Breakdown of Kiedyś będę ćwiczyć szybciej, ale na razie robię to wolniej.
ja
I
ale
but
kiedyś
sometime
ćwiczyć
to exercise
szybciej
faster
na razie
for now
robić
to do
to
it
wolniej
more slowly
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Questions & Answers about Kiedyś będę ćwiczyć szybciej, ale na razie robię to wolniej.
What exactly does kiedyś mean in this sentence?
Kiedyś is an adverb meaning someday or at some point in the (usually near) future. It refers to an unspecified time ahead, implying “at a later date” rather than “right now.”
How is the future tense formed with będę ćwiczyć?
Polish has two ways to form the future:
- Simple future with a perfective verb root (e.g. poćwiczę).
- Periphrastic future with an imperfective verb: będę (future of być) + infinitive.
Here, będę ćwiczyć literally means “I will be practicing,” emphasizing ongoing or repeated activity.
Why is ćwiczyć in the infinitive (imperfective) form rather than using a perfective future form?
The speaker plans a process (getting faster over time), not a one-off completed action. Imperfective verbs describe ongoing or habitual actions and require the periphrastic future (będę ćwiczyć). A perfective verb like poćwiczyć (simple future poćwiczę) would imply “I will practice (once/for a while)” and focus on completion.
What does na razie mean, and how does it differ from teraz?
Na razie means for now or for the time being, highlighting a temporary or provisional state. Teraz simply means now (at this exact moment) without implying how long it will last.
Why is the second verb in the present tense (robię) even though it’s contrasted with a future action in the first clause?
In Polish the present tense covers ongoing actions. The sentence says:
- Future plan: Kiedyś będę ćwiczyć szybciej (Someday I’ll practice faster)
- Current reality: na razie robię to wolniej (for now I am doing it more slowly)
Using the present tense robię simply states what is happening right now.
What is the role of to in robię to wolniej? Can it be omitted?
To is a neuter pronoun meaning it. It refers back to the activity (practicing). You can say robię wolniej without to, but including to clarifies what “I’m doing more slowly” and adds a slight emphasis on “that thing.”
How are the comparatives szybciej and wolniej formed and pronounced?
• szybko (quickly) → szybciej (more quickly)
• wolno (slowly) → wolniej (more slowly)
Formation: take the adjective/adverb stem and add -ej.
Pronunciation (approximate):
• szybciej: [SHIB-chay]
• wolniej: [VOL-nyeh]
Could I use the perfective form poćwiczę instead of ćwiczyć in the first clause?
You could say Kiedyś poćwiczę szybciej, but that shifts the meaning to “Someday I will (once) practice faster.” It feels like a single, complete session. The original with będę ćwiczyć implies an ongoing process of improvement over time.