Ja piszę słówko.

I write a word.

Breakdown of Ja piszę słówko.

• ja: I
• pisać: to write
• słówko: the word

Questions & Answers about Ja piszę słówko.

Why is the subject pronoun ja explicitly included even though the verb form already shows who is performing the action?

In Polish, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb inflection already indicates the subject. However, including ja can add emphasis, provide clarity, or simply be a stylistic choice, especially for learners or to avoid ambiguity in conversation.

What does the verb piszę mean, and how is it conjugated in this sentence?

The verb piszę means "I write." It is the first-person singular form of the verb pisać (to write) in the present tense, indicating that the speaker is performing the action in the current moment.

What is the meaning of słówko, and how does it differ from słowo?

Słówko is a diminutive form of słowo, meaning "word." Diminutives in Polish often convey a sense of smallness, endearment, or informality. In a learning context, słówko might be used to refer to a vocabulary item in a friendly or approachable way.

Why is there no article before słówko in this sentence?

Polish does not have articles like a or the, so nouns appear without them. This is a standard feature of Polish grammar, unlike in English where articles are commonly used to modify nouns.

What grammatical case is słówko in, and what role does it play in the sentence?

In the sentence, słówko is in the accusative case because it functions as the direct object of the verb piszę. The accusative case marks the noun that is directly affected by the action.

How flexible is the word order in Polish, and why does this sentence use a subject-verb-object order?

Polish word order is relatively flexible due to its rich case system, which clearly marks grammatical roles. However, the subject-verb-object order seen in Ja piszę słówko is common and straightforward, making the sentence easy to understand. Deviations from this order can be used to emphasize different parts of the sentence.

Is it necessary to include the subject pronoun ja in every sentence, or can it be omitted?

It is not necessary to include ja every time because the verb piszę already indicates the first-person subject. Native speakers often omit the subject when context is clear, but using it can highlight the subject for emphasis or clarity, which is particularly helpful for language learners.