Ways to say it
| Slovenian | Note |
|---|---|
| žívjo | |
| zdrávo | informal |
| dóber dán | |
| pozdravljeni | formal |
For an informal greeting similar to the English "Hi" or "Hello", you can use žívjo. For formal time-specific greetings, use Dobro jutro (Good morning) from early morning until around 10 a.m., dóber dán (Good day) from around 10 a.m. until the evening, or Dober večer (Good evening) after 6 p.m. Additionally, if you want to wish someone a nice weekend on a Friday, you can say Lep vikend.
Which one should you use?
While žívjo and zdrávo are both used for casual greetings, zdrávo is often associated with very casual or colloquial contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pozdravljeni is the standard formal way to say hello and is suitable for professional settings or when addressing strangers. žívjo is an informal way to say hello, and zdrávo is an informal greeting used in very casual contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form pozdravljeni is the plural or formal masculine form, which you should use when addressing a group or a single person in a formal manner.
Did you know?
- The informal greeting zdrávo literally translates to 'healthy' or 'health'. It is a shortened version of a wish for someone to stay in good health.
- In Slovenia, a common non-verbal accompaniment to a formal greeting is a firm handshake and direct eye contact, which is considered essential for respect.
- While pozdravljeni is the standard formal greeting, it is actually a passive participle meaning 'greeted', meaning you are essentially telling the person they have been greeted.
Examples in context
- Žívjo, kako si?Hello, how are you?
- Žívjo, kaj se dogaja?Hello, what's happening?
- Žívjo vsem prisotnim!Hello to everyone present!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
