Table Of ContentPOLISH VERBS
fully conjugated in all the tenses
in a new easy-to-learn format
alphabetically arranged
by Klara Janecki
Polish verb formation with more than 1200
illustrative sentences
All verbs presented in the imperfective and
perfective aspects
General information on verbs of motion and
reflexive verbs
English-Polish and Polish-English verb indexes
listing nearly 2300 verbs
Special Features
Puzzles, Polish proverbs, and self-tests designed to
improve your familiarity with and usage of Polish verbs
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
POLISH VERBS
fully conjugated in all the tenses
in a new easy-to-learn format,
alphabetically arranged
Second Edition
by
Klara Janecki
Professor and Coordinator of Languages
Confederation College of Applied Arts
and Technology
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
W
BARRON’S
© Copyright 2000 by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
Prior edition, titled 201 Polish Verbs, © Copyright 1977
by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form,
by photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other
means, or incorporated into any information retrieval
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permission of the copyright owner.
All inquiries should be addressed to:
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
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http://www.barronseduc.com
International Standard Book Number 0-7641-1020-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 99-75494
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
9 8 7 6 5 4 3
CONTENTS
Foreword v
Abbreviations Used in the Text vii
Polish Pronunciation vili
English-Polish Terminology Related to the Verb x
Introduction to the Polish Verb xi
Polish Verb Patterns, Endings, Examples, and Formation xv
Polish Reflexive Verbs xxvi
Uses of Polish Verb Tenses xxviii
Sequence of Polish Verb Tenses xxxviii
Polish Verb Governance xl
Polish Verbal Prefixes xli
Polish Verbal Suffixes xlii
Polish Verbs of Motion xlii
Subject Pronouns and Formal Address with Polish Verbs xlvi
Guide to the Use of This Book xlvii
Alphabetical Listing of 301 Polish Verbs Fully Conjugated in All the Tenses 1--301
Verb Tests 303
Answers to Tests 336
Verbs Used in Proverbs 350
Verbs Used in Weather Expressions 353
Polish-English Verb Index 359
English-Polish Verb Index 385
To
Marc and Audrey
who try their utmost
to master the Polish verbs
To
the memory of Dawn
Acknowledgments:
to Stella Zawada who offered invaluable advice
over countless cups of coffee during the creative process
to my son, Marc Kaipio, who patiently guided me
whenever I encountered problems with the computer
to Carla Hruska who helped with the technical side
of the project from the verb template to the crosswords
and for creating the index
to Joan Coutanche for meticulously proof-reading the English
part of the book
to Mr. George Kokocinski for spell-checking every
Polish verb and word
to the helpful computing staff from the Innovation Centre
at Confederation College for a score of useful tips
to my daughter, Audrey Kaipio, for checking minute details
in the manuscript and for walking Chico (Dawn 's dalmatian)
when I was writing
FOREWORD
Focus. The focus of 301 Polish Verbs is on having the verb forms readily accessible for assimi-
lation, practice, and review. Each 301 Polish Verbs page contains a conjugated verb, case use,
and a verb list illustrated by model sentences. We know that language is part of a culture, and ex-
amples provided reflect the Polish culture and make enjoyable reading. Thus, 301 Polish Verbs
functions both as a verb reference for all the tenses and as an example in context. In addition,
practice is provided to consolidate and challenge the learner’s ability to recognize Polish verbs.
This is done in numerous quizzes that test the learner’s retention skills of the verb in various tense
forms. A concise overview of the formation of the tenses provides absolute beginners with an in-
valuable introduction to the Polish verb and seasoned learners with a quick review. By applying
basic rules of verb construction, learners will be able to form verbs of their choice. Furthermore,
cases governing all the 301 verbs provide detailed guidance to those who wish to create sentences
on their own and ultimately help them learn to speak Polish.
Readership. 301 Polish Verbs is intended for anyone interested in the Polish verb, whether it is
an independent learner or a student, businessperson or traveler who needs to learn, perfect, re-
view, or verify the basics of the Polish verb. The book will facilitate both the work of the students
in learning Polish and the process of teaching the language at all levels. It will serve as a useful
learning resource and supplement to a course for students of the Polish language, or a valuable
reference in class for teaching verbs. Students of Polish from the elementary through the ad-
vanced levels will find the methodical and comprehensive presentation of the verb forms helpful,
since available textbooks provide a rather limited number of conjugated verbs and participial
forms. It is also a fact that learners are unable to locate conjugated verbs in a dictionary, as the lat-
ter generally lists verbs only in their infinitive forms. Therefore, 30/ Polish Verbs can stand alone
as a reference tool for anyone interested in or in need of the Polish verbal system forms.
Scope. 301 Polish Verbs starts by guiding you through the diacritics, vowels, consonants, conso-
nant clusters, and word stress in order to help you with Polish pronunciation of the verbs, exam-
ple sentences, and tests. Approximate English sound equivalents are also provided.
A table of English-Polish terminology as it relates to the verb is included, followed by the in-
troduction to the Polish verbal system. It contains a preamble about the verb aspect, person and
number and finite verb forms, gender, and nonfinite verb forms.
The verb patterns in Polish conjugations are named and presented in a table, the verb endings
are illustrated in charts, examples of sample conjugations are provided, and we walk you through
the step-by-step formation of the tenses. The reflexive verbs are dealt with, then the uses of the
Polish verb tenses and the sequence of tenses are explained. The verb governance is illustrated.
Polish verbal prefixes and suffixes are introduced and presented in tables, as are the verbs of
motion.
The subject pronouns are given, and the formal address forms, as they relate to verbs, are ex-
plained in detail.
The page arrangement of the main body of the book is shown by the Guide to the Use of This
Book (page xlvii).
Abbreviations used in the text are listed, and their full forms are provided.
All of the above introductory material is followed by 301 most common imperfective/perfec-
tive pairs of Polish verbs conjugated individually in the present, past, future, conditional, and im-
perative tenses along with the forms for participles. Included with the verbs are notes on verbal
governance that indicate which case is required after each conjugated verb or pair of verbs and
which preposition is used in conjunction with it.
A collection of related verb forms or prefixed verbs, including reflexives, and their correspond-
ing English equivalents are provided in the infinitive form with each conjugated model verb page.
In addition, each page features, in Polish, four examples of syntactically correct verbal usage in
complete sentences for a total of 1,204, that is, 301 X 4 statements followed by equivalent Eng-
V
lish sentences. You’ll see for yourself how the verb functions in a sentence. Example sentences
selected for the verb illustrate idiomatic language usage encountered in everyday situations.
Therefore, you’ll have helpful and practical samples to draw upon in order to communicate in
various situations either with Polish people or in the classroom with your professor and class-
mates.
Furthermore, a comprehensive group of tests, as well as word searches and crossword (verb)
puzzles, is included in the book. Each test includes comprehension-type drills, questions, quizzes,
and so on, designed to show you one of the main tense forms of the verb or its participial forms or
the infinitive. You may want to challenge yourself and try the multipart test to see how much you
have retained of the Polish verb forms that you had studied. An answer key to the tests is included
for a handy, instant cross-check to verb recognition and verification.
Verbs used in weather expressions and with proverbs are also included, and translations are
provided. Both the literal and figurative English translations of the proverbs are supplied.
A list of thousands of Polish verbs is supplied in a Polish-English and English-Polish verb index.
Finally, in each case, the page reference number points to the conjugated model verb and to the
listed related verb.
vi
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT
Adv. Part. adverbial participle (present gerund)
fem. feminine
I imperfective aspect
ID indetermined aspect
masc. masculine
masc.-pers. masculine-personal
P perfective aspect
Past Pass. past passive (participle)
pl. plural
Pres. Pass. present passive (participle)
Pres. Act. present active (participle)
sing. singular
e.g. example
i.e. thatis
Vil
POLISH PRONUNCIATION
Polish, like English, uses the Latin alphabet and adds to it a few extras of its own—etters with di-
acritical marks and groups of letters to accommodate sounds peculiar to Polish. It even has nasal
sounds (¢, ą) as in French. But the nicest feature of Polish is its spelling. It’s basically phonetic,
one letter or cluster to one sound.
Diacritics ą ę ¢ ł ń ó Ś Ź Ż
Vowels a e i 0 u y
3 ¢ 0
All Polish vowels are short.
Consonants b ¢cd f g h j k1l m nop qF r s t v* w x* Z
and Consonant ć dz ch ł ń rz ś Ź
Clusters cz dź sz Ż
dż
* Used in words of foreign origin
Stress. All Polish words have stress. In words of two or more syllables, the stress is placed on
the second last syllable in a word (e.g., dawać, pokażę, zmienia). Also, monosyllabic words com-
bined with the preceding or following word keep the stress on the second-last syllable (e.g., przez
niego, przeze mnie).
Exception: In certain verbal forms and words of foreign origin, the stress falls on the third syl-
lable from the end of the word (e.g., oglądaliśmy, jadłyście; matematyka).
viil
