Learn Hardcore Polish: Choć jestem zmęczony, powinienem ćwiczyć, żeby choroba nie wróciła. - Although I am tired, I should exercise so that the illness does not return.

Choć is a subordinating conjunction meaning “although” or “though.” It introduces a concessive clause (showing contrast) and signals that the main clause (powinienem ćwiczyć…) contradicts the condition in the subordinate clause (jestem zmęczony).

What is the difference between choć and chociaż, and when should I use one or the other?

Both choć and chociaż mean “although” and can often be used interchangeably. Chociaż is slightly more emphatic or colloquial, while choć can feel a bit more formal or literary. In everyday speech, you’ll hear chociaż more frequently.

Why do we say jestem zmęczony and not jestem zmęczona?

Polish adjectives agree in gender with the subject. Zmęczony is the masculine singular form because the speaker is male. A female speaker would say jestem zmęczona (feminine form).

Why is there a comma after choć jestem zmęczony, and another one after ćwiczyć?

Subordinate clauses in Polish—like the concessive clause introduced by choć and the purpose clause introduced by żeby—are set off from the main clause with commas. That’s why you see commas at both points.

Why is powinienem used here, and what would change if the speaker is female?

Powinienem is the first-person singular masculine form of the modal verb powinien (“should/ought to”). It expresses a sense of obligation or advisability. A female speaker would use powinnam instead.

Why is ćwiczyć in the infinitive form after powinienem?

In Polish, modal verbs like powinien (should), móc (can), and chcieć (want) are followed by an infinitive. So you say powinienem ćwiczyć (“I should exercise”).

What role does żeby play in this sentence, and how does it compare to aby?

Żeby introduces a purpose clause (“so that/in order that”). It’s a colloquial variant of aby. Both are correct, but żeby is more common in spoken Polish, while aby can sound a bit more formal or literary.

Why is wróciła in the past tense and perfective aspect, and why is nie placed before it?

Wróciła is the feminine singular past tense of the perfective verb wrócić (“to return”), emphasizing a single, completed event: the disease returning once more. In Polish, the negation nie always precedes the verb, so nie wróciła means “did not return / will not return.”

Could we use the imperfective form wracać instead of wróciła, and how would the meaning change?

Yes. Żeby choroba nie wracała uses the imperfective aspect and focuses on preventing repeated or ongoing relapses. Using the perfective wróciła highlights preventing one specific future occurrence. The imperfective version feels more continuous or habitual.