Przebacz mi. (Sentence Note & Question)

  • przebaczyć -czę -czysz (pf), (impf) przebaczać -am -asz, + Acc, za + Acc = to forgive s.o. for s.t
  • przebaczenie (n noun) = forgiveness
  • wybaczyć -czę -czysz (pf), (impf) wybaczać + Dative = forgive
  • wybaczenie (n noun) = forgiveness

Some advice please … can anyone explain the difference, if any, between wybaczyć & przebaczyć? I can see that the grammar that follows their use differs but how would their usage differ in practical terms? Thanks!

They don’t differ that much in terms of meaning.

“Wybaczyć” is the default equivalent of “to forgive”, without any special connotations. “Przebaczyć” is a bit more serious and poetic, so it would mostly be used when a long-standing grudge (or anything that’s difficult to forgive) is at play.

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