Learn Hardcore Polish: Ty lubisz kawę.

In Polish, ty is the informal singular pronoun for "you." Although it’s clear from the verb form who you’re talking about, you can still include Ty for emphasis or clarity (like stressing "You like coffee"). In everyday speech, you’ll often hear people omit it, simply saying Lubisz kawę.

Why is kawę used instead of kawa?

Kawa is the basic (nominative) form, but after a verb like lubić ("to like"), you need the accusative case. In the accusative, kawa changes to kawę. This is because the grammar requires direct objects to be in the accusative case.

Where does the -sz at the end of lubisz come from?

Polish verbs conjugate for person and number. The -sz ending is the typical second-person singular ending in the present tense. So, lubić ("to like") becomes lubisz ("you like") when talking directly to one person (ty).

Do I have to pronounce the final "ę" in kawę strongly?

The Polish letter ę (known as "e nosowe") can sound slightly nasal, but it often becomes less nasal at the end of a word. You’ll typically hear something like "kaw-e" with a faint nasal resonance. The important part is to distinguish it from the plain e, but don’t worry if it’s subtle.