Podaj mi numer telefonu, proszę.

Give me the phone number, please.

Breakdown of Podaj mi numer telefonu, proszę.

• proszę: please
• mi: me
• podać: to give
• numer telefonu: the phone number

Questions & Answers about Podaj mi numer telefonu, proszę.

Why is there a mi after Podaj?

Mi is the dative pronoun meaning “to me.” In Polish, indirect objects (the recipient of an action) take the dative case. So podaj mi literally means “give to me.” It typically follows the verb and attaches to it in spoken and written Polish.

Why is telefonu in the genitive case instead of the nominative?

This is a “noun of noun” construction. Numer (number) is the main noun in the nominative, and you specify “number of what?” with another noun in the genitive. Hence numer telefonu = “number of telephone” (i.e. phone number).

Can I omit the mi and just say Podaj numer telefonu, proszę?

Yes. Polish often drops pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject or object. Podaj numer telefonu, proszę is perfectly natural and still means “Give me the phone number, please.”

What’s the difference between Podaj mi numer telefonu and Daj mi numer telefonu?

Both translate as “Give me the phone number.” Daj is the imperative of dać (to give), and podaj is the imperative of podawać (to pass or hand over). In everyday requests, they’re interchangeable—podaj can sound slightly more formal or “hand it over,” while daj is more direct and neutral.

Why is there a comma before proszę?

Proszę (“please”) here is treated like a polite tag or afterthought. In Polish punctuation, interjections and tags are set off by commas, so you write …, proszę after the main clause.

Could I put proszę at the beginning of the sentence instead?

Absolutely. You can say Proszę, podaj mi numer telefonu. Placing proszę at the start often sounds even more polite or formal, but it still functions the same way.

How is the imperative podaj formed from podawać?

To form the 2nd person singular imperative of podawać, you:

1. Take the verb stem podaw-.
2. Change the vowel a to a (no change here), then add -j.
3. You get podaj.
   For plural it’s podajcie, and in very polite or formal speech you can use proszę podać with the infinitive.