Breakdown of Wieczorem idziemy z kolegą do teatru.
iść
to go
do
to
wieczorem
in the evening
my
we
z
with
kolega
the friend
teatr
the theater
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Questions & Answers about Wieczorem idziemy z kolegą do teatru.
Why is Wieczorem placed at the beginning of the sentence? Could it appear elsewhere?
In Polish, word order is quite flexible. Starting with Wieczorem (an adverbial noun meaning “in the evening”) sets the time context right away. You could also say Idziemy wieczorem z kolegą do teatru, and it would mean the same. Moving wieczorem changes emphasis but not the basic meaning.
Why do we use idziemy instead of pójdziemy?
Idziemy is the imperfective present tense of iść (“to go”) and literally means “we are going” or “we go.” In Polish, imperfective verbs describe ongoing, habitual, or planned actions. Here it implies a prearranged plan for the near future.
Pójdziemy is perfective future (“we will go”) and would stress the moment of going rather than the process. Using idziemy sounds more natural for saying “we’re going (there) in the evening.”
Why is it z kolegą and not z kolega?
The preposition z (“with” or “from”) requires the instrumental case. The instrumental singular form of kolega (masculine animate) is kolegą, with the ending -ą. So z kolegą literally means “with (a) colleague/friend.”
Why is it do teatru and not do teatr or na teatr?
- The preposition do takes the genitive case, so teatr (nominative) becomes teatru (genitive singular).
- We use do for entering enclosed places like buildings: do domu, do kina, do teatru.
- Na often marks open spaces or events: na koncert, na spotkanie. You could say na spektakl (to a performance) but you wouldn’t say na teatr when referring to the building.
What’s the difference between kolega and przyjaciel?
Kolega is used for a friend in a casual sense—something like “buddy,” “mate,” or “colleague.” Przyjaciel implies a closer, deeper friendship—“a true friend.” So z kolegą suggests you’re going with a friend or acquaintance, whereas z przyjacielem would highlight a closer bond.
Can I include a possessive pronoun, like z moim kolegą?
Yes. You can say Wieczorem idziemy z moim kolegą do teatru. The possessive pronoun moim also takes the instrumental case to match kolegą, so the structure remains z + instrumental.
How would I say it if my friend is a woman?
You’d use the instrumental form of koleżanka (feminine for “friend”). That becomes koleżanką, so: Wieczorem idziemy z koleżanką do teatru.
Why do we say wieczorem instead of w wieczór?
Wieczorem is the standard adverbial form expressing “in the evening.” You could use w wieczór only in poetic or very formal contexts, often followed by a modifier (e.g. w wieczór świąteczny). For everyday speech, wieczorem is the correct choice.