Table of Contents
Polish prepositions are small words with a catch: each one demands a specific case from the noun after it. The good news is that the combinations are stable. Learn the preposition together with its case and a model phrase, and you’ll never have to think about it again. This lesson gives you the prepositions that carry most everyday Polish.
Prepositions of place: w, na, u, przy
W + locative means “in”: w domu (at home), w Polsce (in Poland), w pracy (at work), w kinie (at the cinema).
Na + locative means “on”, and also “at” for open spaces and events: na stole (on the table), na ulicy (in the street), na koncercie (at a concert), na poczcie (at the post office).
Some places just take na instead of w, and you learn them as fixed phrases: na dworcu (at the station), na uniwersytecie (at the university), na lotnisku (at the airport).
U + genitive means “at someone’s place”: u mamy (at mom’s), u lekarza (at the doctor’s), u przyjaciół (at friends’ place).
Przy + locative means “by, next to”: przy oknie (by the window), przy stole (at the table).
Prepositions of direction: do, na, z, od
Do + genitive is the main “to”: do sklepu (to the shop), do Polski (to Poland), do domu (home).
Na + accusative is “to” for the same na-places and events: na pocztę, na koncert, na dworzec. Notice the pattern: motion takes the accusative (idę na pocztę), location takes the locative (jestem na poczcie).
The same two-case logic works for w: w + accusative appears in phrases like w góry (to the mountains).
Z + genitive means “from”: z Polski (from Poland), z pracy (from work), ze sklepu (from the shop).
Od + genitive means “from a person”: od brata (from my brother), od lekarza (from the doctor).
So a full round trip looks like this: Idę na pocztę → Jestem na poczcie → Wracam z poczty. And with a person: Idę do lekarza → Jestem u lekarza → Wracam od lekarza.
Other essential prepositions
Z + instrumental means “with”: z bratem (with my brother), kawa z mlekiem (coffee with milk). Yes, z has two jobs; the case tells you which one it’s doing.
Dla + genitive – for: prezent dla ciebie (a present for you)
Bez + genitive – without: kawa bez cukru (coffee without sugar)
O + locative – about: film o wojnie (a movie about the war), and “at” with hours: o trzeciej (at three)
Po + locative – after: po pracy (after work), po obiedzie (after lunch)
Przed + instrumental – before, in front of: przed domem (in front of the house), przed obiadem (before lunch)
Za + instrumental – behind: za domem (behind the house); za + accusative means “in (time)”: za godzinę (in an hour)
Nad + instrumental – above, and “at” with water: nad morzem (at the seaside)
Pod + instrumental – under: pod stołem (under the table)
Między + instrumental – between: między nami (between us)
Examples
Jestem w pracy, będę w domu po szóstej – I’m at work, I’ll be home after six
Jedziemy nad morze na tydzień – We are going to the seaside for a week
Spotkamy się przed kinem o siódmej – We’ll meet in front of the cinema at seven
To jest list od mojej siostry – This is a letter from my sister
Poproszę herbatę bez cukru – Tea without sugar, please
Kot śpi pod stołem – The cat is sleeping under the table
Wracam z Polski za dwa dni – I’m coming back from Poland in two days
Byliśmy u dziadków w weekend – We were at our grandparents’ at the weekend
Vocabulary
| poczta – post office
dworzec – station lotnisko – airport morze – sea góry – mountains ulica – street |
cukier – sugar
mleko – milk lekarz – doctor siostra – sister dziadkowie – grandparents wracać / wrócić – to return |
Exercises
Fill in the preposition (and mind the case of the noun).
- Idę ______________ sklepu – I’m going to the shop
- Ona jest ______________ pracy – She is at work
- Kawa ______________ mlekiem, poproszę – Coffee with milk, please
- To jest prezent ______________ mamy – This is a present for mom
- Wracamy ______________ Polski w niedzielę – We come back from Poland on Sunday
- Spotkajmy się ______________ dworcem – Let’s meet in front of the station
- Byłem wczoraj ______________ lekarza – I was at the doctor’s yesterday
- Film zaczyna się ______________ godzinę – The movie starts in an hour
- Jadę ______________ koncert – I’m going to a concert
- Herbata ______________ cukru – Tea without sugar
Answers:
1: do; 2: w; 3: z; 4: dla; 5: z; 6: przed; 7: u; 8: za; 9: na; 10: bez