Dziękuję za miły gest.

Thank you for the nice gesture.

Breakdown of Dziękuję za miły gest.

• dziękuję: thank you
• miły: nice
• gest: the gesture
• za: for

Questions & Answers about Dziękuję za miły gest.

What is the infinitive form of dziękuję, and how is the first-person singular present tense formed?

Dziękuję is the first-person singular present tense of the infinitive dziękować (“to thank”). To form it:

• Remove the infinitive ending -ać from dziękować, leaving the stem dziękow-
• Add the personal ending -ę (for “I”), yielding dziękuję
  So dziękuję literally means “I thank” and is used in Polish as “thank you.”

Why is za used before miły gest, and which case does it govern here?

In Polish, dziękować za means “to thank for.” In that meaning, the preposition za always takes the accusative case. Since gest is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative singular form is identical to its nominative (gest). Hence za miły gest (“for a nice gesture”).

Why is the adjective miły not in the form miłego?

Because gest is an inanimate masculine noun. In Polish grammar:

• Animate masculine nouns change in the accusative (e.g. pies → psa)
• Inanimate masculine nouns keep the nominative form in the accusative
  Therefore the adjective stays as masculine nominative/accusative singular: miły gest.

How do you pronounce Dziękuję za miły gest, and where is the stress?

IPA transcription: /d͡ʑɛŋˈkujɛ za ˈmiwɨ ɡɛst/

• dziękuję = [d͡ʑɛŋˈkujɛ] (stress on -ku-)
• za = [za] (unstressed)
• miły = [ˈmiwɨ] (stress on mi-)
• gest = [ɡɛst]

Approximate English-style: “jen-KOO-yeh zah MEE-vih gest.” Polish words are almost always stressed on the penultimate syllable.

What’s the difference between dziękuję and dzięki?

• Dziękuję: Neutral to formal “thank you,” suitable for polite or official contexts.
• Dzięki: Informal/colloquial “thanks,” used among friends or in casual speech.
  Example:
  • Dziękuję za miły gest. (standard)
  • Dzięki za miły gest. (casual)

How can you include the pronoun “you” (ty) in this sentence?

You can make it explicit by adding the dative pronoun ci (to you):
“Dziękuję ci za miły gest.”
Here ci follows the verb and makes it clear you’re thanking “you” in particular.

Can you change the word order to emphasize a different part of the sentence?

Yes. Polish has flexible word order. For example:
• Neutral: Dziękuję za miły gest.
• Emphasize the gesture: Za miły gest dziękuję.
Moving za miły gest to the front highlights what you’re thankful for.

Are there synonyms for gest, and how do they differ in nuance?

Common alternatives:

• uprzejmość (“kindness,” “courtesy”) – a broader, abstract quality rather than a single act.
• życzliwość (“kindness,” “goodwill”) – even more general warmth or benevolence.
  Gest focuses on a specific action (e.g. a thoughtful deed or symbolic gesture).

How could you make this phrase even more formal or polite?

Add intensifiers or titles, for example:

• Serdecznie dziękuję za miły gest. (“I sincerely thank you for the nice gesture.”)
• Panu/Pani serdecznie dziękuję za miły gest. (using Panu for “sir” or Pani for “ma’am” to show respect)