Obljubami

Obljubami is the instrumental plural form of the Slovenian noun obljuba, meaning a promise. It denotes multiple promises and is used in contexts where the instrumental case is required, most commonly with the preposition s meaning “with.” The form can appear in both literal and figurative expressions, for example in political discourse or everyday speech when referring to commitments or assurances made by someone.

Etymology and morphology: obljuba is derived from the verb obljubiti, to promise. The noun takes a standard feminine noun suffix and forms plural instrumental as obljubami. This case form is used after prepositions that govern the instrumental, and it appears in phrases describing a set of promises or the manner in which promises are offered or perceived.

Usage notes: In Slovenian, the instrumental plural obljubami is typically found in phrases such as s temi obljubami (“with these promises”) or pri opisovanju pristopov in obvez: obljubami. It is appropriate in both factual reporting and evaluative or critical writing when the focus is on commitments rather than on the promises themselves as objects.

Examples:

- S temi obljubami se politike pogosto poistovetijo z volivci. (With these promises, politicians often identify with voters.)

- Obstajajo vprašanja glede izpolnitve obljub, navedenih v programu, in kako bodo vplivale na državljane, ko so obljube podane s temnimi obljubami. (There are questions about the fulfillment of the promises listed in the program and how they will affect citizens when promises are made with these assurances.)

See also: obljuba, obljubiti, Slovenian grammar.