ___.
Ti si ___.
Midva sva ___.
Oni so ___.
Real World Usage
Sem popotnik in sanjač.
Sem izkušen inženir.
Kje si?
Sem turist.
To je zame.
Sem pripravljen.
Drop the Pronoun
Watch the Dual
Listen for Intonation
Be Precise
Smart Tips
Always use the dual 'sva'.
Drop the 'Jaz'.
Use your voice, not word order.
Remember to conjugate 'biti'.
النطق
Vowel length
Slovenian vowels are clear and short.
Stress
Stress is usually on the first syllable.
Question
Si ti lačen? ↗
Rising pitch indicates a question.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Remember 'S-S-J' for singular: Sem, Si, Je.
ربط بصري
Imagine a mirror. When you look at yourself, you say 'Sem'. When you point to a friend, you say 'Si'. When you point to a stranger, you say 'Je'.
Rhyme
Jaz sem, ti si, on je, to je vse, kar se zgodi.
Story
I am (sem) a traveler. You are (si) my guide. He is (je) the map. We two are (sva) lost, but we are (smo) happy.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences about your friends using the dual form 'sva' or 'sta'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Slovenians value the dual number as a sign of precision and cultural identity.
Derived from Proto-Slavic *byti.
بدايات محادثة
Kdo si ti?
Kje si zdaj?
Sta vidva prijatelja?
So vsi pripravljeni?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Jaz ___ študent.
Midva ___ prijatelja.
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni sva doma.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
You are happy.
Answer starts with: Ti ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Biti
A: Kje si? B: ___ v šoli.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesJaz ___ študent.
Midva ___ prijatelja.
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni sva doma.
doma / sem / jaz
You are happy.
Mi
Biti
A: Kje si? B: ___ v šoli.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
It is a historical feature of Slavic languages that Slovenian preserved.
Full forms are for emphasis or sentence starts.
Yes, it is highly irregular.
Rarely, only in very informal speech.
Use rising intonation.
Yes, as an auxiliary.
It sounds unnatural to natives.
Yes, but 'biti' is the most common.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ser/estar
Spanish has two verbs for 'to be', Slovenian has one.
sein
German lacks the dual number.
être
French conjugation is simpler.
desu
Japanese does not conjugate for person.
kana
Slovenian requires the copula.
shi
Chinese has no conjugation.
