Polish Present Tense
Content
- -am/-asz, -em/-esz Conjugation
- -ę/-isz, -ę/-ysz Conjugation
- -ę/-esz Conjugation
- -je/-jesz Conjugation
- Irregular Conjugation
– Like in English, the Polish present tense is used to express things that are happening in the present. Also like in English, motion verbs can be conjugated in the present tense but express things that will occur in the future.
Idę tam jutro.
(I am going there tomorrow)
The verb is in the present tense but is talking about tomorrow, which is in the future.
– Być (be) is the only irregular verb in the sense that its present form is completely different from its infinitive.
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | jestem | jesteśmy |
| 2nd Person | jesteś | jesteście |
| 3rd Person | jest | są |
– All verbs can be divided into 5 categories of conjugation, based on what their present tense conjugations are:
- -am/-asz and -em/-esz
- -ę/-isz and -ę/-ysz
- -ę/-esz
- -je/-jesz
- Irregular
Present Tense Conjugation
-am/-asz, -em/-esz Conjugation
Most verbs whose stems end with -ać, and some with -eć, fall into this category.
-ać Stem
Here is a conjugation chart for verbs in this category. To conjugate, simply drop the ać and add these endings.
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | am | amy |
| 2nd Person | asz | acie |
| 3rd Person | a | ają |
Example:
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | Ja czytam (I am reading) |
My czytamy (We are reading) |
| 2nd Person | Ty czytasz (You are reading) |
Wy czytacie (You (plural) are reading) |
| 3rd Person | On czyta (He is reading) |
Oni czytają (They are reading) |
-eć Stem
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | em | emy |
| 2nd Person | esz | ecie |
| 3rd Person | e | eją |
-ę/-isz, -ę/-ysz Conjugation
Verbs whose stems end with -ić/-yć, and some with -eć are in this category.
-ić Stem, some -eć Stem
Verbs ending with -ić and some ending with -eć fall under this conjugation.
Note: In the 1st personal singular and 3rd personal plural forms, stems with endings in -bić, -pić, -wić, -fić, -mić, or -nić retain the letter i. Verbs with other stem endings, such as -sić become hardened in the 1st personal singular and 3rd personal plural forms.
Here are the conjugation endings:
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ę | imy |
| 2nd Person | isz | icie |
| 3rd Person | i | ą |
Robić (do)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | robię | robimy |
| 2nd Person | robisz | robicie |
| 3rd Person | robi | robią |
Prosić (ask for)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | proszę | prosimy |
| 2nd Person | prosisz | prosicie |
| 3rd Person | prosi | proszą |
Woleć (prefer)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | wolę | wolimy |
| 2nd Person | wolisz | wolicie |
| 3rd Person | woli | wolą |
Siedzieć (sit)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | siedzę | siedzimy |
| 2nd Person | siedisz | siedzicie |
| 3rd Person | siedzi | siedzą |
-yć Stem
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ę | ymy |
| 2nd Person | ysz | ycie |
| 3rd Person | y | ą |
Uczyć (teach)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | uczę | uczymy |
| 2nd Person | uczysz | uczycie |
| 3rd Person | uczy | uczą |
-ę/-esz Conjugation
Most verbs with stems in -ować/-iwać/-ywac, -ąć, -ść/-źć-c, and some in -ać fall under this category.
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ę | emy |
| 2nd Person | esz | ecie |
| 3rd Person | e | ą |
-ować/-iwać/-ywać Stem
The -ować, -iwać, and -ywać change into -uj + ending.
Note: a few verbs with this type of stem take the -am/-asz conjugation.
Pracować (work)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | pracuję | pracujemy |
| 2nd Person | pracujesz | pracujecie |
| 3rd Person | pracuje | pracują |
BUT:
Odpoczywać (rest)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | odzpoczywam | odpoczywamy |
| 2nd Person | odpoczywasz | odpoczywacie |
| 3rd Person | odpoczywa | odpoczywają |
-ąć Stem
The stem remains hard (i.e. no letter “i” is added) in the 1st person singular and 3rd person plural forms.
Ciągnąć (pull)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ciągnę | ciągniemy |
| 2nd Person | ciągniesz | ciągniecie |
| 3rd Person | ciągnie | ciągną |
-ść/-źć/-c Stem
Verbs with these stems have many consonant and vowel changes which can be hard to predict.
Nieść (bring)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | niosę | niesiemy |
| 2nd Person | niesiesz | niesiecie |
| 3rd Person | niesie | niosą |
Kłaść (place)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | kładę | kładziemy |
| 2nd Person | kładziesz | kładziecie |
| 3rd Person | kładzie | kładą |
Wieźć (carry (by vehicle))
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | wiozę | wieziemy |
| 2nd Person | wieziesz | wiziecie |
| 3rd Person | wiezie | wiozą |
Piec (bake)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | piekę | pieczemy |
| 2nd Person | pieczesz | piczecie |
| 3rd Person | piecze | pieką |
Móc (can)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | mogę | możemy |
| 2nd Person | możesz | możecie |
| 3rd Person | może | mogą |
-ać Stem
Some verbs ending with -ać full under this conjugation. There are various stem changes that can occur.
Pisać (write)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | piszę | piszemy |
| 2nd Person | piszesz | piszecie |
| 3rd Person | pisze | piszą |
Brać (take)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | biorę | bierzemy |
| 2nd Person | bierzesz | bierzecie |
| 3rd Person | bierze | biorą |
Dawać (give)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | daję | dajemy |
| 2nd Person | dajesz | dajecie |
| 3rd Person | daje | dają |
-ję/-jesz Conjugation
This category is mostly for monosyllabic verbs with stems with -ić, -yć, -uć, and -eć
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | ję | jemy |
| 2nd Person | jesz | jecie |
| 3rd Person | je | ją |
Żyć (live)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | żyję | żyjemy |
| 2nd Person | żyjesz | żyjecie |
| 3rd Person | żyje | żyją |
Myć (wash)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | myję | myjemy |
| 2nd Person | myjesz | myjecie |
| 3rd Person | myje | myją |
Irregular
Mieć (have)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | mam | mamy |
| 2nd Person | masz | macie |
| 3rd Person | ma | mają |
Wiedzieć (know)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | wiem | wiemy |
| 2nd Person | wiesz | wiecie |
| 3rd Person | wie | wiedzą |
Jeść (eat)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | jem | jemy |
| 2nd Person | jesz | jecie |
| 3rd Person | je | jedzą |
Bać się (be afraid)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | boję | boimy |
| 2nd Person | boisz | boicie |
| 3rd Person | boi | boją |
Spać (sleep)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | śpię | śpimy |
| 2nd Person | śpisz | śpicie |
| 3rd Person | śpi | śpią |
Iść (go (by foot))
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | idę | idziemy |
| 2nd Person | idziesz | idziecie |
| 3rd Person | idzie | idą |
Jechać (go (by vehicle)
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | jadę | jedziemy |
| 2nd Person | jedziesz | jedziecie |
| 3rd Person | jedzie | jadą |
Chcieć
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st Person | chcę | chcemy |
| 2nd Person | chcesz | chcecie |
| 3rd Person | chce | chcą |