Meaning
Asking if someone speaks English.
Cultural Background
English proficiency is among the highest in Europe. Most young Slovenians are comfortable switching to English immediately. In smaller villages, older generations may speak better German or Italian than English due to historical ties. It is common to start meetings in Slovenian and switch to English if an international partner is present, without any fuss. Using 'A' instead of 'Ali' makes you sound much more like a local and less like a textbook.
The 'A' Shortcut
Just use 'A' instead of 'Ali' to sound 10x more like a local.
The 'Vi' Rule
If the person has grey hair, always use 'govorite'. It's a sign of respect in Slovenian culture.
Meaning
Asking if someone speaks English.
The 'A' Shortcut
Just use 'A' instead of 'Ali' to sound 10x more like a local.
The 'Vi' Rule
If the person has grey hair, always use 'govorite'. It's a sign of respect in Slovenian culture.
Smile First
Slovenians can be reserved. A smile and a 'Dober dan' before the question goes a long way.
Test Yourself
Choose the correct informal way to ask if someone speaks English.
_______ govoriš angleško?
'Ali' is the correct particle to start a yes/no question.
Fill in the missing verb ending for the informal 'you' form.
Ali govori__ angleško?
The suffix '-š' is the standard ending for the second person singular (ti).
Match the Slovenian phrase to its register.
Match the following:
Understanding register is key to not offending locals.
Complete the dialogue.
Stranger: Živijo! You: Živijo! Oprosti, ali _______ angleško?
Since the stranger said 'Živijo' (informal hello), 'govoriš' is the appropriate response.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercises_______ govoriš angleško?
'Ali' is the correct particle to start a yes/no question.
Ali govori__ angleško?
The suffix '-š' is the standard ending for the second person singular (ti).
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Understanding register is key to not offending locals.
Stranger: Živijo! You: Živijo! Oprosti, ali _______ angleško?
Since the stranger said 'Živijo' (informal hello), 'govoriš' is the appropriate response.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIn writing, yes. In speaking, you can just use intonation, but 'Ali' or 'A' makes it clearer.
It means 'A little'. Speak slowly and avoid complex idioms.
Slovenian uses adverbs for the act of speaking. Use 'angleščina' when talking about the language as a subject (e.g., 'English is hard').
It's better to say 'Dober dan' (Good day) or 'Oprostite' (Excuse me) first.
Less commonly. They are more likely to speak German or Serbo-Croatian.
Yes, it's very common in shops in tourist areas.
Ne govorim angleško.
Ali govorite angleško?
It's just like the 'sh' in 'sheep'.
They will understand you, but they say 'Govoriš li engleski?'.
Related Phrases
Govorim malo slovensko
similarI speak a little Slovenian
Ne razumem
builds onI don't understand
Kako se reče...?
builds onHow do you say...?
Ali razumete angleško?
synonymDo you understand English?
