Popolnoma

Popolnoma is a Slovenian adverb meaning completely, totally, or utterly. It is used to intensify adjectives, verbs, and sometimes other adverbs, marking a high degree or absolute extent. Common collocations include popolnoma nov (completely new), popolnoma drugačen (completely different), and popolnoma pravilno (completely correct). The word can appear in affirmative statements, exclamations, or in negative contexts to emphasize the degree of something, as in popolnoma brez smisla (completely meaningless) or popolnoma neverjetno (completely incredible).

Etymology and morphology

Popolnoma is derived from the adjective popoln, meaning full or complete, with an adverbial suffix that forms a standard Slovenian adverb. The root popol- connects to the noun or adjective meaning fullness or completeness, and the suffix -oma is a productive way to form adverbs in Slovenian. The word is widely understood across Slovenian-speaking regions and is considered a normal, neutral to formal element of the language.

Usage and nuance

Popolnoma carries a strong, unequivocal sense of totality. It is suitable in both written and spoken Slovenian and can appear in formal prose, journalism, and everyday conversation. In tone, it is more emphatic than simply using čisto or vsekakor, and it can sometimes replace phrases that would otherwise require multiple words. As an exclamation, it can stand alone as popolnoma! to express strong agreement or surprise, similar to “Absolutely!” in English.

Related terms

Related forms include popolnost (completeness) and popoln (full, complete), from which popolnoma is derived. The word is primarily used in Slovenian but may appear in cross-border texts discussing Slovenian language.