A1 Polish GrammarNoun Gender
Understand Polish noun genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Learn to identify gender by noun endings and master the masculine subcategories (animate vs. inanimate, personal vs. non-personal).
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1Masculine Nouns
Masculine nouns typically end in a consonant. They are divided into animate (living things) and inanimate (objects), which affects accusative case. Masculine personal nouns (men) have special plural forms.
Masculine Noun Endings
| Ending | Examples | English |
|---|---|---|
| consonant | dom, stół, kot | house, table, cat |
| -ek | człowiek, kotek | person, kitten |
| -ec | ojciec, chłopiec | father, boy |
| -arz | lekarz, piekarz | doctor, baker |
Examples
To jest duży dom.
This is a big house.
dom = masc. inanimate
Widzę psa.
I see a dog.
pies = masc. animate (acc. = gen.)
Znam tego lekarza.
I know that doctor.
lekarz = masc. personal
Kupuję samochód.
I'm buying a car.
samochód = masc. inanimate (acc. = nom.)
2Feminine Nouns
Feminine nouns typically end in -a or -i/-y. Some end in a soft consonant. Most professions for women end in -ka. Natural gender usually matches grammatical gender for people.
Feminine Noun Endings
| Ending | Examples | English |
|---|---|---|
| -a | kobieta, książka | woman, book |
| -i/-y | pani, gospodyni | lady, hostess |
| soft cons. | noc, miłość | night, love |
| -ka | studentka, Polka | female student, Polish woman |
Examples
Moja mama jest nauczycielką.
My mom is a teacher.
mama, nauczycielka = feminine
Ta książka jest ciekawa.
This book is interesting.
książka = fem. (ends in -a)
Noc jest ciemna.
The night is dark.
noc = fem. (soft consonant)
Kocham polską kuchnię.
I love Polish cuisine.
kuchnia = feminine
3Neuter Nouns
Neuter nouns typically end in -o, -e, or -ę (for young animals/children). They have identical nominative and accusative forms. Many abstract concepts and diminutives are neuter.
Neuter Noun Endings
| Ending | Examples | English |
|---|---|---|
| -o | okno, piwo, słowo | window, beer, word |
| -e | życie, pole, morze | life, field, sea |
| -ę | dziecię, imię | child, name |
| -um | muzeum, centrum | museum, center |
Examples
To jest dobre piwo.
This is good beer.
piwo = neuter (ends in -o)
Moje życie jest ciekawe.
My life is interesting.
życie = neuter (ends in -e)
Dziecko śpi.
The child is sleeping.
dziecko = neuter
Jak masz na imię?
What's your name?
imię = neuter (ends in -ę)
4Exceptions and Tips
Some nouns don't follow standard patterns. Nouns ending in -a that refer to men are masculine (tata, kolega). Some nouns have unexpected genders that must be memorized.
Common Exceptions
| Noun | Expected | Actual | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tata | feminine | masculine | dad |
| kolega | feminine | masculine | colleague (m) |
| gość | feminine | masculine | guest |
| tramwaj | masculine | masculine | tram |
Examples
Mój tata jest wysoki.
My dad is tall.
tata = masc. (despite -a ending)
Ten kolega jest miły.
This colleague is nice.
kolega = masc. personal
Mam nowego kolegę.
I have a new colleague.
accusative of masc. animate
To jest dobry gość.
He's a good guest.
gość = masculine
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What gender is 'dom' (house)?
What gender is 'książka' (book)?
What gender is 'dziecko' (child)?
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