namesto / poleg

Instead of and Besides

Level 6

Namesto and poleg take the genitive.

How It Works

Namesto and poleg take the genitive. Namesto expresses replacement; poleg adds another person or thing, or gives a spatial relation.

Namesto kave chooses tea as a replacement for coffee; poleg kave would add something beside coffee. Both prepositions require genitive, so a shared ending does not imply the same meaning. Poleg also has a literal spatial use with places or objects.

Examples (3)

  1. Namesto kave pijem čaj.

    I drink tea instead of coffee.

  2. Poleg hiše je vrt.

    There is a garden beside the house.

  3. Poleg Ane je prišel tudi Marko.

    Besides Ana, Marko also came.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

namesto / polegLevel 6Instead of and Besides

Learn This First

Use genitive after two prepositions whose different meanings must remain clear.