The Dual
In addition to the singular and plural, Slovene has its own grammatical binary.
South Slavic language
Have Slovenian translated
slovenščina
Slovenian documents are required for civil status, education, work and cross-border legal transactions.
Slovene is spoken by approximately 2.5 million people in Slovenia and neighboring regions.
Geographical distribution of Slovenian
- Main distribution
- Other regional use
- Selected Diaspora
Slovenia
Italy
Austria
Croatia
Hungary
Germany
Schematic selection of important distribution areas. Language usage does not always follow national borders; the map is not complete population statistics.
Language profile
Slovenian at a glance
- Proper name
- slovenščina
- language family
- South Slavic language
- font
- Latin alphabet
- Language code
- sl
Documents and deployment
The language direction is often used
It's not just the language that matters. ABBA-Sprachendienste also classifies document type, recipient, subject area, certification requirement and desired language direction.
Have the document checked- Birth and marriage certificates
- Certificates and diplomas
- Employment and social documents
- Contracts and powers of attorney
- Court and authority evidence
Origin and development
How language developed
Slovenian is a South Slavic language. The Freising monuments, which show early Slovene language forms, are among the oldest surviving Slavic texts in Latin script.
In the 16th century, the Reformation created important foundations for a standard language with Primož Trubar's books. Regional dialects are still extremely diverse today.
Good to know
What makes this language special
Dialect diversity
Spoken regional diversity is great, but official documents use the standard language.
Special characters
Č, š and ž are fixed letters and must be preserved correctly in names and places.
A little language insight
Three first expressions
The transcription only serves as an initial guide. Pronunciation and regional forms may vary.
| Original | Transcription | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dober then | — | Good afternoon |
| Hvala | — | Thank you |
| Prosim | — | Please |
Sources and classification
Further information
Speaker numbers are rounded guide values and may vary depending on the definition, year of survey and inclusion of second language speakers.
- Slovenian language
Wikipedia · language-specific overview
- Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages
Library of Congress / ISO 639-2 Registration Authority · Language codes and standardized language names
- Language and Locale Names
Unicode Common Locale Data Repository · Language, script and area names and variants
- Glottolog 5.3
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Language families, classification and linguistic literature
Editorial source status: July 14, 2026. Information will be cross-checked before production goes live.
Other related service languages
Slovenian FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Slovenian
Can I have Slovenian translated into German and German into Slovenian?
Both directions can be requested. A binding commitment is made after checking the type of document, subject area, certification, date and intended use.
Which documents are often relevant when speaking Slovenian?
Birth and marriage certificates, certificates and diplomas, employment and social documents, contracts and powers of attorney are among the typical occasions. Other types of documents can also be checked with an easy-to-read photo or PDF.
What does ABBA-Sprachendienste look for in Slovenian?
The language direction, document type, Latin alphabet, names, stamps, subject area, purpose and possible need for certification are checked.
Do I need a certified translation for my Slovenian document?
This is decided by the receiving authority, the court, the notary or the other requesting body. Tell ABBA-Sprachendienste where the document will be presented; then the need can be classified appropriately.
Is a photo enough for the first check?
Yes. A complete, sharp and easy-to-read photo or PDF is usually sufficient to check the offer. Depending on the order, the original may also be required for later execution.
Have Slovenian ↔ German tested specifically
Send an easy-to-read photo or PDF. ABBA-Sprachendienste personally checks the language direction, document, purpose and certification requirements.
