Editing Slovene language (section)

===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.