B1 Polish GrammarTwo-Way Prepositions
Master Polish prepositions that take different cases for location vs direction. Learn when to use accusative (direction) vs locative (location), and how Polish cases determine the meaning of spatial expressions.
1Accusative vs Locative with Prepositions
Polish prepositions like 'w' (in), 'na' (on), and 'do' (to) take different cases depending on meaning. Accusative indicates direction (where to?). Locative indicates location (where?). This is similar to German two-way prepositions but with different cases.
Case Usage
| Preposition | Location (Locative) | Direction (Accusative) |
|---|---|---|
| w | w domu (in the house) | do domu (to the house) |
| na | na stole (on the table) | na st贸艂 (onto the table) |
| pod | pod sto艂em (under) | pod st贸艂 (to under) |
| za | za domem (behind) | za dom (to behind) |
Examples
Jestem w Warszawie.
I am in Warsaw.
w + locative = location
Jad臋 do Warszawy.
I go to Warsaw.
do + genitive = direction
Ksi膮偶ka le偶y na stole.
The book is on the table.
na + locative = location
K艂ad臋 ksi膮偶k臋 na st贸艂.
I put the book on the table.
na + accusative = direction
2The Preposition 'W' (In)
'W' takes locative for location inside (w domu = in the house) and doesn't take accusative for direction. Instead, use 'do' + genitive for direction into (do domu = to the house). This is a key difference from German.
W vs Do
| Meaning | Preposition + Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in (location) | w + locative | w szkole |
| to (direction) | do + genitive | do szko艂y |
| in (country) | w + locative | w Polsce |
| to (country) | do + genitive | do Polski |
Examples
Mieszkam w mieszkaniu.
I live in an apartment.
w + locative
Wchodz臋 do mieszkania.
I enter the apartment.
do + genitive
Pracuj臋 w biurze.
I work in the office.
location with w
Id臋 do biura.
I go to the office.
direction with do
3The Preposition 'Na' (On/At)
'Na' takes locative for location on a surface and accusative for direction onto. 'Na' is also used for certain places (na uniwersytecie, na poczcie) where English uses 'at'. The case change shows static vs dynamic meaning.
Na + Cases
| Meaning | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on (location) | Locative | na pod艂odze |
| onto (direction) | Accusative | na pod艂og臋 |
| at (institution) | Locative | na uniwersytecie |
| to (institution) | Accusative | na uniwersytet |
Examples
Kot siedzi na krze艣le.
The cat is sitting on the chair.
na + locative
Kot skacze na krzes艂o.
The cat jumps onto the chair.
na + accusative
Studiuj臋 na uniwersytecie.
I study at the university.
na for institution
Id臋 na uniwersytet.
I go to the university.
na + accusative
4Motion Verbs with Prefixes
Polish motion verbs often use prefixes to show direction: wchodzi膰/wej艣膰 (enter), wychodzi膰/wyj艣膰 (exit), przychodzi膰/przyj艣膰 (arrive). The verb itself often determines the directional meaning, working with the preposition.
Motion Verb Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| w- | into | wchodzi膰 do |
| wy- | out of | wychodzi膰 z |
| przy- | arrival | przychodzi膰 do |
| od- | departure | odchodzi膰 od |
Examples
Wchodz臋 do pokoju.
I enter the room.
w- = into + do
Wychodz臋 z pokoju.
I leave the room.
wy- = out + z
On przychodzi do pracy.
He comes to work.
przy- = arrival
Ona odchodzi od sto艂u.
She leaves the table.
od- = away from