Conjugations
In Polish several conjugation patterns are distinguished, according to the endings of the 1st and 2nd persons singular of the verb.
The -am / -asz Conjugation
The -am / -asz conjugation comprises verbs which:
- have the -ać ending in the infinitive (e.g. czytać)
- retain the stem suffix -a in all their conjugated forms
- expand the suffix by -j in the 3rd personal plural
- take the -m ending in the 1st person singular
Infinitive: czekać (eng. wait)
ja czeka-m my czeka-my
ty czeka-sz wy czeka-cie
on, ona, ono czeka oni, one czeka-ją
The -em / -esz Conjugation
The -em / -esz conjugation includes verbs which:
- have the -eć ending in the infinitive (umieć)
- retain the stem suffix -e in all their conjugated forms
- expand the suffix by -jin the 3rd personal plural
- take the -m ending in the 1st person singular
Only a few verbs belong to this conjugation (e.g. umieć, rozumieć, jeść, wiedzieć / eng. to know, to understand, to eat, to know).
Infinitive: rozumieć (eng. to understand)
ja rozumie-m my rozumie-my
ty rozumie-sz wy rozumie-cie
on, ona, ono rozumie oni, one rozumie-j-ą
The verbs wiedzieć (eng. to know) and jeść (eng. to eat) belong to this conjugation but the form of the 3rd person plural differs from the form of other verbs: wie-dz-ą, je-dz-ą (but: umie-j-ą). Other verbs belonging to this conjugation have a regular pattern of conjugation.
The -ę / -isz and -ę / -ysz Conjugation
The-ę / -isz and -ę / -ysz conjugation includes verbs which:
- have the -ić or -yć ending in the infinitive (prosić, marzyć / eng. to ask, to dream). Some verbs have the -eć ending (widzieć, słyszeć / eng. to see, to hear)
- take the -ę ending in the 1st person singular
- have the -i or -y ending in the 3rd person singular
- consonants which are soft in the infinitive and in the 2nd and 3rd person singular and in the 1st and 2nd person plural change into hardened consonants in the 1st person singular and 3rd person plural
- the verbs with infinitives ending in -bić, -pić, -wić, -mić, -nić never lose their softness in the 1st person singular and 3rd person plural, e.g.,
Infinitive: płacić (eng. to pay)
| ja | płacę | |
| ty | płacisz | |
| on, ona, ono | płaci | |
| my | płacimy | |
| wy | płacicie | |
| oni,one | płacą |
Infinitive: musieć (eng. must, have to)
| ja | muszę | |
| ty | musisz | |
| on, ona, ono | musi | |
| my | musimy | |
| wy | musicie | |
| oni,one | muszą |
Infinitive: widzieć (eng. to see)
| ja | widzę | |
| ty | widzisz | |
| on, ona, ono | widzi | |
| my | widzimy | |
| wy | widzicie | |
| oni,one | widzą |
Infinitive: wozić ( eng. to carry)
| ja | wożę | |
| ty | wozisz | |
| on, ona, ono | wozi | |
| my | wozimy | |
| wy | wozicie | |
| oni,one | wożą |
Infinitive: robić (eng. to do)
| ja | robię | |
| ty | robisz | |
| on, ona, ono | robi | |
| my | robimy | |
| wy | robicie | |
| oni,one | robią |
Infinitive: mówić (eng. to speak, to say)
| ja | mówię | |
| ty | mówisz | |
| on, ona, ono | mówi | |
| my | mówimy | |
| wy | mówicie | |
| oni,one | mówią |
The -ę / -esz Conjugation
Many verbs whose infinitives have more than two syllables belong to the -ę / -esz conjugation. They terminate in -ować, -iwać or -ywać, e.g., prac-owa-ć, obsług-iwa-ć, pokaz-ywa-ć. Characteristic of this group is the replacement of the suffix -owa-, -iwa- or -ywa- by the suffix -uj- in all forms of the present tense.
Infinitive: gotować (eng. to cook)
| ja | gotuję | |
| ty | gotujesz | |
| on, ona, ono | gotuje | |
| my | gotujemy | |
| wy | gotujecie | |
| oni,one | gotują |
Verbs terminating in -awa-ć belong to the -ę / -esz conjugation, too. The suffix -awa- is replaced by suffix -aj-.
Infinitive: dostawać (eng. to get)
| ja | dostaję | |
| ty | dostajesz | |
| on, ona, ono | dostaje | |
| my | dostajemy | |
| wy | dostajecie | |
| oni,one | dostają |
The -ę / -esz conjugation also includes some monosyllabic verbs in -ić, -yć, -uć, e.g., pić, myć, czuć / eng. to drink, to wash, to feel. They have -j- in all forms of the present tense.
Infinitive: pić (eng. to drink)
| ja | piję | |
| ty | pijesz | |
| on, ona, ono | pije | |
| my | pijemy | |
| wy | pijecie | |
| oni,one | piją |
Verbs whose infinitives end in -ać also belong to the -ę / -esz conjugation (pisać, brać, prać / eng. to write, to take, to wash). They differ from the -am / -asz conjugation in that they undergo consonant and vowel changes.
Infinitive: pisać (eng. to write)
| ja | piszę | |
| ty | piszesz | |
| on, ona, ono | pisze | |
| my | piszemy | |
| wy | piszecie | |
| oni,one | piszą |
Verbs with infinitives terminating in -ść, -źć and -c have the most complicated consonant and vowel changes.
Infinitives: kłaść (eng. to put)
| ja | kładę | |
| ty | kładziesz | |
| on, ona, ono | kładzie | |
| my | kładziemy | |
| wy | kładziecie | |
| oni,one | kładą |
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