Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential informal Slovenian greeting to ask friends and peers how their life is moving along.
- Means: 'How is it going?' or 'How are things?'
- Used in: Casual encounters, texts, and starting coffee dates.
- Don't confuse: With 'Kako ste?', which is for formal situations.
Explication à ton niveau :
Signification
An informal way to ask how someone is doing.
Contexte culturel
Slovenians value modesty. When asked 'Kako gre?', a very positive answer like 'Odlično!' (Excellent!) might be met with slight suspicion or seen as bragging. 'V redu' (Okay) is the safe, standard choice. In the capital, 'Kako gre?' is the start of a 'kofetkanje' ritual. It's not just a greeting; it's an invitation to sit down for at least 30 minutes. In villages, 'Kako gre?' might be followed by a very detailed report on the weather, the crops, or the neighbors. People have more time for a 'proper' answer. In modern startups in Slovenia, 'Kako gre?' is used to replace the formal 'Kako ste?' to create a 'Silicon Valley' vibe, but this is still rare in traditional industries.
The 'Kaj' Trick
Add 'kaj' at the end ('Kako gre kaj?') to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It adds a friendly, casual 'softness' to the question.
Don't be too positive
If you answer 'Odlično!' every time, people might think you're being sarcastic or fake. 'V redu' is the most authentic answer.
The 'Kaj' Trick
Add 'kaj' at the end ('Kako gre kaj?') to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It adds a friendly, casual 'softness' to the question.
Don't be too positive
If you answer 'Odlično!' every time, people might think you're being sarcastic or fake. 'V redu' is the most authentic answer.
The Shrug
A slight shoulder shrug while saying 'Gre' is the universal Slovenian sign for 'Life is life, I'm managing'.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct informal greeting for a friend you just met at a cafe.
______, Marko! Kako gre?
'Živijo' is the standard informal 'Hi' that matches the informal 'Kako gre?'.
Fill in the missing word to ask how things are going with a project.
Kako gre ______ projektom?
The preposition 'z' (with) is used with 'Kako gre' to ask about progress on a task.
Match the response to the question 'Kako gre?'.
Question: Kako gre? Response: ______.
'Kar gre' (It just goes) is a very common, idiomatic Slovenian response.
Complete the dialogue between two students.
A: Hej! Kako gre v šoli? B: ______.
Option A is the only one that actually answers 'how' it is going.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Responses to 'Kako gre?'
Positive
- • Super!
- • Zelo dobro
- • Odlično
Neutral
- • V redu
- • Kar gre
- • Tako-tako
Negative
- • Slabo
- • Grozno
- • Ne sprašuj
Banque d exercices
5 exercices______, Marko! Kako gre?
'Živijo' is the standard informal 'Hi' that matches the informal 'Kako gre?'.
Kako gre ______ projektom?
The preposition 'z' (with) is used with 'Kako gre' to ask about progress on a task.
Question: Kako gre? Response: ______.
'Kar gre' (It just goes) is a very common, idiomatic Slovenian response.
A: Hej! Kako gre v šoli? B: ______.
Option A is the only one that actually answers 'how' it is going.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsOnly if used with someone you should be formal with (like a boss or an elderly person). With friends, it's perfectly polite.
You can say 'Bolj slabo' (Rather badly) or 'Ne sprašuj' (Don't ask).
'Kako si?' is 'How are you?' (personal). 'Kako gre?' is 'How's it going?' (general situation).
Only in a very casual email to a friend. For business, use 'Upam, da ste v redu'.
No, the 'it' is built into the verb 'gre'. Saying 'Kako ono gre?' is incorrect.
Always 'gre' for the greeting. 'Gresta' is for two people literally walking somewhere.
It literally means 'It just goes'. It's the most common neutral response.
Yes, it's impersonal, so it works for one person or a whole group.
Yes, 'Kaj dogaja?' or 'Kva dogaja?' are very popular among youth.
It's a filler word that makes the question sound less direct and more conversational.
Expressions liées
Kako si?
similarHow are you?
Kaj dogaja?
synonymWhat's happening?
Kako ste?
specialized formHow are you? (Formal)
Vse v redu?
similarEverything okay?
Kaj je novega?
builds onWhat's new?
Où l'utiliser
Meeting a friend for coffee
Ana: Živijo, Borut! Kako gre?
Borut: Hej! Kar gre, hvala. Pa tebi?
Texting a classmate
Maja: Hej, kako gre z domačo nalogo?
Jan: Težko je, ampak gre.
Running into a neighbor
Sosed: Dober dan! Kako gre?
Ti: Dober dan! V redu, hvala. Lep dan želim!
At the gym
Trener: Kako gre? Še pet ponovitev!
Ti: Grem... se trudim!
In a casual office
Sodelavec: Živijo! Kako gre danes?
Ti: Malo je gužva, ampak bo.
On a dating app
Uporabnik1: Hej! Kako gre tvoj teden?
Uporabnik2: Zelo pestro! Kaj pa tvoj?
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of a 'COCOa' drink that 'GOes' (Kako gre) down smoothly when you meet a friend for coffee.
Association visuelle
Imagine a small green frog (the Slovenian 'močerad' or just a friendly frog) walking along a path. As it passes you, it tips its hat and asks 'Kako gre?'. The path represents the 'going' of life.
Rhyme
Kako gre? / Vse se smeje! (How's it going? / Everything is smiling!)
Story
You are sitting in a sun-drenched cafe in Prešeren Square, Ljubljana. Your friend Luka walks up, slides into the chair, and says 'Kako gre?'. You look at your coffee, look at the castle on the hill, and realize that in Slovenia, life 'goes' best when it's shared over a drink.
In Other Languages
It is structurally identical to the German 'Wie geht es?' and the Italian 'Come va?'. All three use the verb 'to go' to ask about one's state of being.
Word Web
Défi
Today, send a text to a friend or language partner saying only: 'Živijo! Kako gre?'. See how they respond and try to use one of the 'jamranje' responses like 'Kar gre'.
Review this phrase every time you start a conversation. If you can't say it naturally, you haven't mastered A1 Slovenian yet!
Prononciation
Stress on the first 'a'. The 'o' is short and open.
A single syllable with a rolled 'r' and a long, closed 'e'.
Spectre de formalité
Kako ste? (General greeting)
Kako vam gre? (General greeting)
Kako gre? (General greeting)
Kaj dogaja? (General greeting)
Derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *iti (to go). The concept of 'going' as a metaphor for 'faring' or 'living' is a common Indo-European trait.
Le savais-tu ?
The verb 'iti' is one of the most irregular verbs in Slovenian, but in the phrase 'Kako gre?', it is perfectly stable and never changes its form.
Notes culturelles
Slovenians value modesty. When asked 'Kako gre?', a very positive answer like 'Odlično!' (Excellent!) might be met with slight suspicion or seen as bragging. 'V redu' (Okay) is the safe, standard choice.
“A: Kako gre? B: Kar v redu, ne morem se pritoževati.”
In the capital, 'Kako gre?' is the start of a 'kofetkanje' ritual. It's not just a greeting; it's an invitation to sit down for at least 30 minutes.
“Greva na kavo? Kako gre kaj?”
In villages, 'Kako gre?' might be followed by a very detailed report on the weather, the crops, or the neighbors. People have more time for a 'proper' answer.
“Kako gre? - Eh, suša bo, nič ne raste...”
In modern startups in Slovenia, 'Kako gre?' is used to replace the formal 'Kako ste?' to create a 'Silicon Valley' vibe, but this is still rare in traditional industries.
“Ekipa, kako gre z novim softverom?”
Amorces de conversation
Ask a friend how their weekend is going.
Ask a colleague how the new project is going.
Ask someone you haven't seen in a while how their life is going.
Erreurs courantes
Kako si gre?
Kako gre?
L1 Interference
Kako greš?
Kako gre?
L1 Interference
Asking a 70-year-old stranger 'Kako gre?'
Kako ste?
L1 Interference
Kako greš ti?
Kako ti gre?
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
¿Cómo va?
Spanish often adds 'todo' (¿Cómo va todo?), while Slovenian often adds 'kaj' (Kako gre kaj?).
Comment ça va?
French can shorten it to just 'Ça va?', but Slovenian rarely says just 'Gre?' as a question (though it works as an answer).
Wie geht's?
German uses the contraction 'geht's' (geht es), while Slovenian 'gre' is a single word with no clitic 'it'.
調子はどう？ (Choushi wa dou?)
Japanese is highly dependent on social hierarchy; 'Kako gre?' is too blunt for many Japanese social contexts.
كيف الحال؟ (Kayfa al-hal?)
Arabic doesn't use a verb of motion like 'go' in this specific greeting.
怎么样？ (Zěnmeyàng?)
Chinese lacks the 'movement' metaphor of the Slavic/Germanic 'going'.
어떻게 지내요? (Eotteoke jinaeyo?)
The Korean version is slightly more formal/polite than the punchy Slovenian 'Kako gre?'.
Como vai?
In Brazil, 'Tudo bem?' is more common, whereas in Slovenia 'Kako gre?' is a top-tier choice.
Spotted in the Real World
“Silvija, kako gre?”
A famous Slovenian pop song where the singer addresses a woman.
“Luka, kako gre v kuhinji?”
The head chef checking on his subordinate.
“Dobro jutro! Kako gre vaš ponedeljek?”
A typical morning story post.
Facile à confondre
Learners think it means 'How are you doing?'
This actually means 'How are you traveling?' (e.g., by car). Never use the 'š' ending for a greeting.
Sounds similar to 'Kako gre?'.
'Kam' means 'Where'. This asks 'Where are you going?'.
Questions fréquentes (10)
Only if used with someone you should be formal with (like a boss or an elderly person). With friends, it's perfectly polite.
usage contextsYou can say 'Bolj slabo' (Rather badly) or 'Ne sprašuj' (Don't ask).
practical tips'Kako si?' is 'How are you?' (personal). 'Kako gre?' is 'How's it going?' (general situation).
comparisonsOnly in a very casual email to a friend. For business, use 'Upam, da ste v redu'.
usage contextsNo, the 'it' is built into the verb 'gre'. Saying 'Kako ono gre?' is incorrect.
grammar mechanicsAlways 'gre' for the greeting. 'Gresta' is for two people literally walking somewhere.
grammar mechanicsIt literally means 'It just goes'. It's the most common neutral response.
basic understandingYes, it's impersonal, so it works for one person or a whole group.
usage contextsYes, 'Kaj dogaja?' or 'Kva dogaja?' are very popular among youth.
cultural usageIt's a filler word that makes the question sound less direct and more conversational.
grammar mechanics
