Breakdown of Czasem wieczorem oglądam film.
ja
I
wieczorem
in the evening
oglądać
to watch
film
the movie
czasem
sometimes
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Czasem wieczorem oglądam film.
What does Czasem wieczorem exactly mean and why are two adverbs used together?
Czasem means sometimes, wieczorem means in the evening. Combined, Czasem wieczorem translates as sometimes in the evening. Polish often stacks time adverbs to specify frequency plus the time of day. The typical order is a general frequency word first, then a more precise time expression.
Why is wieczorem in this form, and what case is it?
wieczorem is the instrumental case of wieczór (evening). In Polish the instrumental (rather than locative) is used to express “during” a time period, so wieczorem means in the evening.
What is the verb oglądam? Which tense and aspect is it?
oglądam is the 1st person singular present tense of the imperfective verb oglądać (to watch). Imperfective aspect describes ongoing or habitual actions, so oglądam can mean I watch or I’m watching (habitually or right now).
Why is film unchanged in the sentence? What case is it?
film is the direct object of oglądam, so it appears in the accusative case. Since film is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to the nominative, which is why it stays film.
Why don’t we use the pronoun ja for “I”?
Polish verb endings mark the subject. oglądam already indicates “I,” so the pronoun ja is redundant and typically omitted for a more natural style.
Can the word order be changed? For example, can I say Wieczorem czasem oglądam film?
Yes. Polish has a flexible word order and you can move elements for emphasis.
• Czasem wieczorem oglądam film – neutral: “Sometimes in the evening I watch a film.”
• Wieczorem czasem oglądam film – slight shift of focus: “In the evening, sometimes I watch a film.”
Note that such changes tweak the nuance or what part of the sentence is highlighted.
Is there a difference between czasem and czasami?
Both czasem and czasami mean sometimes. czasem is more common in everyday spoken Polish, while czasami is slightly more formal or literary. In most contexts they’re interchangeable.