Language/Polish/Grammar/Present-Tense

The Polish Present Tense

Hi Polish Learners! 😃

➡ In today's lesson we will learn How to construct the PRESENT TENSE in Polish.

Happy learning!

Introduction

The present tense exists only in the imperfective aspect in Polish, as an action will always be in the process of being completed in the present.

If you were to conjugate a verb in the present tense using the perfective form, you get the future tense, which can be found here:

Language/Polish/Grammar/Future-Tense.

Examples

	1st Sing (Ja)	2nd Sing (Ty)	3rd Sing (On, Ona, Ono, Pan, Pani)	1st Plural (My)	2nd Plural (Wy)	3rd Plural (Oni, One, Panie, Panowie)
Robić	Robię	Robisz	Robi	Robimy	Robicie	Robią
Powtarzać	Powtarzam	Powtarzasz	Powtarza	Powtarzamy	Powtarzacie	Powtarzają
Próbować	Próbuję	Próbujesz	Próbuje	Próbujemy	Próbujecie	Próbują

How does it work?

First we have the subject, but it isn't necessary.

Then we have some verb (like in the table above) and then rest of the sentence.

• subject (ja/ty/on/ona/ono/my/wy/oni) + verb + rest of the sentence (where, why, how etc.)

For example:

• Ja robię obiad or Robię obiad

I'm making a dinner now.

1st Group: -ę, -esz

The first conjugation is followed by:

• les verbes en - c ( bake , run , guard ),
• verbs in consonant + ć ( nieść , wieźć ),
• verbs in - ować ( rysować , rachować ): in this case the suffix becomes - uj ( rys uj ę ).
• les verbes en - rte d ( blow , heave )
• les verbes en - ić , - live , - uć monosyllabiques ou composés sur des monosyllabiques ( drink , live , live , spit )
• certains verbes en - ay et en - DK ( write , want ).

Present from the first group
	to take	write	catch
1S	i take	I'm writing	I get it
2S	take	you write	you catch
3S	takes	writes	catches
1P	we take	we write	we catch
2P	you take	you write	you get it
3P	they take	they write	they catch

2nd groupe: -ę, -isz

The second conjugation includes:

• les verbes en - ll of - YC dissyllabiques ( talk , dance )
• certains verbes en - ay et en - DK ( sleep , see ).

Present from the second group
	to talk	to lie
1S	i say	I'm lying
2S	you say	you are lying
3S	says	lies
1P	we say	we lie
2P	you say	you are lying
3P	they say	they lie

.

3rd group: -am, -asz

The third conjugation concerns certain verbs in - ać and in - eć ( słuchać , rozumieć ).

Present from the third group
	to listen	to have	understand
1S	I'm listening	I have	I understand
2S	you listen	you have	you understand
3S	listen	my	understands
1P	we listen	we have	we understand
2P	you listen	you have	you understand
3P	are listening	have	they understand

== 4th group: -em, -esz == 

to understand

• I understand
• you understand
• he / she / it understands
• we understand
• you understand
• they / they understand

know - can

• I can
• you can
• he / she / it can
• we know how
• you know
• they / they know

The verb "to be" - być

To be
	to be
1S	I am
2S	you are
3S	is
1P	we're
2P	you are
3P	there are

Other examples

ENGLISH	POLISH
Love
I love	Já kocham
You love	Ty kochasz
He loves	On kocha
We love	My kochamy
You love	Wy kochacie
They love	Oni kochają
Speak
I speak	Já mówię
You speak	Ty mówisz
He speaks	On mówi
We speak	My mówimy
You speak	Wy mówicie
They speak	Oni mówią
Sleep
I sleep	Já śpię
You sleep	Ty śpisz
He sleeps	On śpi
We sleep	My śpimy
You sleep	Wy śpicie
They sleep	Oni śpią
Eat
I eat	Já jem
You eat	Ty jesz
He eats	On je
We eat	My jemy
You eat	Wy jecie
They eat	Oni jedzą