{"id":305,"date":"2017-10-22T21:03:39","date_gmt":"2017-10-22T21:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=305"},"modified":"2017-11-05T12:29:25","modified_gmt":"2017-11-05T12:29:25","slug":"polish-prepositions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/polish-prepositions\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know about Polish Prepositions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepositions are functional words used to clarify the relationship between other words in the sentence. In English, these are mostly short words like <\/span>about<\/i><\/strong>, <\/span>on<\/i><\/strong> or <\/span>with<\/i>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Polish, just as in English, it is often nearly impossible to express even a simple thought without the help of a couple of prepositions. That\u2019s why you should learn them quite early \u2013 without them, you will find it rather difficult to form coherent sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your goal is to understand spoken and written Polish, you’ll be fine if you just learn the translation(s) of each preposition. You will probably find some parallels in the use of individual prepositions in the two languages \u2013 try to take advantage of them, but don\u2019t expect them to work in each and every context.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you want to be able to formulate correct Polish sentences, you should definitely pay attention to one more thing: the grammatical case that should go with each specific sense of the given preposition<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Case study no. 1: the Polish preposition \u201co\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s say you want to say \u201cLet\u2019s talk <\/span>about<\/b> this problem\u201d in Polish. <\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing that <\/span>about<\/i><\/strong> usually translates to <\/span>o<\/i><\/b> won\u2019t be enough to produce a well-formed sentence. You need to learn what grammatical case should be applied to the phrase following the preposition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, if you\u2019re blanking out, you can take the easy way out and just use the basic dictionary form \u2013 the nominative<\/strong> case:<\/span><\/p>\n

Porozmawiajmy <\/i>o\u00a0<\/i><\/b>ten problem<\/i><\/span><\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be understood, but don\u2019t expect to score any extra points with the natives. If you want to form a fully grammatical sentence, you should put the phrase that is modified by the preposition in <\/span>the locative<\/b> case.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the locative? There\u2019s really no simple explanation and most Poles would just shrug their shoulders at that question, so let\u2019s not dwell on that. Here\u2019s how a well-formed translation of \u201cLet\u2019s talk <\/span>about<\/b> this problem\u201d should look like:<\/span><\/p>\n

Porozmawiajmy <\/i>o\u00a0<\/i><\/b>tym problemie<\/i><\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

You can change the first half of the sentence to something completely different \u2013 as long as the type of the relationship between the verb and the object connected by the preposition is more or less the same, you can count on the preposition <\/span>o<\/i><\/b> to \u201ctrigger\u201d the locative case. To illustrate that, here\u2019s another similar sentence requiring the locative<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Nie wiedzia\u0142em <\/span><\/i>o<\/i><\/b> tym problemie<\/i><\/abbr>.\u00a0(\u201cI didn\u2019t know <\/span>about<\/b> this problem.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be right to point out that the \u201crelationship between the verb and the object\u201d is a very fuzzy criterion to apply when deciding on which case to use. Of course, it\u2019s not like Poles contemplate the nature of reality each time they use a preposition \u2013 it\u2019s just something you have to internalize by exposing yourself to the language.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at one more sentence:<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary pisze ksi\u0105\u017ck\u0119 <\/span><\/i>o<\/i><\/b> ekonomii<\/i><\/abbr>. (\u201cMary is writing a book <\/span>about<\/b> economics.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though the subject of the sentence is completely different, the preposition <\/span>o <\/i><\/b>is still followed by the locative.<\/strong> Looking at the three sentences we\u2019ve discussed so far, you might be tempted to conclude that all English prepositional phrases with <\/span>about<\/span><\/i> translate into <\/span>o <\/i><\/b>+ locative.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, of course, there’s a catch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some verbs combined with <\/span>o<\/i><\/b> \u2013 a primary example being <\/span>pyta\u0107<\/i><\/b> o<\/i><\/b> (\u201cto ask about\u201d) \u2013 require the object to take <\/span>the accusative <\/b>case, rather than the locative case. Here\u2019s an example sentence:<\/span><\/p>\n

Tom pyta\u0142 <\/span><\/i>o<\/b> twoj\u0105 siostr\u0119<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>. (\u201cTom asked <\/span>about<\/b> your sister.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, most\u00a0prepositions can be used in various contexts. This means that in some expressions, <\/span>o<\/i><\/b> might correspond to an entirely different English prepositio. So instead of always being tied to <\/span>about<\/span><\/i>, it can also be translated as <\/span>at <\/span><\/i>or <\/span>for<\/span><\/i>. Take a look at the two sentences below:<\/span><\/p>\n

Jem \u015bniadanie <\/span><\/i>o<\/i><\/b> dziewi\u0105tej<\/i><\/abbr>. (\u201cI eat breakfast <\/span>at<\/b> nine.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Julia prosi mam\u0119 <\/span><\/i>o<\/i><\/b> nowy komputer<\/i><\/abbr>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cJulia asks her mom <\/span>for<\/b> a new computer.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

All this might seem a little confusing at first, and no wonder \u2013 if your mother tongue is English, you\u2019re not used to thinking about prepositions as something that might affect the form of the following word.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it is theoretically possible to learn all the use cases by heart, a much more practical way to approach this challenge would be to expose yourself to as many Polish sentences as possible<\/strong>. Sooner or later, you\u2019ll get the hang of it. And even if you make the occasional mistake, you\u2019ll still very likely to be understood. Now, let\u2019s move on to another preposition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Case study no. 2:\u00a0<\/b>the Polish preposition\u00a0<\/b>\u201cza\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

Depending on the context, <\/span>za<\/i><\/b> can correspond to several distinctive English prepositions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In its simplest, most physical sense, <\/span>za<\/i><\/b> is used where English would use <\/span>behind<\/span><\/i>. In this case, the following phrase must take <\/span>the instrumental<\/b> case:<\/span><\/p>\n

Co jest <\/span><\/i>za <\/i><\/b>tymi drzwiami<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>?<\/span><\/i> (\u201cWhat is <\/span>behind<\/b> this door?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

In more abstract contexts, <\/span>za <\/i><\/b>can be combined with phrases in <\/span>the accusative<\/b> to mean <\/span>for<\/i><\/b> something<\/span><\/i>. Here are three example sentences with three different verbs:<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam p\u0142aci <\/span><\/i>za<\/i><\/b> obiad<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cAdam is paying <\/span>for<\/b> the lunch.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Dzi\u0119kuj\u0119 <\/span><\/i>za<\/i><\/b> pomoc<\/i><\/abbr>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cThank you <\/span>for<\/b> your help.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Kupi\u0142em ten rower<\/span><\/i> za<\/i><\/b> 300 dolar\u00f3w<\/i><\/abbr>.<\/span><\/i> (\u201cI\u2019ve bought this bicycle <\/span>for<\/b> 300 dollars.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

But yet again, you cannot expect English translations like <\/span>for<\/strong> to<\/span><\/i> be useful at all times. Sometimes the best English translation is\u2026 no preposition at all. This will always be true for the verb <\/span>t\u0119skni\u0107<\/i><\/strong>, which requires <\/span>the instrumental<\/b> case:<\/span><\/p>\n

T\u0119skni\u0142e\u015b <\/i>za <\/i><\/b>mn\u0105<\/i><\/abbr>?\u00a0(\u201cDid you miss me?\u201d)<\/p>\n

Finally, <\/span>za<\/i><\/b> can be used to express temporal relations. When speaking about the future, <\/span>za <\/i><\/b>followed by a unit of time (or any expression related to time) in <\/span>the accusative<\/b> will mean <\/span>in<\/i><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna wr\u00f3ci <\/span><\/i>za<\/i><\/b> dziesi\u0119\u0107 minut<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cAnna will be back <\/span>in <\/b>ten minutes.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Oddzwoni\u0119 <\/span><\/i>za<\/i><\/b> chwil\u0119<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>. <\/span><\/i>(\u201cI will call you back <\/span>in <\/b>a moment.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Case study no. 3: the Polish preposition \u201cw(e)\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve probably gotten used to the idea of choosing the right grammatical case to match the proposition by now. Let\u2019s discuss something else: the reason why there’s an <\/span>e<\/i><\/b> in parentheses in the above heading.<\/span><\/p>\n

The preposition <\/span>w<\/i><\/b> (\u201cin\u201d \/ \u201cat\u201d \/ \u201con\u201d) has an alternative form <\/span>we<\/i><\/b>, which, although spelled differently, always means exactly the same. The extra letter\u2019s only purpose is to make it easier to pronounce certain consonant combinations<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you were to say <\/span>w<\/i> wt<\/span><\/i><\/span>orek <\/span><\/i>(\u201con Tuesday\u201d), you would probably find it difficult to pronounce the <\/span>w<\/i><\/b>_<\/i><\/strong>wt<\/i><\/b> sound combination without some extra effort (and extra embarrassment). <\/span><\/p>\n

This is where <\/span>we<\/i><\/b> comes to the rescue. Saying <\/span>we<\/i> wt<\/span><\/i><\/span>orek<\/span><\/i> is not that hard \u2013 the extra vowel acts as a \u201cbuffer\u201d between the consonants. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because of this, <\/span>we<\/i><\/b> wtorek<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>\u00a0is the only grammatical way to say \u201con Tuesday\u201d (this is one of the rare cases where Polish goes out of its way to make your life easier, not harder).<\/span><\/p>\n

However, two\u00a0<\/span>w<\/i> sounds standing next to each other do not automatically cause the <\/span>e <\/i><\/b>vowel to be attached to the preposition. It takes more than that \u2013 the second <\/span>w<\/span><\/i> sound needs to be followed by one more consonant. Compare:<\/span><\/p>\n

w<\/i><\/b> wannie<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>\u00a0(\u201c<\/span>in<\/b> a bathtub\u201d) \u2013 the second <\/span>w <\/span><\/i>is followed by a <\/span>vowel<\/b><\/p>\n

we <\/i><\/b>W\u0142oszech<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span>\u00a0(\u201c<\/span>in<\/b> Italy\u201d) \u2013 the second <\/span>w <\/span><\/i>is followed by a <\/span>consonant<\/b><\/p>\n

But it’s not all about the consonant w<\/em>.\u00a0Here are three other typical phrases with <\/span>we<\/i><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

we<\/i><\/b> Francji<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>in<\/b> France\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

we<\/i><\/b> \u015bnie<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>in<\/b> a dream\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

we<\/i><\/b> mgle<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>in<\/b> fog\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can see, there is more to <\/span>we <\/i><\/b>than just keeping <\/span>w<\/i><\/b> sounds away from each other. The extra <\/span>e<\/i><\/b> can also break up some other consonant-heavy sound clusters, such as\u00a0<\/span>w_fr<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>w_\u015bn<\/i><\/b> and<\/span> w_mgl <\/i><\/b>(ouch!) in the examples above. <\/span><\/p>\n

But of course, there\u2019s one more catch (did you <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> believe this rule would make things easier?)<\/span><\/p>\n

W <\/i><\/b>only changes into <\/span>we <\/i><\/b>in some clusters of three consonants or more. In others, it remains <\/span>w<\/i><\/b>. We would need to get really technical to lay down the exact rule, so let\u2019s leave it at that \u2013 just try to remember that the <\/span>w <\/i><\/b>\u2192 <\/span>we <\/i><\/b>change doesn\u2019t apply everywhere. Below are two common phrases in which no such change occurs:<\/span><\/p>\n

w<\/strong><\/em> czwartek<\/em><\/abbr> (\u201con<\/strong> Thursday\u201d)<\/p>\n

w<\/i><\/b> pracy<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>at<\/b> work\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

One last thing: there are several more prepositions with a mechanism similar to the <\/span>w<\/i><\/b> \u2192<\/span> we <\/i><\/b>change. First, there\u2019s <\/span>z \u2192 ze <\/i><\/b>(\u201cwith\u201d \/ \u201cfrom\u201d), which works in a very similar way:<\/span><\/p>\n

ze<\/i><\/b> strony<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>from<\/b> a page\u201d \/ \u201c<\/span>from<\/b> the side\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

ze <\/i><\/b><\/i>\u017ar\u00f3d\u0142a<\/span><\/i><\/abbr><\/span> (\u201c<\/span>from<\/b> a source\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, there is a group of five more prepositions in which the change occurs much less often:<\/span><\/p>\n