The Present Tense in Polish consists of four classes of endings. You must attach these endings to the stem of the verb. For each verb you must memorize its stem and which group of endings it uses.
Number
Subject
First Class
Second Class
Third Class
Fourth Class
Singular Number
I
ę
ię
ę
am
em
You (singular)
esz
isz
ysz
asz
esz
He / She / It
e
i
y
a
e
Plural Number
We
emy
imy
ymy
amy
emy
You (plural)
ecie
icie
ycie
acie
ecie
They
ą
ią
ą
ają
eją
The best way to do this is to memorize the first two forms of the verb. For example the first two forms of the verb pisać(to write) are:
I write
pisz
ę
Yousg write
pisz
esz
Based on these forms you can determine that the stem is
pisz
and the verb uses the first class of endings. So the entire conjugation looks like this:
In Present Tense, only imperfective verbs are used. Perfective verbs are reserved for Past and Future Tense.
Structure of affirmative sentences in Present Tense
To build an affirmative sentence in Polish, first place the verb in the correct, conjugated form, then add the rest of the sentence.
Czytam książkę.– I’m reading a book.
Unlike English, in Polish, the personal pronoun (I, You, He...) is not required at the beginning of the sentence. The subject of the sentence is deduced from the verb ending:
Example
Czytam książkę.– I'm reading a book.
Czytasz książkę.– You'resg reading a book.
If the person or object is not obvious to the listener, the subject is placed at the beginning of the sentence, as in English.
Example
Ania idzie do sklepu.
Ania goes to a store.
If the next sentence refers to the same subject, the subject should not be repeated. Using the subject in the second sentence will sound unnatural to Polish speakers.
Ania idzie do sklepu. Chce kupić chleb.
Ania goes to a store. She wants to buy some bread.
To describe how, where, or when an activity is performed, adverbs are used. In Polish, adverbs usually precede the verb.
Example
Ania bardzo szybko czyta.
Ania is reading really fast.
The table below displays examples of other Present Tense sentences.
Examples
Sentence in Polish
English translation
Piszę książkę.
I’m writing a book.
Mówisz za szybko.
You speak too fast.
Śpimy w namiocie.
We sleep in a tent.
Dzieci idą do szkoły.
Children go to school
Mogę zrobić to szybciej.
I can do it faster.
Codziennie myślimy o tobie.
We think about you every day.
Ładnie śpiewasz.
You sing well.
Pływacie w zakazanym miejscu.
You are swimming in a forbidden place.
Moja mama pracuje w szkole.
My mother works at school.
Siedzę na kanapie.
I'm sitting on a couch.
Continuity – Present Simple vs. Present Continuous (-ing)
The English language allows expression of present activity using Present Simple or Present Continuous tenses depending on the intended meaning. In Polish, there is no such distinction. The same verb form is used for both cases.
Example
Dużo pływam.– I swim a lot.
Pływam w basenie.– I’m swimming in a pool.
się – reflexive verbs
As in English, Polish has reflexive verbs. In English, they are expressed by reflexive pronouns (such as myself or himself), and their form depends on the subject of the sentence. Polish has only one form of the reflexive pronoun – się. The pronoun się usually follows the verb.
Example
Myję się.– I’m washing myself.
Myjemy się.- We're washing ourselves.
Some verbs are reflexive in Polish but not in English.
Example
Uczę się na egzamin.– I’m learning for the exam.
Auxiliary Verbs
The English language frequently uses auxiliary verbs to express grammatical constructions.
Example
I am writing.
The verb to be in the sentence above has no direct meaning. It serves only as a grammatical construction. In Polish, auxiliary verbs are not used in Present Tense.
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