Language/Polish/Grammar/Cases

Polish → Grammar → Cases

Hi Polish Learners! 😃 In today's lesson we will learn How to use CASES in Polish. Cases are very important in declension languages: they give meaning to sentences. This is why it is necessary to know how to use them correctly. There are 7 Polish cases:

1. nominative (mianownik)
2. genitive (dopełniacz)
3. dative (celownik)
4. accusative (biernik)
5. instrumental (narzędnik)
6. locative (miejscownik)
7. vocative (wołacz)

We have listed below each case with its agreement rules and how to use it. Happy learning!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Gender, Adjectives, Be Polite & How to Use Have.

Nominative - "Mianownik"

When to use it?

So, let's start with the simplest case of all - the nominative (in Polish - mianownik). This is the basic name, as it appears in a dictionary (you need to have one to learn Polish well, of course). And this is the case which is used when a noun is the subject of a sentence.

For example, let's take one of the most beloved Polish drinks - Żubrówka. If you want to explain to someone what Żubrówka is, you would make a simple sentence like this: "Żubrówka is a type of vodka" which in Polish can be translated as: "Żubrówka jest rodzajem wódki".

The subject of the sentence, Żubrówka does not acquire a "funky" ending (yes I confirm there are funky endings in Polish !!). It stays the same. You see ? Easy as pie! It's the other noun that have changed, but you'll see why as you explore the following cases.

Another example: Student uczy się: the student studies, "Student" is here in the nominative form it therefore takes the basic form of the dictionary and it agrees in gender and numbers.

Genitive - "Dopełniacz"

When to use it?

The genitive is mainly used to express possession.

Polish	Samochód mojego brata.	Rower studenta.
Translation	My brother's car.	The student's bike.

But also in the following cases:

• provenance or destination: idę do domu - I'm going home
• wracam od studenta: i come back from (at) the student
• object complement in negative sentence: nie lubię studenta - I don't like the student
• after certain verbs (szukać: to look for - potrzebować: to need ...): szukam studenta - I am looking for a student

Rules of agreement

Nouns

Singular				Plural
Masculine		Feminine	Neutral	Masculine	Feminine	Neutral
lively	inanimate
-a[1]	-u [2]	M -i I , D  : -y [3]	-a	D -ów I -y M -i	-Ø	-Ø

Adjectives

Singular			Plural
Masculine	Feminine	Neutral	All kinds
-ego	-not	-ego	s

1. Nouns that are declined with -a are animated nouns, for the nouns of months, dishes, tools, measures, weights and coins, dances, parts of the body, for nouns in -ik / -yk, for city names in -burg.
2. Nouns that decline with -u are inanimate nouns borrowed from other languages, abstract ideas, collectives (including las, forest), substances, days, cities in -grad, -gród, -gard , states and regions.
3. Nouns ending in -ia take -i if they are of Polish origin or -ii if they are of foreign origin.

Notes

• M means "soft"
• I means "intermediates"
• D means "hard"
• -Ø means we remove the last consonant.

Examples

Agreement: nominative (gender): genitive singular, genitive plural

Polish	Translation
kot (masc.) : kota, kotów	cat
telefon (masc.) : telefonu, telefonów	the phone
gwiazda (fem.) : gwiazdy, gwiazd	the star
noc (fem. and consonant) : nocy, nocy	the night
pilot (masc.) : pilota, pilotów	the pilot
meteoryt (masc.) : meteorytu, meteorytów	the meteorite
planeta (fem.) : planety, planet	the planet
jezioro (neutral) : jeziora, jezior	Lake

 

Dative - "Celownik" which comes from celować (to aim).

When to use it?

The dative is used when speaking for or towards (or to) a person. We use the dative without marking the preposition for .

• dziękuję studentowi: I thank the student (literally I thank the student)
• obiecałam studentowi, że przyjdę: I promised the student that I would come
• daję ci to: I'm giving this to you

Polish	dzieciom.
Translation	For kids.

The use of + dative verse is rare and archaic (we will rather use ku + genitive; this is archaic/old-fashioned).

Polish	ku dziecku
Translation	Towards (the) child.

Rules of agreement

Declension of the singular dative

	Adjectives	Nouns
Masculine	-(i) emu	-u, -u *
Feminine	- (i) ej	D -'e ; M -y (-i)**
Neutral	-(i) emu	-u ***

Dative plural declension

	Adjectives	Nouns
Masculine	-ym (-im)	-if
Feminine	-ym (-im)	-if
Neutral	-ym (-im)	-if

We use what is in parentheses when the noun (or adjective) ends in k , g or ch .

• Some nouns take a -u including ojciec, brat, chłop, chłopiec, pan, Bóg, ksiądz, diabeł, pies, kot, świat, lew. 
• The Feminine nouns ending with -ia take -i, those ending with -i do not change and those ending in a consonant take -y (-i).

Accusative - "Biernik" which comes from bierny (passive).

direct object Widzę studenta: I see the student after the verbs of movement with prepositions (na, po ...):

• idę na koncert: I'm going to a concert

The accusative is mainly used to express the direct object

Polish	Mam godzinę.
Translation	I have an hour

This case is also used after a verb-preposition pair:

Polish	Czekam na mojego brata.
Translation	I am waiting for my brother.

After przez (by, through), za (in or after a period of time; in exchange for), na (for, in the goal), w (to enter):

Polish	Wchodzimy w las.
Translation	We enter the forest.

Polish	Dziękuję za prezent.
Translation	Thank you for the gift.

After nad, pod, przed , za , prepositions shared with the instrumental and used with the accusative when they express a direction:

Polish	Jedziemy nad morze.
Translation	We are going to the sea.

To express a duration (during):

Polish	Pracowałem tam jedną godzinę.
Translation	I worked there for an hour.

Rules of agreement

Nouns

Singular				Plural
masculine		Feminine	Neutral	masculine		Feminine	Neutral
animated (human, animal)	inanimate (an object or an idea)			personal (human)	impersonal (animals and objects)
-a	-	-ę	-	= Genitive plural	= Nominative plural	= Nominative plural	-a

 Adjectives

Singular				Plural
masculine		Feminine	Neutral	personal (human)	Others
lively	inanimate (an object or an idea)
-ego	-y	-ą	-e	-ych	-e

Notes

• M means "soft"
• I means "intermediates"
• D means "hard"
• -Ø means we remove the last consonant.
• Declinations in -y or -ych change to -i and -ich if the preceding consonant is soft or is either k' , or g , or ch.

Examples

Agreement: nominative (gender): accusative singular, accusative plural

Polish	!Translation
kot (masc.) : kota, koty	cat
telefon (masc.) : telefon, telefony	the phone
gwiazda (fem.) : gwiazdę, gwiazdy	the star
noc (fem. + consonant) : noc, noce	the night
pilot (masc.) : pilota, pilotów	the pilot
meteoryt (masc.) : meteoryt, meteoryty	the meteorite
planeta (fem.) : planetę, planety	the planet
jezioro (neutral) : jezioro, jeziora	Lake

Instrumental - "Narzędnik"

When to use it?

1. The means or the instrument ": Jadę autobusem: I'm going by bus
2. Support: rozmawiam z studentem: I speak with a student
3. Subject attribute: jestem studentem: I am a student

The instrumental is probably the easiest case of all. In Polish its name is more exotic: narzędnik. Narzędnik comes from the word narzędzie which means tool, instrument.

The Polish name of this case serves to recall one of the possible uses. That is to say, when we use something as a tool, we use the instrumental. 

For example :

• Dziecko je widelcem The child eats with a fork. 
• Studentka pisze ołówkiem The student writes with a pencil.

The instrumental must always appear after the preposition z in the sense of "with" (because z can also mean "of"), for example:

• dżin z tonikiem (gin tonic),
• kobieta z mężczyzną (woman with man),
• woda z lodem (water with ice cubes).

Another situation where we use the instrumental is after the verb być (to be) conjugated. 

For example:

• Ja jestem Polką. I am Polish.
• On jest rybakiem. He is a fisherman.
• One są babciami. They are grandmothers.

This rule does not apply to first names. We say: Jestem Ilona and not Jestem Iloną. However, an actor could say Jestem Hamletem, since it is not his first name but the role he plays.

We also use the instrumental when we speak of:

• nationality: On jest Serbem, One są Brazylijkami; = He is Serb, They are Brazilians;
• professions: My jesteśmy fryzjerkami, Ona jest antropolożką; = We are hairdressers, she is an anthropologist;
• family: On jest ojcem, Wy jesteście wnuczkami; = He is the father, you are granddaughters;
• sexual orientation: Jestem lesbijką, Oni są gejami; = I am a lesbian, They are gay;
• religion: Jesteś buddystą, Jestem ateistą = You are a Buddhist, I am an atheist

etc.

Singular agreement rules

Gender - Rodzaj	Adjective	Noun	Examples
masculine - męski	-ym -k or -g + -im	-em -k or -g + -iem -ą	sympatycznym nauczyciel-em sympatycznym Polak-iem wysokim mężczyzn-ą
Feminine - żeński	-ą	-ą	sympatyczn-ą nauczycielk-ą wysoką kobiet-ą miłą pani-ą
Neutral - Nijaki	-k ou -g +-im -ym	-em -k or -g + -iem	polskim kin-em sympatycznym dzieck-iem

Plural agreement rules

Genre - Genus	Adjective	Noun	Endings (Końcówki)
Masculine - męski	sympatycznymi	nauczycielami mężczyznami	adjectives in -ymi or -k, -g + imi and nouns take -ami
Feminine - żeński	wysokimi	kobietami nauczycielkami	adjectives in -ymi or -k, -g + imi and nouns take -ami
Neutral - Nijaki	dobrymi	autami	adjectives in -ymi or -k, -g + imi and nouns take -ami

Examples

The instrumental is mainly used to express the medium.

Polish	Polecę samolotem.
Translation	I'll go by plane.

Note that there is no translation for "en". It is the use of the case that gives the meaning to the sentence.

We also use this case with the preposition "with", z in Polish.

Polish	Jestem z nimi.
Translation	I am with them.

Note: we can omit the preposition z .

This case is also used with nouns called "predicates" (part of the sentence (or clause) that says something about the subject, other than naming it).

Polish	Nasz sąsiad jest lekarzem.
Translation	Our neighbor is a doctor.

Locative - "Miejscownik"

Locative is mainly used to express the situation of something / someone. Always used with a preposition (o, w, przy ...),

• jestem w łazience: I'm in the bathroom
• myślę o studencie - I think of the student

Polish	Czy on jeszcze mieszka w Polsce ?
Translation	Does he still live in Poland?

Rules of agreement

Declension of the singular locative

	Adjectives	Nouns
Masculine	-ym (-im)	D -'e ; M -u*
Feminine	-not	D -'e ; M -y (-i)**
Neutral	-ym (-im)	D -'e ; M -u***

Declension of the plural locative

	Adjectives	Nouns
Masculine	-ych (s)	-ach
Feminine	-ych (s)	-ach
Neutral	-ych (s)	-ach

We use what is in parenthesis when the noun (or adjective) ends in k , g or ch.

• Words ending in -k , -g , -ch and -/e/c take the ending -u. Some irregular words also take this endings, the most important of which are dom (house), syn (son) and pan (sir).
• Feminine nouns ending with -ia take -i, those ending in -i do not change and those ending in a consonant take -y(-i).
• Neutral nouns ending in -ę take -u + la. Names in -um do not decline.

Vocative - "wołacz"

We address the person: studencie!

The vocative (wołacz) is formed like this:

• Feminine nouns usually take -o, with the exception of those ending in -sia, -cia, -nia, and -dzia, which will end in -u, and those ending in -sia, -cia, -nia, and -dzia. end in -ść, which will take -i.

• Masculine nouns follow a more complex logic but the following table will give you the main endings, examples:
  • Bóg → Boże ("God"),
  • ojciec → ojcze ("father")
  • chłopiec → chłopcze ("boy"). 

• Neutral nouns follow the case of nominative.

Nominative	Vocative
Feminine
Pani Ewa (Mde. Eve)	Pani Ewo! (Mde. Eve!)
Ewusia (diminutive of Ewa )	Ewusiu!
ciemność (darkness)	ciemności!
książka (book)	książko!
Masculine
Pan profesor (Mr. Professor)	Panie profesorze! (Mr. Professor!)
Krzysztof (Christopher)	Krzysztofie! (Christopher!)
Krzyś (Chris)	Krzysiu! (Chris!)
wilk (Wolf)	wilku!

The nominative is used more and more instead of the vocative when addressing people with their proper names. In these other cases, however, it will also be used:

To address a person using their function, title, rank or role in the family

• Panie doktorze (Doctor!), Panie prezesie! (Director!)
• Przybywasz za późno, pływaku (You arrived too late, swimmer)
• synu (son!), mamo (mom!), tato (dad!)

Sometimes for the demonstrative .... emphasis

• Nie rozumiesz mnie, moja droga Basiu! (You don't understand me, my dear Basia!)

To address a person in a condescending manner

• Zamknij się, pajacu! (Shut up, clown!)
• Co się gapisz, idioto? (What are you looking at, idiot!)
• Nie znasz się, baranie, to nie pisz (Stop writing, idiot, you don't know anything!)
• Spadaj wieśniaku! (Get out of the way, peasant!)

After "Ty" (personal pronoun - singular second person)

• Ty kłamczuchu! (You liar!)

Ready-made expressions

• (O) Matko!, (O) Boże!, chłopie (Mother!, God!, man)

The vocative is also sometimes used in an emotional context like:

• Kocham Cię, Krzysiu! ("I love you, Chris!")

Or

• Tęsknię za Tobą, moja Żono. ("I miss you, my wife!").

Summary

Case	Usage	Example (kot - cat)
Nominative	Subject of the sentence, basic form of the noun	kot
Genitive	Shows possession, "of" relationship, or used after certain prepositions	kota
Dative	Indirect object, "to/for" relationship, or used after certain prepositions	kotu
Accusative	Direct object, used after certain prepositions	kota
Instrumental	Means/instrument of action, "with/using" relationship, or used after certain prepositions	kotem
Locative	Location, used after certain prepositions	kocie
Vocative	Direct address, calling someone/something	kocie!

In the table above, we provide a summary of the seven cases in Polish grammar, their usage, and an example using the noun "kot" (cat).

Quiz

Questions

1. What Polish case is used for the subject of a sentence?
2. How is possession typically expressed in Polish grammar?
3. In which case is an indirect object in Polish?
4. Which case is used in Polish after certain prepositions like "na" and "po"?
5. When is the instrumental case used in Polish?
6. What is the primary function of the locative case in Polish?
7. How is the vocative case typically used in Polish?
8. Translate the following into the correct case: "I am speaking with a student" (rozmawiam z ___________).
9. In which case would you place the noun in this sentence: "I'm thinking about the cat" (Myślę o ___________).
10. How would you address a professor directly in Polish using the vocative case?

Answers

1. Nominative (Mianownik).
2. Genitive (Dopełniacz).
3. Dative (Celownik).
4. Accusative (Biernik).
5. Instrumental (Narzędnik), used for means or instruments.
6. Locative (Miejscownik), used with prepositions to express location or situation.
7. Vocative (Wołacz), used for direct address.
8. "studentem" (Instrumental case).
9. "kocie" (Locative case).
10. "Panie profesorze!" (Vocative case).

Below, you will find specific more in-depth lessons for each Polish case:

The 7 Polish Cases

1. nominative (mianownik)
2. genitive (dopełniacz)
3. dative (celownik)
4. accusative (biernik)
5. instrumental (narzędnik)
6. locative (miejscownik)
7. vocative (wołacz)

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_grammar
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKj5IfQo34s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucMFyQ3E2ms
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buHkzkgdlIg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6857mR08ugs

Other Lessons

• Possessive Case in Polish
• mieć to have
• Perfective and imperfective verbs
• Plurals
• Conditional Tense
• Gender
• Nouns
• How to Use Be
• Conditional Mood
• Indefinite Articles in Polish
• Definite Articles in Polish
• Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• Imperative Mood