A1 Polish GrammarArticles (Definite & Indefinite)
Polish has no articles - no equivalent of 'the' or 'a/an'. Learn how Polish uses word order, demonstratives, and context to convey definiteness. This is a major simplification compared to English and other European languages.
1No Articles in Polish
Polish has no articles - there is no word for 'the' or 'a/an'. This is one of the simplest aspects of Polish for English speakers. Context and word order indicate whether something is definite or indefinite.
Polish vs English
| Polish | English (indefinite) | English (definite) |
|---|---|---|
| Mam ksi膮偶k臋. | I have a book. | I have the book. |
| Widz臋 psa. | I see a dog. | I see the dog. |
| To jest dom. | This is a house. | This is the house. |
| Kobieta idzie. | A woman is walking. | The woman is walking. |
Examples
Kupuj臋 chleb.
I am buying bread / the bread.
context determines a/the
Samoch贸d jest czerwony.
The car is red.
no article needed
Mam problem.
I have a problem.
indefinite from context
Dziecko 艣pi.
The child is sleeping.
definite from context
2Demonstratives for Emphasis
When you need to emphasize 'the' or 'this/that', Polish uses demonstratives: ten (this, masc.), ta (this, fem.), to (this, neut.). These decline for case, gender, and number.
Demonstrative Pronouns (Nominative)
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | ten | ta | to |
| that | tamten | tamta | tamto |
| these (masc.) | ci / te | te | te |
| those | tamci / tamte | tamte | tamte |
Examples
Ten dom jest du偶y.
This house is big.
ten + masc. noun
Ta kobieta jest mi艂a.
This woman is nice.
ta + fem. noun
To dziecko jest ma艂e.
This child is small.
to + neut. noun
Tamten samoch贸d jest m贸j.
That car is mine.
tamten for 'that' (distant)
3Word Order for Definiteness
Polish uses word order to signal definiteness. New or indefinite information typically comes at the end of the sentence, while known or definite information comes first. This is called information structure.
Word Order and Meaning
| Polish | Emphasis | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ksi膮偶ka jest na stole. | the book (known) | The book is on the table. |
| Na stole jest ksi膮偶ka. | a book (new info) | There's a book on the table. |
| Kot 艣pi. | the cat (known) | The cat is sleeping. |
| 艢pi kot. | a cat (new info) | A cat is sleeping. |
Examples
Pies jest w ogrodzie.
The dog is in the garden.
known subject first = definite
W ogrodzie jest pies.
There is a dog in the garden.
new info at end = indefinite
Maria przysz艂a.
Maria came.
subject first (expected)
Przysz艂a Maria.
Maria came. (unexpected)
subject last (surprising)
4Jeden as Indefinite Marker
Sometimes jeden (one) is used like an indefinite article to emphasize 'a certain' or 'one particular'. This is optional and adds slight emphasis. It declines for gender and case.
Jeden as 'a/one'
| Gender | Nominative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | jeden | jeden m臋偶czyzna |
| feminine | jedna | jedna kobieta |
| neuter | jedno | jedno dziecko |
Examples
Znam jednego cz艂owieka.
I know a (certain) man.
jeden for emphasis
Mam jedn膮 pro艣b臋.
I have one request.
jedna emphasizes 'just one'
To tylko jedno pytanie.
It's just one question.
jedno for neuter
Pewien cz艂owiek mi powiedzia艂.
A certain man told me.
pewien = a certain (alternative)