Meaning
A casual word for a man.
Cultural Background
In Ljubljana, 'tip' is often paired with the filler word 'pač'. You might hear 'On je pač tak tip' (He's just that kind of guy). In smaller villages, older people might find 'tip' slightly disrespectful and prefer 'pob' or 'fant'. Youth often use 'model' as a synonym for 'tip' when the person is doing something impressive or weird. Due to historical links, some Slovenians use 'lik' (character) from Serbo-Croatian as a synonym for 'tip'.
The Animate Rule
Always remember: if you are doing something to the 'tip', add an 'a'. Vidim tipa, poznam tipa, pokličem tipa.
Not for Bosses
Never call your boss 'tip' unless you are very close friends outside of work.
Meaning
A casual word for a man.
The Animate Rule
Always remember: if you are doing something to the 'tip', add an 'a'. Vidim tipa, poznam tipa, pokličem tipa.
Not for Bosses
Never call your boss 'tip' unless you are very close friends outside of work.
Ljubljana Slang
In Ljubljana, you'll hear 'tip' every three sentences. It's the glue of casual talk.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of 'tip' (remember the animate rule!).
Včeraj sem v mestu videl tistega ______, ki igra kitaro.
Because you 'see' (vidim) the guy, he is the object of the sentence. For people, we use the '-a' ending.
Which sentence is appropriate for a job interview?
How would you say 'I spoke with that man'?
'Tip' and 'model' are slang and too informal for an interview. 'Gospod' is the respectful choice.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural slang word.
A: Kdo je tisti ______ tam? B: Ne vem, prvič ga vidim.
In a casual conversation between friends, 'tip' is the most natural choice.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Formal vs. Informal 'Man'
Practice Bank
3 exercisesVčeraj sem v mestu videl tistega ______, ki igra kitaro.
Because you 'see' (vidim) the guy, he is the object of the sentence. For people, we use the '-a' ending.
How would you say 'I spoke with that man'?
'Tip' and 'model' are slang and too informal for an interview. 'Gospod' is the respectful choice.
A: Kdo je tisti ______ tam? B: Ne vem, prvič ga vidim.
In a casual conversation between friends, 'tip' is the most natural choice.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsNot inherently. It's just very casual. It's like 'guy' in English.
No, 'tip' is strictly for males. For females, you can use 'tipica', but 'punca' is more common.
The plural is 'tipi' (nominative) or 'tipov' (genitive).
Yes, but it's most common in urban areas like Ljubljana and Maribor.
Yes, it's a very common way to say 'the guy I'm dating'.
Related Phrases
tipičen
builds ontypical
tipica
specialized forma girl/woman (slang)
model
synonymguy/character
dec
synonymman/guy
tip-top
similarperfect / in great shape
