Editing Slovene language (section)

== Grammar ==
{{Main|Slovene grammar}}

===Nouns===
{{Main|Slovene declension}}
Slovene nouns retain six of the seven Slavic [[Grammatical case|noun cases]]: [[nominative]], [[accusative]], [[genitive]], [[dative]], [[locative]], and [[instrumental case|instrumental]]. There is no distinct [[vocative case|vocative]]; the nominative is used in that role. Nouns, adjectives, and pronouns have three numbers: singular, dual, and plural.

Nouns in Slovene are either masculine, feminine, or neuter gender. In addition, there is a distinction between animate and inanimate nouns. This is only relevant for masculine nouns and only in the singular, at odds with some other Slavic languages, e.g., [[Russian language|Russian]], for which it is also relevant in the plural for all genders. Animate nouns have an accusative singular form that is identical to the genitive, while for inanimate nouns the accusative singular is the same as the nominative. Animacy is based mostly on semantics and is less rigid than gender. Generally speaking, a noun is animate if it refers to something that is generally thought to have free will or the ability to move of its own accord. This includes all nouns for people and animals. All other nouns are inanimate, including plants and other non-moving life forms, and also groups of people or animals. However, there are some nouns for inanimate objects that are generally animate, which mostly include inanimate objects that are named after people or animals. This includes:<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Herrity|2000|pp=34–35}}</ref>
* Dead people or animals
* Makes of cars
* Certain diseases (named after animals)
* Certain devices (named after animals or people)
* Works of art (named after their creator)
* Chess pieces and playing cards (named for the people they represent)
* Wines and mushrooms (named as [[demonym]]s)

===Definiteness===
There are no [[definite article|definite]] or [[indefinite article]]s as in English (''the'', ''a'', ''an'') or [[German language|German]] ({{lang|sl|der, die, das, ein, eine}}). A noun is described without articles; the [[grammatical gender]] is shown by the ending of the word. It is enough to say {{lang|sl|barka}} ('a' or 'the barge'), {{lang|sl|Noetova barka}} ('Noah's ark'). The gender is known in this case to be feminine. In [[declension]]s, endings are normally changed; see below. If one would like to somehow distinguish between the definiteness or indefiniteness of a noun, one would say {{lang|sl|(prav/natanko/ravno) tista barka}} ('that/precise/exact barge') for 'the barge' and {{lang|sl|neka/ena barka}} ('some/a barge') for 'a barge'.

The definiteness of a noun phrase can also be discerned through the ending of the accompanying adjective. One should say {{lang|sl|rdeči šotor}} ('[exactly that] red tent') or {{lang|sl|rdeč šotor}} ('[a] red tent'). This difference is observable only for masculine nouns in nominative or accusative case. Because of the lack of article in Slovene and audibly insignificant difference between the masculine adjective forms, most dialects do not distinguish between definite and indefinite variants of the adjective, leading to [[hypercorrection]] when speakers try to use Standard Slovene.<ref name="suss">{{cite news |url=http://www2.arnes.si/~lmarus/suss/arhiv/suss-arhiv-000346.html |title=Kako uporabljati določne pridevnike |publisher=ŠUSS |date=2 June 2005 |access-date=30 January 2011}}</ref>

===T–V distinction===
[[File:Jozef Nahtigal tombstone in Dobrova Slovenia.jpg|thumb|Tombstone of [[Jožef Nahtigal]] in [[Dobrova, Dobrova–Polhov Gradec|Dobrova]] with archaic Slovene {{lang|sl|onikanje}} in indirect reference. Literal translation "Here lie [{{lang|sl|počivajo}}] the honorable Jožef Nahtigal ... they were born [{{lang|sl|rojeni}}] ... they died [{{lang|sl|umerli}}] ... God grant them [{{lang|sl|jim}}] eternal peace and rest."]]

Slovene, like most other European languages, has a [[T–V distinction]], or two forms of 'you' for formal and informal situations. Although informal address using the 2nd person singular {{lang|sl|ti}} form (known as {{lang|sl|tikanje}}) is officially limited to friends and family, talk among children, and addressing animals, it is increasingly used among the middle generation to signal a relaxed attitude or lifestyle instead of its polite or formal counterpart using the 2nd person plural {{lang|sl|vi}} form (known as {{lang|sl|vikanje}}).

An additional nonstandard but widespread use of a singular participle combined with a plural auxiliary verb (known as {{lang|sl|polvikanje}}) signals a somewhat more friendly and less formal attitude while maintaining politeness:

* {{lang|sl|Vi ga niste videli.}} ('You did not see him': both the auxiliary verb {{lang|sl|niste}} and the participle {{lang|sl|videli}} are plural masculine. Standard usage.)
* {{lang|sl|Vi ga niste videl/videla.}} ('You did not see him': the auxiliary verb {{lang|sl|niste}} is plural but the participle {{lang|sl|videl/videla}} is singular masculine/feminine. Nonstandard usage.)

The use of nonstandard forms ({{lang|sl|polvikanje}}) might be frowned upon by many people and would not likely be used in a formal setting.

The use of the 3rd person plural {{lang|sl|oni}} ('they') form (known as {{lang|sl|onikanje}} in both direct address and indirect reference; this is similar to using {{lang|sl|Sie}} in German) as an ultra-polite form is now archaic or dialectal. It is associated with servant-master relationships in older literature, the child-parent relationship in certain conservative rural communities, and parishioner-priest relationships.