Welcome to the course!
This grammar explanation will be quite thorough, which is essential for understanding the Polish language, especially if you do not speak any Slavic language, as you might not easily grasp the logic behind certain grammatical structures otherwise.
However, if you are already familiar with a Slavic language and understand how to use the verb "to be," determine noun gender, and other fundamental concepts explained here, feel free to skip ahead.
Conjugation of 'Byti' (To Be)
The verb "to be" (być) is essential for talking about existence or identity. Like in many languages, its present tense forms are somewhat irregular but easy to learn. You use these forms to say "I am," "you are," "he is," etc., or to indicate where something is located.
- Ja jestem (I am)
- Ty jesteś (You are, singular informal)
- On/Ona/Ono jest (He/She/It is)
- My jesteśmy (We are)
- Wy jesteście (You are, plural or singular formal)
- Oni/One są (They (masculine personal/neuter) are / They (feminine/non-masculine personal) are)
- Examples: Ja jestem studentem (I am a student). Moja siostra jest dobra (My sister is good). My jesteśmy dobrymi przyjaciółmi (We are good friends). Oni są tutaj (They are here).
How to Determine the Gender of a Word
Polish nouns belong to one of three genders: Masculine, Feminine, or Neuter. Knowing the gender is crucial because it affects the endings of adjectives and other words used with the noun. Generally, the gender is evident from the noun's ending in its basic form (nominative singular):
- Masculine: Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine (e.g., dom - house, stół - table, nauczyciel - teacher).
- Feminine: Most nouns ending in -a or -i (after a soft consonant) are feminine (e.g., kobieta - woman, książka - book, ziemia - earth/land).
- Neuter: Most nouns ending in -o, -e, or -ę are neuter (e.g., okno - window, słońce - sun). Note that words like wieś (village) ending in a consonant are exceptions and are feminine.
- Keep in mind: There are some exceptions to these rules, but they apply to the majority of words.
The Nominative Case: The Subject and Naming
The Nominative case is the basic form of a noun or adjective, primarily used for the subject of a sentence (who or what performs the action) or simply to name things. This is the form you will find words in dictionaries.
Nouns: Singular forms follow the gender rules (consonant for M, -a/-i for F, -o/-e/-ę for N). Plural nouns often end in -y, -i, or -e.
- Examples: Singular: dom (m), kobieta (f), okno (n). Plural: domy, kobiety, okna.
Adjectives: Agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
- Examples: Singular: dobry (m), dobra (f), dobre (n). Plural: dobrzy (masculine personal), dobre (other genders/non-masculine personal).
Examples: Dobry dom jest stary (A good house is old). Zielone pola są zielone (Green fields are green). Piękne kobiety mówią (Beautiful women are speaking).
Demonstrative Pronouns (Nominative) and Why Use Them
Demonstrative pronouns help us specify particular nouns, similar to using "this" or "that" in English. In the Nominative case, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to. Using them helps to clarify exactly which item you mean from a group.
- Singular: ten (m), ta (f), to (n) - (this/that)
- Plural: ci (masculine personal), te (other genders/non-masculine personal) - (these/those)
- Examples: Ten dom jest duży (This/That house is big). Ta książka jest moja (This/That book is mine). To jest nasze miasto (This/That is our city). Ci ludzie są weseli (These/Those people are cheerful).