Ona czyta gazetę w kuchni.

She is reading a newspaper in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Ona czyta gazetę w kuchni.

• ona: she
• w: in
• czytać: to read
• kuchnia: the kitchen
• gazeta: the newspaper

Questions & Answers about Ona czyta gazetę w kuchni.

Why does gazetę end with -ę instead of -a?

Gazeta (“newspaper”) is a feminine noun. Here it’s the direct object of the verb czyta, so it takes the accusative case. For most feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative singular ends in -ę, hence gazeta → gazetę.

What form is czyta, and how does it relate to the infinitive czytać?

Czyta is the 3rd-person singular, present-tense form of the imperfective verb czytać (“to read”). In Polish, the imperfective aspect describes ongoing or habitual actions, so czyta can mean “she reads” or “she is reading.”

Why is Ona used here? Could we omit it?

Polish verb endings already indicate the subject: czyta ends in -a, showing it’s 3rd-person singular. You can omit Ona (“she”) and simply say Czyta gazetę w kuchni. Inserting Ona adds clarity or emphasis—“She (as opposed to someone else) is reading…”

Why is w kuchni used instead of na kuchni or do kuchni?

The preposition w means “in” and takes the locative case in Polish. Kuchnia (“kitchen”) in the locative singular becomes kuchni, so w + kuchni = in the kitchen. Na would suggest “on” or “at” and pairs with different cases; do means “to,” so do kuchni would be “to the kitchen.”

What case is kuchni, and how do I recognize it?

Kuchnia is a feminine noun. In the locative singular (used after w, na, o, etc.), it loses the -a ending and becomes -i: kuchnia → kuchni. This locative form indicates location.

Can the word order change in Polish? For instance, can I say W kuchni ona czyta gazetę?

Yes. Polish has relatively free word order due to its case system. You can say W kuchni ona czyta gazetę (placing emphasis on the location) or Gazetę czyta ona w kuchni (emphasizing that it’s the newspaper she’s reading). The basic SVO (“subject-verb-object”) order—Ona czyta gazetę—is most neutral.

How do I pronounce czyta and gazetę?

Czyta is pronounced roughly cz = ch in “church”
• y = like the “i” in “bit” but tenser
Gazetę is g as in “go”
• a as in “father”
• e as in “bed”

Why isn’t there an explicit word for “is” as in “She is reading…”?

Polish doesn’t use a present-tense copula (“to be”) in the same way English does. The verb czyta already covers “is reading.” For past tense, you’d add była (she was): Ona była czytała gazetę w kuchni (though more naturally Czytała gazetę w kuchni). Continuous aspect is built into the imperfective verb form.