A1 Polish GrammarBasic Adjectives
Describe people, places, and things with Polish adjectives. Learn how adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. Master common adjective endings and their placement before nouns.
1Adjective Agreement
Polish adjectives must agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case. Most adjectives end in -y (masc.), -a (fem.), -e (neut.) in the nominative. Adjectives come before the noun.
Adjective Endings (Nominative)
| Gender | Ending | Example: duży (big) |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | -y/-i | duży dom |
| feminine | -a | duża książka |
| neuter | -e | duże okno |
| plural (non-masc.) | -e | duże domy |
| plural (masc. pers.) | -i/-y | duzi mężczyźni |
Examples
To jest duży dom.
This is a big house.
duży + masc. noun
Mam nową książkę.
I have a new book.
nowÄ… (acc. fem.)
To jest dobre piwo.
This is good beer.
dobre + neuter noun
Ci młodzi ludzie są mili.
These young people are nice.
młodzi (masc. personal pl.)
2Common Adjectives
Here are the most common Polish adjectives for describing size, quality, color, and other characteristics. Learn these in their masculine nominative form and practice changing endings.
Basic Adjective Vocabulary
| Polish (m.) | English | Opposite |
|---|---|---|
| duży | big | mały |
| dobry | good | zły |
| nowy | new | stary |
| Å‚adny | pretty | brzydki |
Examples
Mam mały samochód.
I have a small car.
mały (small)
To jest dobra restauracja.
This is a good restaurant.
dobra (fem. of dobry)
Stare miasto jest piękne.
The old town is beautiful.
stare (neut.), piękne (neut.)
On jest bardzo miły.
He is very nice.
miły (nice, kind)
3Color Adjectives
Colors in Polish are adjectives that decline like other adjectives. Some colors have irregular forms. They follow the noun or can be used predicatively with być (to be).
Colors
| Polish (m.) | Feminine | Neuter | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| biały | biała | białe | white |
| czarny | czarna | czarne | black |
| czerwony | czerwona | czerwone | red |
| niebieski | niebieska | niebieskie | blue |
Examples
Mam czerwony samochód.
I have a red car.
czerwony + masc. noun
Ta sukienka jest niebieska.
This dress is blue.
niebieska (predicate)
LubiÄ™ czarnÄ… kawÄ™.
I like black coffee.
czarnÄ… (acc. fem.)
Niebo jest niebieskie.
The sky is blue.
niebieskie (neut.)
4Soft-Stem Adjectives
Some adjectives have soft stems ending in -i. These include adjectives ending in -ni, -ci, -dzi. They follow a slightly different pattern but still agree in gender and number.
Soft-Stem Adjectives
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ostatni | ostatnia | ostatnie | last |
| tani | tania | tanie | cheap |
| głupi | głupia | głupie | stupid |
| wysoki | wysoka | wysokie | tall/high |
Examples
To jest ostatni autobus.
This is the last bus.
ostatni (soft-stem)
Ta restauracja jest tania.
This restaurant is cheap.
tania (fem.)
On jest bardzo wysoki.
He is very tall.
wysoki (tall for people)
Mój brat jest wysoki.
My brother is tall.
wysoki (masc.)