A2 Polish GrammarTemporal Prepositions
Express time relationships precisely in Polish with temporal prepositions. Learn od (since/from), do (until), przez (for duration), przed (before), po (after), and za (in/within). Each preposition governs a specific case and conveys a distinct time meaning.
1Od and Do (From/Since and Until)
Od means 'from' or 'since' a starting point in time. Do means 'to' or 'until' an ending point. Both take the genitive case. Together they form time ranges: od poniedzia艂ku do pi膮tku (from Monday to Friday). Od can also express duration with present tense.
Od and Do Usage
| Preposition | Meaning | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| od | from/since | genitive | od rana (since morning) |
| do | to/until | genitive | do wieczora (until evening) |
| od...do | from...to | genitive | od 9 do 17 |
Examples
Pracuj臋 od 贸smej.
I work from eight o'clock.
od + genitive (贸smej)
B臋d臋 tu do pi膮tku.
I'll be here until Friday.
do + genitive (pi膮tku)
Mieszkam tu od pi臋ciu lat.
I've lived here for five years.
od + duration with present
Od poniedzia艂ku do 艣rody jestem zaj臋ty.
From Monday to Wednesday I'm busy.
od...do range
2Przez (For Duration)
Przez expresses duration - how long an action lasted. It takes the accusative case. Przez godzin臋 (for an hour), przez ca艂y dzie艅 (all day long). It implies continuous duration throughout the time period. Often used with past tense for completed durations.
Przez Usage
| Expression | English | Case |
|---|---|---|
| przez godzin臋 | for an hour | accusative |
| przez ca艂y dzie艅 | all day long | accusative |
| przez tydzie艅 | for a week | accusative |
| przez wakacje | during vacation | accusative |
Examples
Czeka艂em przez godzin臋.
I waited for an hour.
przez + accusative for duration
Uczy艂em si臋 przez ca艂y dzie艅.
I studied all day long.
przez ca艂y - 'the whole'
Przez tydzie艅 pada艂 deszcz.
It rained for a week.
continuous duration
Przez lata pracowa艂em tam.
For years I worked there.
przez lata - 'for years'
3Przed and Po (Before and After)
Przed means 'before' and takes instrumental case. Po means 'after' and takes locative case. These are essential for sequencing events. Przed obiadem (before lunch), po obiedzie (after lunch). Note the different cases!
Przed and Po
| Preposition | Meaning | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| przed | before | instrumental | przed obiadem |
| po | after | locative | po obiedzie |
| przed | ago | instrumental | przed rokiem (a year ago) |
Examples
Przyjd臋 przed 贸sm膮.
I'll come before eight.
przed + instrumental
Po pracy id臋 do domu.
After work I go home.
po + locative (pracy)
Widzia艂em go przed rokiem.
I saw him a year ago.
przed + time = ago
Po obiedzie odpoczywam.
After lunch I rest.
po + locative (obiedzie)
4Za and W/We (In Future and On)
Za + accusative expresses 'in' (future time): za godzin臋 (in an hour), za tydzie艅 (in a week). W/We + accusative is used with days: w poniedzia艂ek (on Monday). W + locative is used with months/years: w maju (in May), w 2024 roku (in 2024).
Time Expressions with Za and W
| Expression | Meaning | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| za godzin臋 | in an hour | za + accusative |
| w poniedzia艂ek | on Monday | w + accusative |
| w maju | in May | w + locative |
| we wtorek | on Tuesday | we + accusative |
Examples
Wr贸c臋 za godzin臋.
I'll be back in an hour.
za + accusative (future)
Spotkamy si臋 w pi膮tek.
We'll meet on Friday.
w + accusative (day)
Urodzi艂em si臋 w sierpniu.
I was born in August.
w + locative (month)
Za dwa dni wyje偶d偶am.
In two days I'm leaving.
za + accusative plural