On czyta książkę na zewnątrz.

He is reading a book outside.

Breakdown of On czyta książkę na zewnątrz.

• on: he
• czytać: to read
• książka: the book
• na zewnątrz: outside

Questions & Answers about On czyta książkę na zewnątrz.

What is the function of On in this sentence, and is it always necessary to include it?

On is the subject pronoun meaning “he.” In Polish you can often omit subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is. Here, czyta ends in ‑a, which normally corresponds to third-person singular. So you could just say Czyta książkę na zewnątrz and it would still mean “He is reading a book outside,” unless you need to emphasize that it’s specifically “he” (and not someone else).

What tense and aspect does czyta express? Should we translate it as “reads” or “is reading”?

Czyta is the present tense of the imperfective verb czytać, which describes an ongoing or habitual action. In English, Polish present tense often covers both the simple present (“reads”) and the present continuous (“is reading”). In this context, “He is reading a book outside” captures the ongoing sense best.

Why is książkę in the accusative case?

The verb czytać (“to read”) is a transitive verb that takes a direct object in the accusative case. Książka (“book”) in the accusative singular becomes książkę (-a → ‑ę).

What does na zewnątrz mean, and what part of speech is it?

Na zewnątrz literally means “on the outside,” i.e. “outside.” Grammatically, it’s a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverbial of place. Na is the preposition, and zewnątrz is a bound adverb (it never changes form).

Could you use na dworze instead of na zewnątrz? Are there any differences?

Yes, na dworze also means “outside” (literally “in the yard/outdoors”). It’s fully interchangeable in most contexts, though na zewnątrz is a bit more neutral and formal, while na dworze can sound slightly more colloquial or evoke a courtyard/garden.

Is the word order in On czyta książkę na zewnątrz fixed, or can you rearrange it for emphasis?

Polish has relatively free word order. You could say:

• Na zewnątrz czyta on książkę (emphasizes the place)
• Książkę on czyta na zewnątrz (emphasizes the object)
  The default is SVO (On czyta książkę na zewnątrz), but changes are possible to highlight different parts of the sentence.

How is na zewnątrz pronounced?

Phonetically, na zewnątrz is [na ˈzɛv.nɔʂ].

• na as in “nah,”
• zew like “zev” (with e as in “bed”),
• ną nasalizes the o slightly,
• trz is like “troosh” but with a retroflex r.