Learn Hardcore Polish: Czy możemy szybko kupić długopis w księgarni, zanim pociąg odjedzie? - Can we quickly buy a pen in the bookstore before the train leaves?

Czy is the standard question particle for yes/no questions in Polish. It doesn’t carry a literal meaning (much like “do/does” in English questions) but signals that what follows is a yes/no question. In very casual speech you can drop czy and rely on rising intonation, but in writing or formal contexts it’s normally included.

Why is kupić in the infinitive rather than a conjugated form?

Because it follows the modal verb możemy (“we can”). In Polish, when you use verbs of possibility (móc), permission, or desire (chcieć), the main action is expressed in the infinitive. If you tried to conjugate kupić here (e.g. kupimy), you’d lose the modal nuance and change the structure (that would mean “we will buy”).

What case is długopis in, and why doesn’t it change its ending?

Długopis is the direct object of kupić, so it’s in the accusative case. For masculine inanimate nouns like długopis, the accusative form is identical to the nominative, so you don’t see any ending change.

Why is the phrase w księgarni using the locative case?

The preposition w (“in/at”) indicating location requires the locative case. The nominative księgarnia becomes księgarni in the locative, so w księgarni means “in/at the bookstore.”

Why is zanim used here instead of przed?

Both zanim and przed can mean “before,” but they govern different structures.

Zanim must be followed by a full clause with a finite verb (zanim pociąg odjedzie).
Przed takes a noun or noun phrase (przed odjazdem pociągu) or less commonly an infinitive.

Why is odjedzie in the future tense, and why this particular form?

The train’s departure happens after the buying, so it’s placed in the future relative to the main clause. Polish often uses perfective verbs to express a completed future action. Odjedzie is the 3rd person singular future of the perfective verb odjechać (“to depart/go away”).

What role does szybko play, and could its position change?

Szybko is an adverb modifying kupić (“to buy quickly”). Polish word order is flexible, so you could say Szybko możemy kupić długopis… to emphasize speed. Here it follows możemy, putting the focus on the buying action rather than the adverb itself.

What’s the difference between możemy and chcemy in this sentence?

Możemy means “we can” or “we are able to,” so the question asks about possibility.
Chcemy means “we want,” so swapping it would change the question to “Do we want to quickly buy a pen…” (asking about desire rather than ability).

Can we omit czy and still ask this question?

Yes. In spoken, informal Polish you can drop czy and rely on intonation:
Możemy szybko kupić długopis w księgarni, zanim pociąg odjedzie?
But in writing or more formal contexts, including czy is preferred to clearly mark the question.