Duolingo Polish Grammar: Chapter XIV. - Pronouns; Accented forms; The n-forms: after a preposition; Politeness: capitalizing you/your pronoun; Where to put a pronoun?

 D. Chapter XIII. ↔︎ Chapter XV.

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Polish Grammar: Chapter XIV.

Pronouns 1

Tips and notes

Personal pronouns, like most words in Polish, also undergo declension. This may be less surprising if you realize that even English has some remnants of cases, as some of them have a different form when used as an object pronoun.

The table below shows the neutral forms of Polish pronouns in all four cases you encountered so far. By "neutral" we mean that those are the basic forms, which don't show any additional emphasis. Some pronouns have more than one form. Most of the pronouns shown in these T&N will not be used immediately in this skill, but it is easier to show them all at once.

English	Nom.	Acc.	Instr.	Gen.
I/me	ja	mnie	mną	mnie
you/you (sg)	ty	cię	tobą	cię
he/him	on	go	nim	go
she/her	ona	ją	nią	jej
it/it	ono	je	nim	go
we/us	my	nas	nami	nas
you/you (pl)	wy	was	wami	was
they/them	oni	ich	nimi	ich
they/them	one	je	nimi	ich
dummy pronoun	to	to	tym	tego

Example sentences:

• Widzisz go? (Do you see him?)
• Nie lubię ich. (I do not like them.)
• Oni jedzą z nami. (They are eating with us.)

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Accented forms

Some pronouns have accented forms, which give an additional emphasis on the pronoun, usually showing some contrast. This works like "I love YOU, not her!" or "She hates HIM, not me!".

The table shows all the accented forms in the cases you know already, but they are also to be found in Dative.

English	Accusative	Genitive
you/you (sg)	ciebie	ciebie
he/him	jego	jego
it/it	-	jego

Example sentences:

• Kocham ciebie, a nie ją! (I love you, and not her!)
• Ona nienawidzi jego, a nie mnie! (She hates him, and not me!)

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The n-forms: after a preposition

You think that's a lot? Some pronouns have also a special form which we will call an "n-form". By n-form we mean a special form of the pronoun, not the basic one - because several pronouns have forms starting with the letter "n" which for them is the only variant, used in every context.

If such an n-form exists for the given pronoun and case, it has to be used after a preposition and only then.

The table shows all the n-forms in the cases you know already, but they are also to be found in Dative.

English	Accusative	Genitive
he/him	niego	niego
she/her	nią	niej
it/it	nie	niego
they/them ('masculine personal' plural)	nich	nich
they/them ('not masculine-personal' plural)	nie	nich

Example sentences:

• Idę do niego. (I am going to him/to his place.)
• Martwię się o nią. (I am worried about her.)

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Politeness: capitalizing you/your pronouns

Duolingo sentences are just some sentences without a context, so there is no capitalizing pronouns. However, if you are writing to someone directly (a letter, a comment, a private message, a text, etc.), it is highly recommended to capitalize every form of "you" or "your". For example when texting someone you love, you should rather write "Kocham Cię." and not "Kocham cię".

Please note that capitalizing such pronouns would be wrong in such contexts as subtitles for a movie or dialogues in a book - this is just writing down what a character says, it's not addressing anyone directly.

While we're discussing politeness, please remember that at this point in the course you still haven't encountered the formal pronouns.

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Where to put a pronoun?

Firstly, apart from rare cases with accented forms of pronouns, no pronoun other than the subject pronoun should start a sentence.

Secondly, one should avoid putting any pronoun at the end of the sentence if only it is possible. The course may still have some sentences that contradict this advice, but that doesn't change the fact that according to grammar rules, this should not happen.

Compare:

• Lubię cię. (I like you.)
• Ja cię lubię. (I like you.)
• Kocha go. (She/He loves him.)
• Ona go kocha. (She loves him.)

In the first examples of each pair, the sentences were so short that there was just no alternative other than putting the pronoun at the end, so it's perfectly fine. However in the other two, putting the subject explicitly created room for putting a pronoun in a different place. Those sentences are better than "Ja lubię cię." or "Ona kocha go.", which should be avoided.

 

gr/xxi

Polacco: Lesson 500.

D. Lesson 499. ↔︎ Lesson 501.

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LESSON 500.
1. Wasi rodzice jedzą obiad.
- Your partents are eating lunch.
2. Czy masz rodzeństwo?
- Do you have siblings?
3. Jesteśmy małżeństwem.
- We are married/
4. Jestem rodzicem.
- I am a parent.
5. Rodzic
- a parent
6. To małżeństwo.
- This marriage.
7. Nasze babcie są stare.
- Our grandmas are old.
8. Your grandmas have hats.
- Wasze babcie mają kapekusze.
9. Your grandmother and your grandfather.
- wasza babcia i wasz dziadek.
10. I am a parent.
- Jestem rodzicem.
11. This marriage.
- To małżeństwo.
12. I see a grandfather.
- Widzę dziadka.
13. I am a grandfather!
- Jestem dziadkiem.
14. Wasi rodzice jedzą obiad.
- Your parent are eating lunch.

Polacco: Lesson 499.

D. Lesson 498. ↔︎ Lesson 500.

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LESSON 499.
1. Nasze babcie są stare.
- Our grandmas are old.
2. Tamto małżeńtwo ma dziedcko.
- That married couple has a child.
3. Wasi rodzice jedzą obiad.
- Your parents are eating lunch.
4. Twoja babcia i twój dziadek.
- Your grandmother and your grandfather.
5. Jesteśmy małżeństwem.
- We are married.
6. Czy masz rodzeństwo?
- Do you have siblings?
7. Rodzic.
- a parent.
8. Your grandmother is drinking milk.
- Twoja babcia pije mleko.
9. I see a grandfather.
- Widzę dziadka.
10. Our grandmas are old.
- Nasze babcie są stare.
11. This marriage.
- To małżeństwo.
12. I am a parent.
- Jestem rodzicem.
13. I am a grandfather.
- Jestem dziadziem.
14. Our grandmas are old.
- Nasze babcie są stare.

Polacco: Lesson 498.

D. Lesson 497. ↔︎ Lesson 499.

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LESSON 488.
1. Znam jej wujka.
- I know her uncle.
2. Wasza ciocia je śniadanie.
- Your aunt is eating breakfast.
3. Mąż i żona.
- A husband and a wife.
4. Masz rodzinę?
- Do you have a family?
5. Mój tata jest wujkiem.
- My dad is an uncle.
6. A husband and a wife.
- Mąż i żona.
7. Jestem ciocią.
- I am an aunt!
8. My dad is an uncle.
- Mój tata jest wujkiem.
9. I know her uncle.
- Znam jej wujka.
10. I am an aunt!
- Jestem ciocią.
11. Do you have a family?
- Macie rodzinę?
12. Your uncle is old.
- Twój wujek jest stary.

Polacco. Lesson 497.

D. Lesson 496. ↔︎ Lesson 498.

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LESSON 497.
1. Mój brat i moja siostra.
- My brother and my sister.
2. To jest mój tata.
- This is my dad.
3. Wasze siostry, wasi bracia.
- Your sisters, your brothers.
4. To jest moja siostra.
- This is my sister.
5. Mój ojciec je śniadanie.
- My father is eating breakfast.
6. Ona jest córką.
- She is a daughter.
7. My daughter loves me.
- Moja córka mnie kocha.
8. I am a mom.
- Jestem mamą.
9. This is my son.
- To jest mój syn.
10. She and my mother are sisters.
- Ona i moja matka są siostrami.
11. My sons, my daughters.
- Moi synowie, moje córki.
12. Your mothers, your fathers.
- Wasze matki, wasi ojcowie.
13. Am I a father?
- Jestem ojcem?

Polacco: Lesson 496.

D. Lesson 495. ↔︎ Lesson 497.

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LESSON 496.
1. Rodzic.
- a parent
2. Czy masz rodzeństwo?
- Do you have siblings?
3. Nasze babcie są stare.
- Our grandmas are old.
4. Tamto małżeństwo ma dziecko.
- That married couple has a child.
5. Jesteśmy małżeństwem.
- We are married.
6. Mój dziadek pije kawę.
-  My grandfather is drinkin coffee.
7. Moi rodzice nie mówią po angielsku.
- My parents do not speak English.
8. Your grandmas have hats.
- Wasze babcie mają kapelusze.
9.  I see a grandfather.
- Widzę dziadka.
10. This marriage.
- To małżeństwo.
11. I am a grandfather.
- Jestem dziadkiem.
12. My old grandmother.
- Moja stara babcia.
13. I am a parent.
- Jestem rodzicem.

polacco: Lesson 495.

D. Lesson 494. ↔︎ Lesson 496.

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LESSON 495.
1. Jestem ciocią!
- I am an aunt!
2. Mąż i żona.
- A husband and a wife.
3. Moja mama i mój tata to moja rodzina.
- My mom and my dad are my family.
4. Mój ttata jest wujkiem.
- My dad is an uncle.
5. Masz rodzinę?
- Do you have a family?
6. Wasza ciocia ję śniadanie.
- Your aunt is eating breakfast.
7. I know her uncle.
- Znam jej wujka.
8. Znam jej wujka.
- I know her uncle.
9. Do you have a family?
- Macie rodzinę?
10. My dad in an uncle.
- Mój tata jest wujkiem.
11. Your uncle likes horses.
- Wasz wujek lubi konie.
12. Are you his aunt?
- Jesteś jego ciocią?
13. This woman's husband does not speak English.
-  Mąz tej kobiety nie mówi po angielsku.
14. I know her uncle.
- Znam jej wujka.
15. This woman's husband does not speak English.
- Mąż tej kobiety nie mówi po angielsku.

Polacco: Lesson 494.

D. Lesson 493. ↔︎ Lesson 495.

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LESSON 494.
1. Mój ojciec je śniadanie.
- My father is eating breakfast.
2.To jest mój tata.
- This is my dad.
3. Wasze siostry, wasi bracia.
- Your sisters, your brothers.
4. To jest moja matka.
- This is my mother.
5. Mój brat i moja siostra.
- My brother and my sister.
6. Ona jest córką.
- She is a daughter.
7. My daughter loves me.
- Moja córka mnie kocha.
8. Am I a father?
- Jestem ojcem?
9. I am a mom.
- Jestem mamą.
10. Your mothers, your fathers.
- Wasze matki, wasi ojcowie.
11. Are you sisters?
- Jesteśscie siostrami?
12. Does your son like fruit?
- Czy wasz syn lubi owoce?
13. My sons, my daughters.
- Moi synowie, moje córki.

Polacco: Lesson 493.

D. Lesson 492. ↔︎ Lesson 494.

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LESSON 493.
1. Jesteśmy małżeństwem.
- We are married.
2. Brat i siostra to rodzeństwo.
- A brother and a sistere are siblings.
3. Rodzic
- a parent
4. Mój dziadek pije kawę.
- My grandfather is drinking coffee.
5. Nasze babcie są stare.
- Our grandmas are old.
6. Tamto małżeństwo ma dziecko.
- That married couple has a child.
7. Moi rodzice nie mówią po angielsku.
- My parent do not speak English.
8. Your grandmother is drinking milk.
- Twoja babcia pije mleko.
9. I see a grandfather.
- Widzę dziadka.
10. That married couple has a child.
- Tamto małżeństwo ma dziecko.
11. I am a grandfather.
- Jestem dziadkiem.
12. I am a parent.
- Jestem rodzicem.
13. Our grandmas are old.
- Nasze babcie są stare.

Polacco: Lesson 492.

D. Lesson 491. ↔︎ Lesson 493.

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LESSON 492.
1. Twoja ciocia i moja mama są siostrami.
- Your aunt and my mon are sisters.
2. Jei mąż lubi psy.
- Her husband likes dogs.
3. Znam jej wujka.
- I know her uncle.
4. Masz rodzinę?
- Do you have a family?
5. Mąż i żona
- A husband and a wife.
6. Wasza rodzina jest mała.
- Your family is little.
7. Mój tata jest wujkiem.
- My dad is an uncle.
8. Jestem ciocią!
- I am an aunt!
9. Wasza ciocia je śniadanie.
- Your aunt is eating breakfast.
10. My husband wears an overcoats.
- Mój mąż nosi płaszcz.
11. Znam jej wujka.
- I know her uncle.
12. Your uncle likes horses.
- Wasz wujek lubi konie.
13. Do you have a family?
- Macie rodzinę?
14. My dad is uncle.
- Mój tata jest wujkiem.