ÿþ<html><head><title>Polish Grammar</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-16"> </head><body bgcolor="#ffffff" link="#0000ff" vlink="#00007f"> <style>H2 { BACKGROUND: #ff0000; COlOR: white; TEXT-AlIGN: center } H3 { COlOR: red; TEXT-AlIGN: center } </style> <center> <table border="8"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td> <center><font color="#ff0000" size="+3">POLISH</font></center></td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#ff0000"> <td> <center><font color="#ffffff" size="+3">ON-LINE</font></center></td></tr></tbody></table></center> <h2>POLISH GRAMMAR ON-LINE</h2><a name="Nouns"> </a><h2><a name="Nouns">NOUNS</a></h2> <ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">There are no definite or indefinite articles in Polish. "Dom" means "house, a house, the house". </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">There are three genders in Polish. </a><ol> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">Masculine nounds usually end in a counsonant </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">feminine nounds usually end in -a </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">neutral most often in -o or -e. </a></li></ol> <a name="Nouns"> </a><p></p> <a name="Nouns"> </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Some nouns take a plural form for no obvious reason (like scissors or trousers in English) </a><ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">Skrzypce violin </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Dzieje history </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Drzwi door </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Urodziny birthday </a></li></ul><a name="Nouns">This also is true of many names of countries: </a><ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">Niemcy Germany </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">W Nieczech In Germany </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">WBochy Italy </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Chiny China </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Indie India </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Wgry Hungary </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Na Wgrzech In Hungary </a></li></ul><a name="Nouns">And some cities are also in the plural for some reason: </a><ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">in Poland - </a><ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">Kielce </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">Katowice ...</a></li></ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">And elsewhere - </a><ul> <a name="Nouns"> </a><li><a name="Nouns">W Helsinkach in Helsinki </a></li><li><a name="Nouns">W Atenach in Athens</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><h3><a name="Diminutives">DIMINUITIVES</a></h3><a name="Diminutives">Diminuitives are fairly widely used in Polish and this can be confusing, e.g. when you realise that the person you were introduced to as Kasia is called Katarzyna. </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">masculine diminuitives end in -ek, szek, -eczek, -ik, -yk, czyk </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">Kot-kotek cat-kitten </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Brat-braciszek brother, little brother </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Worek-woreczek sack (little _) </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Kon-konik horse-pony </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">ChBopiec-chBopczyk boy-little boy </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Kosz-koszyk basket-(litte _) </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Feminine endings -ka, -ska, -eczka, -uchna, -usia </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">GBowa-gBowka head </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Mucha-muszka fly </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Córka-córeczka daughter </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Córka-córuchna </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Mama-masusia Mom-mommie </a></li></ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Neutral endings -ko, -sko, (e)czko, -atko </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">drzewo-drzewko tree </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Serce-serduszko heart </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Oko-oczko eye </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Dzieci-dziecztko child </a></li></ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">The opposite of a diminuitive (rarely used) often confers a pejorative meaning<br>End in -isko, -ysko, czysko, ina, yan, -ak </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">Pies-psisko dog-big dog </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Biedak-biedaczysko poor man </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Pies-psiak dog-cur </a></li></ul></li></ul> <h3><a name="Diminutives">PLURAL ENDING IN -owie</a></h3><a name="Diminutives">Some nouns, mostly representing nationalities and professions take the unusual plural ending -owie </a><ul> <a name="Diminutives"> </a><li><a name="Diminutives">Arabowie </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">Belgowie </a></li><li><a name="Diminutives">PosBowie MP's </a></li></ul><a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><h3><a name="VerbalNouns">VERBAL NOUNS</a></h3><a name="VerbalNouns">Polish tends to use a noun form of a verb in many instances where a verb would be used in English. They end in: </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">-anie (for verbs ending in -a), </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">-enie (for verbs ending in -e or -i or -y in multisyllabic verbs), </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">-cie for mono-syllabic verbs ending in -uc, -i,-y, and verbs ending in - a or -n. </a></li></ul> <ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Czyta-czytanie read-reading </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Zobaczy-zobaczenie see-seeing </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Pi- picie drink-drinking </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Do you have something to say? Czy masz co[ do powiedzenia? </a></li></ul> <h2><a name="VerbalNouns">DECLINATION OF MASCULINE NOUNS</a></h2><a name="VerbalNouns">... </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">The genetive plural normally in -ów </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">-y<br>Many nouns ending with a functionally soft consonant pisarz klucz </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">-i<br>Most masc nouns ending in a soft consonant </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Go[ go[ci </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">koD koni</a></li></ul></li></ul> <h3><a name="VerbalNouns">DATIVE SINGULAR IN -U</a></h3><a name="VerbalNouns">Some one- and two syBBabBe words <u&#322;> </u&#322;></a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Brat (brother) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">chBop (peasant) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Bóg-Bogu (God) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">ksidz-ksidzu (priest) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">[wiat (world) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Ojciec-ojcu (father) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">DiabeB-diabBu (devil) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Owies-owsu (oats) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">ChBopiec-chBopcu(boy) </a><h3><a name="VerbalNouns">INSTRUMENTAL PLURAL -MI</a></h3><a name="VerbalNouns">Some soft consonants </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Brat-brami (brother) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">KoD-koDmi (horse) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Ksidz-ksi|mi (priest) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">li[-li[mi (leaf) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Go[-go[mi (guest) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Pienidz-pienidzmi (money) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Przyjaciel-przyjacióBmi (friend) </a></li></ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><h3><a name="VerbalNouns">LOCATIVE SINGULAR IN -E</a></h3> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Nouns ending with a hard consonant (except -k, -g, -ch), palatalised </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Kwiat-kwiecie (flower) </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">OrzeB-orle (eagle) </a></li></ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">3 exceptions: </a><ul> <a name="VerbalNouns"> </a><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Dom-domu </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Syn-synu </a></li><li><a name="VerbalNouns">Pan-panu</a></li></ul></li></ul><a name="VerbalNouns">IRREGULAR MASCULINE NOUNS Brat </a><a name="Cases"> </a><h2><a name="Cases">THE CASES</a></h2><a name="Cases">There are seven cases in Polish. </a><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">NOMINATIVE - the straightforward dictionary entry of a word - used as a subject in a sentence. </a></li><li><a name="Cases">GENETIVE - the second most popular case, usually meaning 'of, belonging to', but also must be used after certain prepositions and verbs </a></li><li><a name="Cases">DATIVE - 'to' (and after certain prepositions and verbs) </a></li><li><a name="Cases">ACCUSATIVE - The direct object of a sentence. </a></li><li><a name="Cases">INSTRUMENTAL - 'with, by means of' </a></li><li><a name="Cases">LOCATIVE - after certain prepositions - mostly 'in, at, about' </a></li><li><a name="Cases">VOCATIVE - used when literally talking to the person or thing in question (this is obviously limited almost entirely to people's names, as most of us do not often find ourselves talking to doors, chairs and cardboard boxes) </a></li></ul><a name="Cases">lots of this will be familiar to those of you who speak Latin, Russian, German, but there are some strange quirks in the PoBish cases. </a><p><a name="Cases">I.<br>One of the most curious aspects of PoBish grammar is the use of the instrumentaB case for the second part of a sentence invoBving the verb BE or BECOME, instead of the simpBe nominative. </a></p><blockquote><a name="Cases">I am an American - is NOT 'Jestem Amerikanin, but 'Jestem Amerikaninem.' </a></blockquote><a name="Cases">This has an unusual twist - the sentence 'Jestem samochodem' normally means 'I came by car' (literally "I am with a car"), but grammatically also means 'I AM a car:' </a><p><a name="Cases">II.<br>The accusative of words relating to people or animals is identical to the genitive: The accusative of inanimate objects is the normal accusative: </a></p><p><a name="Cases">III:<br>Direct objects after negative verbs don't take the accusative, but the genitive form. </a></p><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">Widz dom. I see the house. </a></li><li><a name="Cases">Nie widz domu. I don't see the house. </a></li></ul><a name="Cases">! The word 'nic' is an exception and remains unchanged - Nic nie widz. </a><h3><a name="Cases">DATIVE</a></h3> <a name="Cases"> </a><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">prepositions that take the dative case </a><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">Dziki </a></li><li><a name="Cases">ku </a></li><li><a name="Cases">wbrew </a></li><li><a name="Cases">przeciw(ko) </a></li></ul> <a name="Cases"> </a></li><li><a name="Cases">adjectives that take the dative </a><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">przyjazny friendly </a></li><li><a name="Cases">wrogi hostile </a></li><li><a name="Cases">wierny faithful </a></li><li><a name="Cases">równy equal </a></li><li><a name="Cases">wspóBczesny contemporary </a><ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><li><a name="Cases">PozostaB wierny tradycji. </a></li><li><a name="Cases">Paganini byB wspóBczesny Chopinowi. </a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> <a name="Cases"> </a><h3><a name="Cases">ACCUSATIVE</a></h3><a name="Cases">con i verbi di moto per indicare lo spazio percorso CaB drog przejechali w dwie godziny. per indicare il complemento di tempo continuato MieszkaBem tutaj trzy lata. nelle frasi negative se il complemento oggetto e rappresenato dl pronome "nic" Nic nie rozumiem. </a><h3><a name="Cases">INSTRUMENTAL</a></h3><a name="Cases">verbs radzi to rule kierowa to run, direct gardzi disdain Pienidz rzdzi [wiatem. Ju| drugi rok kieruje t instytucj. To express motion through sth DBugo chodziB ulicami. adjectives bogaty rich ubogi poor maBy small Ubogi duchem. MaBy wzrostem. </a><a name="Questions"> </a><h3><a name="Questions">QUESTIONS</a></h3> <a name="Questions"> </a><ul> <a name="Questions"> </a><li><a name="Questions">Questions are usually formed by adding the word czy at the beginning of a sentence </a></li><li><a name="Questions">it is also possible to state the sentence with an inquisitive tone of voice. </a><ul> <a name="Questions"> </a><li><a name="Questions">Pan jest Polakiem. You are a Pole. </a></li><li><a name="Questions">Czy pan jest Polakiem? Are you a Pole? </a></li><li><a name="Questions">Pan jest Polakiem? </a></li></ul></li></ul> <a name="Questions"> </a><hr> <a name="Questions"> </a><center> <a name="Questions"> </a><table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <ul> <li>Why? Dlaczego? Czemu? </li><li>What for? Po co? </li><li>When? Kiedy? </li><li>How much? Ile? </li></ul></td> <td> <ul> <li>Who? Kto? </li><li>What? Co? </li><li>Where? Gdzie? </li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></center><a name="Pronouns"> </a><h2><a name="Pronouns">PRONOUNS</a></h2> <a name="Pronouns"> </a><ul> <a name="Pronouns"> </a><li><a name="Pronouns">I ja </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">You ty </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">He On </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">She ona </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">We My </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">You Wy </a></li><li><a name="Pronouns">They oni, one </a></li></ul><a name="Adjectives"> </a><h2><a name="Adjectives">ADJECTIVES</a></h2><a name="Adjectives">Polish adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in both gender and case. </a><h3><a name="Adjectives">SINGULAR ADJECTIVES</a></h3> <a name="Adjectives"> </a><center> <a name="Adjectives"> </a><a name="Adjectives">-y, -i</a><table> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td>M</td> <td>F</td> <td>N</td></tr> <tr> <td>N</td> <td>-a</td> <td>-e</td></tr> <tr> <td>G</td> <td>-ego</td> <td>-ej</td> <td>-ego</td></tr> <tr> <td>D</td> <td>-emu</td> <td>-ej</td> <td>-emu</td></tr> <tr> <td>A</td> <td>N or G form*</td> <td>-a</td> <td>same as N</td></tr> <tr> <td>I</td> <td>-ym, -im</td> <td>- a</td> <td>-ym, -im</td></tr> <tr> <td>B</td> <td>-ym, im</td> <td>-ej</td> <td>-ym, -im</td></tr> <tr> <td>V</td> <td>same as N</td> <td>same as N</td> <td>same as N</td></tr></tbody></table></center>*G for animate nouns, N for inanimate nouns <h3>PLURAL ADJECTIVES</h3>Only two plural forms <ol> <li>masculine personal and </li><li>masculine inanimate- feminine-neutral </li></ol><pre> M animate M inanimate-F-N N -y, -i -e G-ych, -ich -ych, -ich D -ym, -im -ym, im A Same as G same as N I -ymi, -imi -ymi, -imi L -ych, -ich -ych, -ich V Same as N -same as N (a 'y' cannot follow a 'g' or a 'k' in Polish - it becomes an 'i') MBody-young Singular M F N N mBody mBoda mBode G mBodego mBodej mBodego D mBodemu mBodej mBodemu A mBody/ego mBoda mBode I mBodym mBodej mBodym B mBodym mBodej mBodym V mBody mBoda mBode PBURAL M animate M inam-F-N N mBodzi mBode G mBodych mBodych D mBodym mBodym A mBodych mBode I mBodymi mBodymi L mBodych mBodych V mBodzi mBode SINGULAR M F N N tani tania tanie G taniego taniej taniego D taniemu taniej taniemu A tani/ego tani tanie I tanim tani tanim L tanim taniej tanim V tani tania tanie PLURAL M animate M inam.-F-N N tani tanie G tanich tanich D tanim tanim A tanich tanie I tanimi tanimi L tanich tanich V tani tanie </pre> <ul> <li>Adjectives ending in -ki and -gi have a masculine animate plural in -cy and -dzy. <ul> <li>Polski-polscy </li><li>drogi-drodzy </li></ul> </li><li>Before the -i of the N pl, the final consonant is "palatized" <ul> <li>Du|y-duzi </li><li>Bogaty-bogaci </li></ul> </li><li>Some adjectives have a short form (without the ending) in the masculine nominative singular - (sometimes --e- or -ie- are insrted to avoid two consonants from appearing at the end of the word) <ul> <li>Zdrowy-zdrów (healthy) </li><li>wesoly-wesóB (happy) </li><li>Pewny-pewien (certain) </li><li>winny-winien (guilty) </li><li>PeBny-peBen (full) </li></ul></li></ul><a name="Comparitives"> </a><h3><a name="Comparitives">COMPARITIVES</a></h3><a name="Comparitives">There are two forms: </a><ol> <a name="Comparitives"> </a><li><a name="Comparitives">The simple form is created by adding -szy to the adjective (-ejszy if pronunciation would become difficult) + ni| or od </a><ul> <a name="Comparitives"> </a><li><a name="Comparitives">Stary - old<br>Starszy (ni|/od)- older (than) </a></li><li><a name="Comparitives">Badny - beautiful<br>Badniejszy - more beautiful </a></li></ul><a name="Comparitives">Adjectives ending in -k, -ok, or -ek drop these letters when formming the comparitive </a><ul> <a name="Comparitives"> </a><li><a name="Comparitives">SBodki - sBodszy </a></li><li><a name="Comparitives">Daleki - dalszy </a></li></ul> <a name="Comparitives"> </a></li><li><a name="Comparitives">The other form of the comparitive is created by adding the word "bardziej" before the adjective Some adjectives only use this form (gorzki-bitter, chory-sick, mokry-wet) </a></li></ol><a name="Comparitives">The "than" part "ni|" taes the same case as the first noun compared, but if "od" is used, it is always followed by a negative. less than mniej ni| As ... As tak, jak </a><a name="Superlatives"> </a><h3><a name="Superlatives">SUPERLATIVES</a></h3><a name="Superlatives">Like comparitives, there are two forms: </a><ol> <a name="Superlatives"> </a><li><a name="Superlatives">add the suffix to the comparitive Bogaty-najbogatszy rich-the richest </a></li><li><a name="Superlatives">adding the word najbardziej (or najmniej) before the adjective Najbardziej intersujcy (most interesting) Najmniej wiarygodny (least likely) </a></li></ol><a name="Superlatives">The second part of a superlative is followed by "z + genetive pl" On jest z nich wszystkich najlepszych. </a><a name="IrregularAdjectives"> </a><h3><a name="IrregularAdjectives">IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES</a></h3> <a name="IrregularAdjectives"> </a><center> <a name="IrregularAdjectives"> </a><table> <tbody> <tr> <td>Dobry(good)</td> <td>lepszy (better)</td> <td>najlepszy (best)</td></tr> <tr> <td>ZBy (bad) </td> <td>gorszy (worse) </td> <td>najgorszy (worst)</td></tr> <tr> <td>MaBy (small) </td> <td>mniejszy (smaller) </td> <td>najmniejszy (smallest)</td></tr> <tr> <td>Du|y (big) </td> <td>wikszy (bigger) </td> <td>najwikszy (biggest)</td></tr></tbody></table></center><a name="Conjunctions"> </a><h2><a name="Conjunctions">CONJUNCTIONS</a></h2> <ul><li><a name="Conjunctions">A albo ale (but)</a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">ani...ani (neither...nor) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">bdz...bdz (both..and) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Czy (whether, if) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">i (and)</a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">jednak (however) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">lecz (but) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">lub (or) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Skoro, tak|e (also) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">te| (also) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">wic (therefore) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Nie tyle...ile (not as many as) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Nie tylko...lecz tak|e (not only...but also) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">podczas gdy (whereas) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">To jest (i.e.) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Bo bowiem dy| poniewa| (given that) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Dlatego, |e (because) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Dziki temu (thanks to) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">Jak (as) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">jak gdyby (as if) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">tak jak (just like) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">mimo |e (even though) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">nawet je[li (even if) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">pod warunkiem, |e (provided that) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">dopóki (until) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">jak tylko (as soon as) </a></li><li><a name="Conjunctions">zanim (before) </a></li></ul> <a name="Conjunctions"> </a><hr> <a name="Conjunctions"> <font size="+2"> </font></a><p><a href="http://web.wanadoo.be/brian.huebner/Polishonline.htm"><font size="+2">Back to Polish On-line Main Page</font></a> <font size="+2"> <font></font></font></p></li></ul></body></html>