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Questions & Answers about Podczas lekcji piszę notatki.
What does Podczas mean and how is it used in this sentence?
Podczas is a preposition meaning during or while. It indicates that the action happens at the same time as something else. In Polish, it always takes an object in the genitive case, so you say podczas lekcji (“during the lesson”).
Why is lekcji in the genitive case?
Because the preposition podczas requires its object to be in the genitive. The base form is lekcja (lesson), and its genitive singular is lekcji.
What form is piszę, and what does it express?
Piszę is the first-person singular present tense of pisać (to write). It means I am writing or simply I write. In Polish you often translate it as “I’m writing notes.”
Why is there no pronoun like “ja” for “I” in this Polish sentence?
Polish verbs are conjugated to show person and number. Since piszę already means “I write,” adding ja (I) is unnecessary unless you want to emphasize I specifically.
What case and number is notatki, and why?
Notatki is plural accusative of notatka (note). You use the accusative case for a direct object of the verb pisać. In this case, the plural accusative form notatki happens to look the same as the plural nominative.
Could you use a different verb instead of pisać for “write notes”?
Yes. A common alternative is robić notatki (“to make/take notes”). Robić also demands the accusative: robię notatki. The nuance is small—pisać notatki emphasizes the act of writing, while robić notatki focuses on the process of taking notes.
Can the word order change in this sentence?
Yes. Polish has relatively flexible word order. You could say:
- Piszę notatki podczas lekcji.
- Podczas lekcji robię notatki.
- Even Notatki piszę podczas lekcji. (with emphasis on notatki)
All convey essentially the same meaning, though the emphasis shifts.
Is there another way to say “during the lesson” besides podczas lekcji?
You can also say w trakcie lekcji, which has the same meaning: w trakcie + genitive. So: W trakcie lekcji piszę notatki. Both are perfectly correct and interchangeable.