Significado
Asking for the spelling of a word.
Contexto cultural
Slovenians are very particular about the 'strešica' (caron) on the letters Č, Š, and Ž. Omitting them is often seen as lazy or uneducated in formal contexts. In Slovenian bureaucracy, accuracy is paramount. Officials will often ask 'Kako se piše?' multiple times to ensure no errors are made on official documents. In early mobile phone days, many Slovenians wrote without accents because of character limits. Today, while accents are back, 'Kako se piše' is still used to clarify if a brand name uses 'English' spelling or 'Slovenian' spelling. Slovenia has a strong tradition of 'Pravopis' (orthography) books. Every few decades, a new one is released, and 'Kako se piše' becomes a national debate topic in newspapers.
The 'To' Trick
If you forget the word you're asking about, just point and say 'Kako se piše to?' (How is *this* written?).
Don't forget the 'se'!
Without 'se', the sentence 'Kako piše?' means 'How does he/she write?', which sounds like you're asking about someone's handwriting style.
Significado
Asking for the spelling of a word.
The 'To' Trick
If you forget the word you're asking about, just point and say 'Kako se piše to?' (How is *this* written?).
Don't forget the 'se'!
Without 'se', the sentence 'Kako piše?' means 'How does he/she write?', which sounds like you're asking about someone's handwriting style.
Ask for a 'listek'
If the spelling is too hard to follow, follow up with 'Lahko napišete na listek?' (Can you write it on a piece of paper?).
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing reflexive particle.
Kako ___ piše beseda 'miza'?
'Se' is the required reflexive particle for the impersonal passive 'is written'.
Choose the most natural way to ask for a name's spelling.
You are at a hotel and need to know how to write the manager's name.
This is the polite, neutral way to ask for the spelling of someone's name.
Match the Slovenian phrase with its English meaning.
Spelling Phrases
These are the four most common phrases used when discussing orthography.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Moje ime je Žiga. B: Oprostite, ________?
Since 'Žiga' is a name with a special character (ž), the listener is likely asking for the spelling.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosKako ___ piše beseda 'miza'?
'Se' is the required reflexive particle for the impersonal passive 'is written'.
You are at a hotel and need to know how to write the manager's name.
This is the polite, neutral way to ask for the spelling of someone's name.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are the four most common phrases used when discussing orthography.
A: Moje ime je Žiga. B: Oprostite, ________?
Since 'Žiga' is a name with a special character (ž), the listener is likely asking for the spelling.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
8 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it in any context, but adding 'prosim' (please) makes it more polite.
Yes! You can ask 'Kako se piše apple?' if you are talking to a Slovenian speaker.
'Piše' is imperfective (general process), while 'napiše' is perfective (the completed act of writing). In this question, 'piše' is much more common.
Ask: 'Z veliko ali z malo začetnico?' (With a big or small starting letter?).
The 'se' makes the verb passive/impersonal, similar to 'How is it written?' in English.
In very informal settings, you can just say 'Spelling?' or 'Kako?', but 'Kako se piše?' is the standard.
You can still use 'Kako se piše [plural word]?', but technically 'Kako se pišejo [plural word]?' is more correct.
Absolutely. It's very common to ask this when you're unsure about a friend's name spelling.
Frases relacionadas
Kako se reče...?
similarHow do you say...?
Kako se izgovori...?
similarHow is it pronounced?
Lahko zapišete?
specialized formCan you write it down?
Kaj pomeni...?
contrastWhat does ... mean?
