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<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Polish|Polish]]  → [[Language/Polish/Grammar|Grammar]] → Adjectives</div>
[[File:Poland-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]]
Hi Polish Learners! 😃


➡ In today's lesson, we will learn how to use [[Language/Polish/Grammar|adjectives in Polish grammar]].


As you probably assume, if adjectives are to be matched with the gender (feminine, masculine, neuter) of the noun "described", adjectives must also decline "case of the noun".


{{Polish-Page-Top}}
The adjectives that you have learned so far are in the base case - the nominative:
<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Polish|Polish]] → [[Language/Polish/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/Polish/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Intermediate Polish Grammar → Adjectives</div>
* duży (large, m)  
* Mala (small, f)
* krótkie (short, n)   


For the other "cases", I will try to present all the possibilities in the tables in this chapter. After mastering this lesson, you can also explore our other related pages, such as the [[Language/Polish/Grammar/Verbs-and-Tenses|Introduction to Polish Grammar Verbs and Tenses]] and the [[Language/Polish/Grammar/The-Polish-Alphabet|Introduction to Polish Grammar: The Polish Alphabet]].
Happy learning! 😊
__TOC__
__TOC__


== Introduction ==
== Cases ==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |'''Case'''
! colspan="4" |'''Singular'''
! colspan="2" |'''Plural'''
|-
!'''Feminine'''
!'''Masculine personal AND masculine animated'''
!'''Masculine inanimate'''
!'''Neutral'''
!'''Masculine personal'''
!'''Others'''
|-
|'''Nominative'''
| -a/-ia
| colspan="2" | -y/-i
| -e/-ie
| -i/-y
| -e/-ie
|-
|'''Genitive'''
| -ej/-iej
| colspan="3" | -ego/-iego
| colspan="2" | -ych/-ich
|-
|'''Dative'''
| -ej/-iej
| colspan="3" | -emu/-iemu
| colspan="2" | -ym/-im
|-
|'''Accusative'''
| -ą/-ią
| -ego/-iego
| -y/-i
| -e/-ie
| -ych/-ich
| -e/-ie
|-
|'''Instrumental'''
| -ą/-ią
| colspan="3" | -ym/-im
| colspan="2" | -ymi/-imi
|-
|'''Locative'''
| -ej/-iej
| colspan="3" | -ym/-im
| colspan="2" | -ych/-ich
|}


In this lesson, we will explore the use and placement of adjectives in Polish sentences. Adjectives are an essential part of any language, as they allow us to describe and provide more information about nouns. Whether you want to talk about the color of an object, the size of a person, or the taste of food, adjectives are the key to expressing these details in Polish.
=== Masculine Adjectives ===
==== 1.) Ending with '-y': ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|duży (big)
|samochód (a car)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|dużego
|samochodu
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|dużemu
|samochodowi
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|duży
|samochód
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) dużym
|samochodem
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) dużym
|samochodzie
|}


Understanding how adjectives work in Polish will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively and accurately. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid foundation in using adjectives and be able to construct more complex and nuanced sentences in Polish.
==== 2.) Ending with '-i': ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|niski (short, low)
|płot (fence)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|niskiego
|płotu
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|niskiemu
|płotu
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|niski
|płot
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) niskim
|płotem
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) niskim
|płocie
|}


== Basic Function of Adjectives ==
As you can see, the main difference is that in adjectives ending in "-i" the "i" remains before the ending and adjectives ending in "-y" the "y" is deleted (at the exception of the last two cases).
=== Feminine Adjectives ===
==== 1.) Having '-y' at the end of the masculine (ładna - m. Ładn y ): ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|ładna (pretty, beautiful)
|dziewczyna (a girl)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|ładnej
|dziewczyny
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|ładnej
|dziewczynie
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|ładną
|dziewczynę
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) ładną
|dziewczyną
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) ładnej
|dziewczynie
|}


Adjectives in Polish, just like in English, modify nouns by adding information about their qualities, characteristics, or attributes. They can describe the appearance, color, size, shape, quantity, and many other aspects of the noun they accompany.
==== 2.) Having '-i' at the end of the masculine (długa - m. Dług i ): ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|długa (long)
|droga (a way, a road)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|długiej
|drogi
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|długiej
|drodze
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|długą
|drogę
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) długą
|drogą
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) długiej
|drodze
|}


Let's take a look at some examples:
=== Neutral Adjectives ===
==== 1.) Having the ending '-y' in the masculine (trudne - m. Trudn y ): ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|trudne (difficult)
|zadanie (a task)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|trudnego
|zadania
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|trudnemu
|zadaniu
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|trudne
|zadanie
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) trudnym
|zadaniem
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) trudnym
|zadaniu
|}


==== 2.) Having '-i' ending in the masculine (szerokie - m. szeroki): ====
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Polish !! Pronunciation !! English
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|-
| duży dom || doo-zhy dom || big house
|'''Nom.'''
|szerokie (wide)
|okno (windows)
|-
|-
| piękny ogród || pyen-kny o-grood || beautiful garden
|'''Gen.'''
|szerokiego
|okna
|-
|-
| czerwona róża || cher-vo-na roo-zah || red rose
|'''Dat.'''
|szerokiemu
|oknu
|-
|-
| smaczna pizza || smach-na pit-sa || tasty pizza
|'''Acc.'''
|szerokie
|okno
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) szerokim
|oknem
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) szerokim
|oknie
|}
|}


In these examples, the adjectives "duży" (big), "piękny" (beautiful), "czerwona" (red), and "smaczna" (tasty) provide additional information about the nouns "dom" (house), "ogród" (garden), "róza" (rose), and "pizza" (pizza).
In fact, it was not necessary to make these two tables, because as you can see the neutral adjectives are declined exactly like the masculine adjectives. Their endings vary only in the nominative and the accusative. The "vocative" case which did not appear in all the tables takes the nominative form.


== Placement of Adjectives ==
=== Plural Adjectives ===
==== 1.) Having the ending '-y' in the masculine singular (brudne - sing. M. Brudn y ): ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjectif'''
|'''Nom'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|brudne (dirty)
|szklanki (glasses)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|brudnych
|szklanek
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|brudnym
|szklankom
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|brudne
|szklanki
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) brudnymi
|szklankami
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) brudnych
|szklankach
|}


In Polish, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify. This is different from English, where adjectives typically come before the noun. Let's take a look at the following examples:
==== 2.) Having '-i' ending in the sing. masculine (wysokie - sing. m. wysoki): ====
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Noun case'''
|'''Adjective'''
|'''Noun'''
|-
|'''Nom.'''
|wysokie (tall)
|drzewa (trees)
|-
|'''Gen.'''
|wysokich
|drzew
|-
|'''Dat.'''
|wysokim
|drzewom
|-
|'''Acc.'''
|wysokie
|drzewa
|-
|'''Ins.'''
|(z) wysokimi
|drzewami
|-
|'''Loc.'''
|(o) wysokich
|drzewach
|}


* Polish: "Stół drewniany." (Wooden table.)
=== Comparative Adjectives ===
* English: "Wooden table."
The main rule for comparing adjectives in Polish is that the adjective takes "-szy" at the end for the comparative and "Naj-" as a prefix and "-szy" at the end for the superlative. 


* Polish: "Samochód czerwony." (Red car.)
However, the formation of the comparative is sometimes more difficult, because in the stem of the adjective (the part between the prefix and the end) several alternations can occur, letters change, some disappear and some new letters appear. 
* English: "Red car."


As you can see, the adjective "drewniany" (wooden) comes after the noun "stół" (table) in Polish, while in English, it is placed before the noun. The same applies to the adjective "czerwony" (red) and the noun "samochód" (car).
====Examples====


However, there are situations in which adjectives can come before the noun in Polish. This is usually done for stylistic or poetic purposes to create a specific emphasis or effect. Here are some examples:
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Positive'''
|'''Comparative'''
|'''Superlative'''
|-
|'''ładny'''
|ładniejszy
|najładniejszy
|-
|'''gruby (gros)'''
|grubszy
|najgrubszy
|-
|'''jasny (clair)'''
|jaśniejszy
|najjaśniejszy
|-
|'''drogi (cher)'''
|droższy
|najdroższy
|}


* Polish: "Młoda kobieta." (Young woman.)
Some general rules:
* English: "Young woman."
* If an adjective ends with "by, dy, (c) hy, ky,    ry, ty", and "wy" in comparison the letter before 'y' does    not change and the adjective takes the ending "-szy" in instead    of "-y", ex: stary - star szy (old), blady - bl e d szy (pale).
* Adjectives that end with "-ny" change    their ending to "-niejszy", for example: ładny - ład niejszy , ważny - waż niejszy (important).
* Adjectives that end with "-cy" in the    comparative change the letter "c" by the letter "t",    eg gorący - gorę t szy (hot).
* Adjectives that end with "-ły" change    their ending to "-lszy" in the comparative, eg: biały - bie l szy (white).
* Adjectives that end with "-pi" take the    same ending as the first rule "-szy", eg: głupi - głup szy
* If an adjective ends with "-gi" or    "-ki" its ending will be "-ższy" for comparison, eg    długi - dłu ż szy (long).


* Polish: "Stara książka." (Old book.)
* English: "Old book."


In these examples, the adjectives "młoda" (young) and "stara" (old) precede the nouns "kobieta" (woman) and "książka" (book) for emphasis or poetic effect.


== Agreement of Adjectives ==
As you can see, there too often occur alternations in the middle of the adjective ("the stem" before the end). They are similar to those you have already discussed when creating the plural or for the declension in noun cases:
* "a" becomes "e" as in 'blady -    bl e dszy'.
* "ą" "becomes" ę "" as    in 'gorący - gor ę tszy'.


One important aspect of using adjectives in Polish is their agreement with the noun they modify. In Polish, adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. This means that the form of the adjective changes depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it accompanies.
There are adjectives of which comparative and superlative cannot be created, for example, blogi (happy). We cannot say "błoższy". In such cases, we have to use the comparative or superslative form of the adverb 'bardzo' (very), which is 'bardziej' and 'najbardziej' (increasingly translated). For example: "bardziej blogi" (happier) and "najbardziej blogi" (happiest).


Let's take a look at some examples:
=== Irregular Comparative Adjectives ===
In Polish, like in almost every language, there occur cases of adjectives with irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some most popular examples (I listed only the comparative, because the superlative form is exactly the same, just 'naj-' at the beginning): In Polish, as in almost all languages, there are cases of adjectives with irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some popular examples (I listed only the comparative, because the superlative form is exactly the same, just with "Naj-" at the start):


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Polish !! Pronunciation !! English
|'''Positive'''
|'''Comparative'''
|-
|-
| duży dom || doo-zhy dom || big house
|duży (tall)
|większy
|-
|-
| duża kobieta || doo-zha ko-byeh-ta || big woman
|mały (small)
|mniejszy
|-
|-
| duże drzewo || doo-zhe dzh-eh-vo || big tree
|zły (bad)
|gorszy
|-
|-
| duże psy || doo-zhe psi || big dogs
|dobry (good)
|lepszy
|}
|}


In these examples, the adjective "duży" (big) changes its form to agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. In the first example, "dom" (house) is masculine singular, so we use "duży." In the second example, "kobieta" (woman) is feminine singular, so we use "duża." In the third example, "drzewo" (tree) is neuter singular, so we use "duże." And in the fourth example, "psy" (dogs) is masculine plural, so we also use "duże."
==Examples==


It's important to note that the agreement of adjectives in Polish can be quite complex, as it involves different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns, as well as singular and plural forms. This is why it's crucial to pay attention to the gender, number, and case of the noun when choosing the appropriate form of the adjective.
=== '''Adjectives in Polish''' ===
 
{| class="wikitable"
== Comparison of Adjectives ==
|'''<big>ENGLISH</big>'''
 
|'''<big>POLISH</big>'''
In addition to describing the qualities of nouns, adjectives in Polish can also be used to compare different things or express degrees of comparison. There are three degrees of comparison in Polish: the positive degree, the comparative degree, and the superlative degree.
|'''<big>PRONUNCIATION IN</big>'''
 
'''<big>ENGLISH</big>'''
Let's take a look at some examples:
|'''<big>BRAZILIAN</big>'''
 
'''<big>PORTUGUESE</big>'''
=== Positive Degree ===
|-
 
|
The positive degree of an adjective is used to describe a quality without making any comparison. It is the simplest form of the adjective. Here are some examples:
|
 
|
* Polish: "Szybki samochód." (Fast car.)
|
* English: "Fast car."
|-
 
|big  (m) /
* Polish: "Długi film." (Long film.)
|'''<big>duży (m) /</big>'''
* English: "Long film."
|'''''dou zheh'''''
 
|grande  / 
* Polish: "Smaczna pizza." (Tasty pizza.)
|-
* English: "Tasty pizza."
|big  (f)
 
|'''<big>duża (f)</big>'''
In these examples, the adjectives "szybki" (fast), "długi" (long), and "smaczna" (tasty) are in their positive degree, simply describing the quality of the noun without making any comparison.
|'''''dou zhah'''''
 
|grande  (fem)
=== Comparative Degree ===
|-
 
|other  (m) /
The comparative degree of an adjective is used to compare two things, expressing that one thing has more or less of a certain quality than the other. To form the comparative degree in Polish, we typically add the suffix "-szy" or "-ejszy" to the adjective.
|'''<big>inne (m) /</big>'''
 
|'''''ihn neh'''''
Let's take a look at some examples:
|outro  /
 
|-
* Polish: "Szybszy samochód." (Faster car.)
|other  (f)
* English: "Faster car."
|'''<big>inna (f)</big>'''
 
|'''''ihn nah'''''
* Polish: "Dłuższy film." (Longer film.)
|outra 
* English: "Longer film."
|-
 
|large  (m) /
* Polish: "Smaczniejsza pizza." (Tastier pizza.)
|'''<big>duży (m) /</big>'''
* English: "Tastier pizza."
|'''''dou zheh'''''
 
|largo  /
In these examples, the adjectives "szybszy" (faster), "dłuższy" (longer), and "smaczniejsza" (tastier) are in their comparative degree, indicating that the noun they modify has more of the specified quality than another thing being compared.
|-
 
|large  (f)
=== Superlative Degree ===
|'''<big>duża (f)</big>'''
 
|'''''dou zhah'''''
The superlative degree of an adjective is used to express the highest or lowest degree of a certain quality within a group of three or more things. To form the superlative degree in Polish, we typically add the suffix "-szy" or "-ejszy" to the adjective, and precede it with the appropriate form of the word "naj" (most).
|larga
 
|-
Let's take a look at some examples:
|heavy  (m) /
 
|'''<big>ciężki (m) /</big>'''
* Polish: "Najszybszy samochód." (Fastest car.)
|'''''chehns keh'''''
* English: "Fastest car."
|pesado  /
 
|-
* Polish: "Najdłuższy film." (Longest film.)
|heavy  (f)
* English: "Longest film."
|'''<big>ciężka (f)</big>'''
 
|'''''chehns kah'''''
* Polish: "Najsmaczniejsza pizza." (Tastiest pizza.)
|pesada
* English: "Tastiest pizza."
|-
 
|small  (m) /
In these examples, the adjectives "najszybszy" (fastest), "najdłuższy" (longest), and "najsmaczniejsza" (tastiest) are in their superlative degree, indicating that the noun they modify has the highest or lowest degree of the specified quality within a group.
|'''<big>mały (m) /</big>'''
 
|'''''mah ou eh'''''
== Summary ==
|pequeno  /
 
|-
In this lesson, we have explored the use and placement of adjectives in Polish sentences. We have learned that adjectives come after the noun they modify in most cases, but can also come before for emphasis or poetic effect. We have also learned about the agreement of adjectives, where they change their form to match the gender, number, and case of the noun. Finally, we have discussed the comparison of adjectives, including the positive, comparative, and superlative degrees.
|small  (f)
 
|'''<big>mała (f.)</big>'''
By understanding these concepts, you now have a solid foundation in using adjectives in Polish. Keep practicing and incorporating adjectives into your sentences to add more detail and nuance to your communication. With time and experience, you will become more comfortable and proficient in using adjectives effectively in Polish.
|'''''mah ou ah'''''
 
|pequena
{{#seo:
|-
|title=Polish Grammar: Intermediate Polish Grammar - Adjectives
|short  (m) /
|keywords=Polish adjectives, Polish grammar, Polish language, Polish course, Polish adjectives placement, Polish adjectives agreement, Polish adjectives comparison
|'''<big>krótki (m) /</big>'''
|description=In this lesson, you will learn the use and placement of adjectives in Polish sentences. Explore the agreement of adjectives with nouns and the comparison of adjectives in Polish.
|'''''kroot keh'''''
}}
|curto  /
 
|-
{{Polish-0-to-A1-Course-TOC}}
|short  (f)  
 
|'''<big>krótka (f)</big>'''
[[Category:Course]]
|'''''kroot kah'''''
[[Category:Polish-Course]]
|curta
[[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
|-
[[Category:Polish-0-to-A1-Course]]
|thin  (m) /
<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo-16k></span> <span temperature=0.7></span>
|'''<big>cienki (m) /</big>'''
|'''''chehn keh'''''
|magro  /
|-
|thin  (f)
|'''<big>cienka (f)</big>'''
|'''''chehn kah'''''
|magra 
|-
|good  (m) /
|'''<big>dobry (m.) /</big>'''
|'''''doh breh'''''
|bom / 
|-
|good  (f)
|'''<big>dobra (f)</big>'''
|'''''doh brah'''''
|boa
|-
|dry  (m) /
|'''<big>suchy (m) /</big>'''
|'''''sou heh'''''
|seco  /
|-
|dry  (f)
|'''<big>sucha (f)</big>'''
|'''''sou hah'''''
|seca
|-
|dirty  (m) /
|'''<big>brudny (m.) /</big>'''
|'''''brood neh'''''
|sujo  /
|-
|dirty  (f)
|'''<big>brudna (f)</big>'''
|'''''brood nah'''''
|suja
|-
|wet  (m) /
|'''<big>mokry (m) /</big>'''
|'''''moh kreh'''''
|úmido  /
|-
|wet  (f)
|'''<big>mokra (f)</big>'''
|'''''moh krah'''''
|úmida
|-
|correct  (m) /
|'''<big>poprawny (m) /</big>'''
|'''''poh prahv neh'''''
|correto  /
|-
|correct  (f)
|'''<big>poprawna (f)</big>'''
|'''''poh prahv nah'''''
|correta
|-
|old  (m) /
|'''<big>stary (m.) /</big>'''
|'''''stah reh'''''
|velho  /
|-
|old  (f)
|'''<big>stara (f)</big>'''
|'''''stah rah'''''
|velha
|-
|new  (m) /
|'''<big>nowy (m) /</big>'''
|'''''noh veh'''''
|novo  /
|-
|new  (f)
|'''<big>nowa (f)</big>'''
|'''''noh vah'''''
|nova
|-
|full  (m) /
|'''<big>pełny (m) /</big>'''
|'''''peh ou neh'''''
|cheio  /
|-
|full  (f)
|'''<big>pełna (f)</big>'''
|'''''peh ou nah'''''
|cheia
|-
|cold  (m) /
|'''<big>zimny (m) /</big>'''
|'''''zhihm neh'''''
|frio  /
|-
|cold  (f)
|'''<big>zimna (f)</big>'''
|'''''zhihm nah'''''
|fria
|-
|warm  (m) /
|'''<big>ciepły (m.) /</big>'''
|'''''cheh pou eh'''''
|quente  /
|-
|warm  (f)
|'''<big>ciepła (f)</big>'''
|'''''cheh pou ah'''''
|quente  (fem)
|}


=== '''<big><u>Some cases</u></big>''' ===
Polish adjective declines depending on case, number and gender.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | Declination of ''mały''
|-
! rowspan="2" | Case
! colspan="3" | Singular
! colspan="2" | Plural
|-
! Masculine
! Feminine
! Neuter
! Person-masculine
! Other genders
|-
! Nominative
| mał'''y'''
| mał'''a'''
| mał'''e'''
| mal'''i'''
| mał'''e'''
|-
! Genitive
| mał'''ego'''
| rowspan="2" |mał'''ej'''
| mał'''ego'''
| colspan="2" | mał'''ych'''
|-
! Dative
| mał'''emu'''
| mał'''emu'''
| colspan="2" |mał'''ym'''
|-
! Accusative
| mał'''y'''/mał'''ego'''
| rowspan="2" | mał'''ą'''
| mał'''e'''
| mał'''e'''
| mał'''e'''
|-
! Instrumental
| rowspan="2" | mał'''ym'''
| rowspan="2" | mał'''ym'''
| colspan="2" |mał'''ymi'''
|-
! Locative
| mał'''ej'''
| colspan="2" | mał'''ych'''
|-
! Vocative
| mał'''y'''
| mał'''a'''
| mał'''e'''
| mal'''i'''
| mał'''e'''
|}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | Declination of ''letni''
|-
! rowspan="2" | Case
! colspan="3" | Singular
! colspan="2" | Plural
|-
! Masculine
! Feminine
! Neuter
! Person-masculine
! Other genders
|-
! Nominative
| letn'''i'''
| letn'''ia'''
| letn'''ie'''
| letn'''i'''
| letn'''ie'''
|-
! Genitive
| letn'''iego'''
| rowspan="2" |letn'''iej'''
| letn'''iego'''
| colspan="2" | letn'''ich'''
|-
! Dative
| letn'''iemu'''
| letn'''iemu'''
| colspan="2" |letn'''im'''
|-
! Accusative
| letn'''i'''/letn'''iego'''
| rowspan="2" | letn'''ią'''
| letn'''ie'''
| letn'''ie'''
| letn'''ie'''
|-
! Instrumental
| rowspan="2" | letn'''im'''
| rowspan="2" | letn'''im'''
| colspan="2" |letn'''imi'''
|-
! Locative
| letn'''iej'''
| colspan="2" | letn'''ich'''
|-
! Vocative
| letn'''i'''
| letn'''ia'''
| letn'''ie'''
| letn'''i'''
| letn'''ie'''
|}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | Declination of ''wielki''
|-
! rowspan="2" | Case
! colspan="3" | Singular
! colspan="2" | Plural
|-
! Masculine
! Feminine
! Neuter
! Person-masculine
! Other genders
|-
! Nominative
| wielk'''i'''
| wielk'''a'''
| wielk'''ie'''
| wiel''c'''''y'''
| wielk'''ie'''
|-
! Genitive
| wielk'''iego'''
| rowspan="2" |wielk'''iej'''
| wielk'''iego'''
| colspan="2" | wielk'''ich'''
|-
! Dative
| wielk'''iemu'''
| wielk'''iemu'''
| colspan="2" |wielk'''im'''
|-
! Accusative
| wielk'''i'''/wielk'''iego'''
| rowspan="2" | wielk'''ą'''
| wielk'''ie'''
| wielk'''ie'''
| wielk'''ie'''
|-
! Instrumental
| rowspan="2" | wielk'''im'''
| rowspan="2" | wielk'''im'''
| colspan="2" |wielk'''imi'''
|-
! Locative
| wielk'''iej'''
| colspan="2" | wielk'''ich'''
|-
! Vocative
| wielk'''i'''
| wielk'''a'''
| wielk'''ie'''
| wielc'''y'''
| wielk'''ie'''
|}


==Other Lessons==
==Other Lessons==
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Latest revision as of 10:12, 17 June 2023

Polish → Grammar → Adjectives
Poland-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png

Hi Polish Learners! 😃

➡ In today's lesson, we will learn how to use adjectives in Polish grammar.

As you probably assume, if adjectives are to be matched with the gender (feminine, masculine, neuter) of the noun "described", adjectives must also decline "case of the noun".

The adjectives that you have learned so far are in the base case - the nominative:

  • duży (large, m)
  • Mala (small, f)
  • krótkie (short, n)

For the other "cases", I will try to present all the possibilities in the tables in this chapter. After mastering this lesson, you can also explore our other related pages, such as the Introduction to Polish Grammar Verbs and Tenses and the Introduction to Polish Grammar: The Polish Alphabet.

Happy learning! 😊

Cases[edit | edit source]

Case Singular Plural
Feminine Masculine personal AND masculine animated Masculine inanimate Neutral Masculine personal Others
Nominative -a/-ia -y/-i -e/-ie -i/-y -e/-ie
Genitive -ej/-iej -ego/-iego -ych/-ich
Dative -ej/-iej -emu/-iemu -ym/-im
Accusative -ą/-ią -ego/-iego -y/-i -e/-ie -ych/-ich -e/-ie
Instrumental -ą/-ią -ym/-im -ymi/-imi
Locative -ej/-iej -ym/-im -ych/-ich

Masculine Adjectives[edit | edit source]

1.) Ending with '-y':[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. duży (big) samochód (a car)
Gen. dużego samochodu
Dat. dużemu samochodowi
Acc. duży samochód
Ins. (z) dużym samochodem
Loc. (o) dużym samochodzie

2.) Ending with '-i':[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. niski (short, low) płot (fence)
Gen. niskiego płotu
Dat. niskiemu płotu
Acc. niski płot
Ins. (z) niskim płotem
Loc. (o) niskim płocie

As you can see, the main difference is that in adjectives ending in "-i" the "i" remains before the ending and adjectives ending in "-y" the "y" is deleted (at the exception of the last two cases).

Feminine Adjectives[edit | edit source]

1.) Having '-y' at the end of the masculine (ładna - m. Ładn y ):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. ładna (pretty, beautiful) dziewczyna (a girl)
Gen. ładnej dziewczyny
Dat. ładnej dziewczynie
Acc. ładną dziewczynę
Ins. (z) ładną dziewczyną
Loc. (o) ładnej dziewczynie

2.) Having '-i' at the end of the masculine (długa - m. Dług i ):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. długa (long) droga (a way, a road)
Gen. długiej drogi
Dat. długiej drodze
Acc. długą drogę
Ins. (z) długą drogą
Loc. (o) długiej drodze

Neutral Adjectives[edit | edit source]

1.) Having the ending '-y' in the masculine (trudne - m. Trudn y ):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. trudne (difficult) zadanie (a task)
Gen. trudnego zadania
Dat. trudnemu zadaniu
Acc. trudne zadanie
Ins. (z) trudnym zadaniem
Loc. (o) trudnym zadaniu

2.) Having '-i' ending in the masculine (szerokie - m. szeroki):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. szerokie (wide) okno (windows)
Gen. szerokiego okna
Dat. szerokiemu oknu
Acc. szerokie okno
Ins. (z) szerokim oknem
Loc. (o) szerokim oknie

In fact, it was not necessary to make these two tables, because as you can see the neutral adjectives are declined exactly like the masculine adjectives. Their endings vary only in the nominative and the accusative. The "vocative" case which did not appear in all the tables takes the nominative form.

Plural Adjectives[edit | edit source]

1.) Having the ending '-y' in the masculine singular (brudne - sing. M. Brudn y ):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjectif Nom
Nom. brudne (dirty) szklanki (glasses)
Gen. brudnych szklanek
Dat. brudnym szklankom
Acc. brudne szklanki
Ins. (z) brudnymi szklankami
Loc. (o) brudnych szklankach

2.) Having '-i' ending in the sing. masculine (wysokie - sing. m. wysoki):[edit | edit source]

Noun case Adjective Noun
Nom. wysokie (tall) drzewa (trees)
Gen. wysokich drzew
Dat. wysokim drzewom
Acc. wysokie drzewa
Ins. (z) wysokimi drzewami
Loc. (o) wysokich drzewach

Comparative Adjectives[edit | edit source]

The main rule for comparing adjectives in Polish is that the adjective takes "-szy" at the end for the comparative and "Naj-" as a prefix and "-szy" at the end for the superlative. 

However, the formation of the comparative is sometimes more difficult, because in the stem of the adjective (the part between the prefix and the end) several alternations can occur, letters change, some disappear and some new letters appear. 

Examples[edit | edit source]

Positive Comparative Superlative
ładny ładniejszy najładniejszy
gruby (gros) grubszy najgrubszy
jasny (clair) jaśniejszy najjaśniejszy
drogi (cher) droższy najdroższy

Some general rules:

  • If an adjective ends with "by, dy, (c) hy, ky, ry, ty", and "wy" in comparison the letter before 'y' does not change and the adjective takes the ending "-szy" in instead of "-y", ex: stary - star szy (old), blady - bl e d szy (pale).
  • Adjectives that end with "-ny" change their ending to "-niejszy", for example: ładny - ład niejszy , ważny - waż niejszy (important).
  • Adjectives that end with "-cy" in the comparative change the letter "c" by the letter "t", eg gorący - gorę t szy (hot).
  • Adjectives that end with "-ły" change their ending to "-lszy" in the comparative, eg: biały - bie l szy (white).
  • Adjectives that end with "-pi" take the same ending as the first rule "-szy", eg: głupi - głup szy
  • If an adjective ends with "-gi" or "-ki" its ending will be "-ższy" for comparison, eg długi - dłu ż szy (long).


As you can see, there too often occur alternations in the middle of the adjective ("the stem" before the end). They are similar to those you have already discussed when creating the plural or for the declension in noun cases:

  • "a" becomes "e" as in 'blady - bl e dszy'.
  • "ą" "becomes" ę "" as in 'gorący - gor ę tszy'.

There are adjectives of which comparative and superlative cannot be created, for example, blogi (happy). We cannot say "błoższy". In such cases, we have to use the comparative or superslative form of the adverb 'bardzo' (very), which is 'bardziej' and 'najbardziej' (increasingly translated). For example: "bardziej blogi" (happier) and "najbardziej blogi" (happiest).

Irregular Comparative Adjectives[edit | edit source]

In Polish, like in almost every language, there occur cases of adjectives with irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some most popular examples (I listed only the comparative, because the superlative form is exactly the same, just 'naj-' at the beginning): In Polish, as in almost all languages, there are cases of adjectives with irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some popular examples (I listed only the comparative, because the superlative form is exactly the same, just with "Naj-" at the start):

Positive Comparative
duży (tall) większy
mały (small) mniejszy
zły (bad) gorszy
dobry (good) lepszy

Examples[edit | edit source]

Adjectives in Polish[edit | edit source]

ENGLISH POLISH PRONUNCIATION IN

ENGLISH

BRAZILIAN

PORTUGUESE

big (m) / duży (m) / dou zheh grande / 
big (f) duża (f) dou zhah grande (fem)
other (m) / inne (m) / ihn neh outro /
other (f) inna (f) ihn nah outra
large (m) / duży (m) / dou zheh largo /
large (f) duża (f) dou zhah larga
heavy (m) / ciężki (m) / chehns keh pesado /
heavy (f) ciężka (f) chehns kah pesada
small (m) / mały (m) / mah ou eh pequeno /
small (f) mała (f.) mah ou ah pequena
short (m) / krótki (m) / kroot keh curto /
short (f) krótka (f) kroot kah curta
thin (m) / cienki (m) / chehn keh magro /
thin (f) cienka (f) chehn kah magra
good (m) / dobry (m.) / doh breh bom /
good (f) dobra (f) doh brah boa
dry (m) / suchy (m) / sou heh seco /
dry (f) sucha (f) sou hah seca
dirty (m) / brudny (m.) / brood neh sujo /
dirty (f) brudna (f) brood nah suja
wet (m) / mokry (m) / moh kreh úmido /
wet (f) mokra (f) moh krah úmida
correct (m) / poprawny (m) / poh prahv neh correto /
correct (f) poprawna (f) poh prahv nah correta
old (m) / stary (m.) / stah reh velho /
old (f) stara (f) stah rah velha
new (m) / nowy (m) / noh veh novo /
new (f) nowa (f) noh vah nova
full (m) / pełny (m) / peh ou neh cheio /
full (f) pełna (f) peh ou nah cheia
cold (m) / zimny (m) / zhihm neh frio /
cold (f) zimna (f) zhihm nah fria
warm (m) / ciepły (m.) / cheh pou eh quente /
warm (f) ciepła (f) cheh pou ah quente (fem)

Some cases[edit | edit source]

Polish adjective declines depending on case, number and gender.

Declination of mały
Case Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter Person-masculine Other genders
Nominative mały mała małe mali małe
Genitive małego małej małego małych
Dative małemu małemu małym
Accusative mały/małego małą małe małe małe
Instrumental małym małym małymi
Locative małej małych
Vocative mały mała małe mali małe
Declination of letni
Case Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter Person-masculine Other genders
Nominative letni letnia letnie letni letnie
Genitive letniego letniej letniego letnich
Dative letniemu letniemu letnim
Accusative letni/letniego letnią letnie letnie letnie
Instrumental letnim letnim letnimi
Locative letniej letnich
Vocative letni letnia letnie letni letnie
Declination of wielki
Case Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter Person-masculine Other genders
Nominative wielki wielka wielkie wielcy wielkie
Genitive wielkiego wielkiej wielkiego wielkich
Dative wielkiemu wielkiemu wielkim
Accusative wielki/wielkiego wielką wielkie wielkie wielkie
Instrumental wielkim wielkim wielkimi
Locative wielkiej wielkich
Vocative wielki wielka wielkie wielcy wielkie

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]




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