Breakdown of Czy ty używasz długopisu w szkole?
ty
you
w
in
czy
question marker
szkoła
the school
długopis
the pen
używać
to use
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Questions & Answers about Czy ty używasz długopisu w szkole?
What is the function of the particle Czy at the beginning of the sentence? Must I always use it to ask a yes/no question?
Czy is a yes/no question particle in Polish. It signals that the speaker expects a yes/no answer. You don’t always have to use Czy—you can also ask a yes/no question by using rising intonation alone or by fronting another element (e.g., Długopisu używasz w szkole?), but Czy makes the question explicitly marked.
Why is the subject pronoun ty included? Isn’t Polish a pro-drop language where you can omit pronouns?
Polish is indeed pro-drop, so ty is not necessary because the verb ending -asz already marks second person singular. Including ty adds emphasis, contrast, or extra clarity—especially if you want to stress that you’re asking you in particular.
How can I tell that używasz means you use (second person singular present tense), and not some other person or tense?
Polish verbs conjugate with specific endings. The ending -asz on the stem używ- indicates present tense, second person singular, imperfective aspect. For comparison: ja używam (I use), on/ona używa (he/she uses).
Why is używać used here instead of the perfective verb użyć?
Używać is imperfective, which describes habitual, repeated, or ongoing actions (“you use”). Użyć is perfective and describes a single, completed action (“you used it once”).
Why is długopisu in the genitive case rather than the accusative?
The verb używać (to use) requires its direct object in the genitive case. Therefore, długopis becomes długopisu in the genitive singular.
Why do we say w szkole instead of na szkole or do szkoły? And why is szkoła in the form szkole?
The preposition w with the locative case (szkole) means “at” or “in” a place. Na + locative can work for some institutions (e.g., na uniwersytecie), but with schools Polish speakers normally say w szkole. Do szkoły takes the genitive and means “to school” (direction), not “at school.”
Can the word order be changed in this question? For example, could I say W szkole używasz długopisu? or Używasz ty długopisu w szkole?
Yes, Polish word order is relatively flexible because grammatical roles are marked by endings. You can front w szkole to emphasize location (W szkole używasz długopisu?) or place ty after the verb for a different nuance (Używasz ty długopisu w szkole?). The most neutral form, though, is Czy ty używasz długopisu w szkole?
What’s the difference between używać and korzystać? Could I say Czy ty korzystasz z długopisu w szkole?
Używać means “to use” in a general sense and takes a genitive object (używać długopisu). Korzystać means “to make use of” or “to take advantage of” and is followed by z + instrumental (korzystać z długopisu). Both are correct, but korzystać can sound more formal or imply that you’re borrowing or benefiting from something.