Understanding Polski Present Tense
The present tense in the Polish language is used to talk about actions that are happening right now or that happen regularly.
Conjugating Verbs in Present Tense
In Polish, verbs change their endings in the present tense depending on who is doing the action. This is called conjugation.
Important Points
- There are three main conjugation groups based on the verb endings.
- The verb endings change for each pronoun: ja (I), ty (you), on/ona/ono (he/she/it), my (we), wy (you all), oni/one (they).
- Regular verbs follow specific patterns for each conjugation group.
Let's look at how to change the endings of verbs in Polish present tense based on the pronoun.
Important Points
- For verbs ending in -ać, like 'mówić' (to speak):
- For verbs ending in -ić, like 'robić' (to do):
- For verbs ending in -eć, like 'widzieć' (to see):
Examples
- Ja mówię (I speak)
- Ty robisz (You do)
- On widzi (He sees)
Some verbs do not follow the regular patterns and are called irregular verbs. These verbs need to be memorized because their conjugation is unique.
Examples
- Ja jestem (I am)
- Ty masz (You have)
- Ona idzie (She goes)
Using Present Tense for Habits
The present tense can also describe actions that happen regularly, like habits or routines.
Examples
- Ja chodzę do szkoły (I go to school)
- Oni czytają książki (They read books)
- My gramy w piłkę (We play football)