Breakdown of Po pracy siadam w kuchni i piję herbatę.
w
in
i
and
herbata
the tea
kuchnia
the kitchen
po
after
praca
the work
pić
to drink
siadać
to sit down
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Po pracy siadam w kuchni i piję herbatę.
Why does po require the noun to appear as pracy instead of praca?
Preposition po in the temporal sense after always takes the locative case. The locative singular of praca is pracy, so po pracy means after work.
Why is it w kuchni? Couldn’t I say na kuchni or do kuchni?
Preposition w meaning in requires the locative case, so kuchnia becomes kuchni when you’re inside it. Saying na kuchni would literally mean on top of the kitchen, and do kuchni means to the kitchen (movement). Because you’re already inside and sitting, you use w kuchni.
Why is herbatę in the accusative rather than the nominative herbata?
The verb pić (to drink) takes its object in the accusative case. The accusative singular of herbata is herbatę, so you say piję herbatę (I drink tea).
What’s the difference between siadać/siadam (imperfective) and usiąść/usiądę (perfective)?
siadać is an imperfective verb focusing on the action or habit of sitting down; its present tense form is siadam. usiąść is perfective and emphasizes the completion of the action; its future tense is usiądę. Here, siadam highlights the routine of settling into your seat.
Does Polish have a special present continuous tense like I am sitting or I am drinking?
No. Polish uses the present tense of imperfective verbs (here siadam, piję) for both simple and continuous senses. Context tells you whether it’s an ongoing action or a general habit.
Could I move po pracy to the end and say Siadam w kuchni i piję herbatę po pracy instead?
Yes, word order in Polish is flexible. Putting po pracy at the end shifts the emphasis onto work, but it remains grammatically correct. Placing it at the beginning emphasizes when you do it.
Why aren’t there any words for a/the before pracy, kuchni, or herbatę?
Polish doesn’t have articles like a, an, or the. Definiteness or indefiniteness comes from context, so you simply say po pracy, w kuchni, piję herbatę without extra words.
What’s the difference between the imperfective pić/piję herbatę and the perfective wypić/wypiję herbatę?
pić (imperfective) focuses on the action in progress or on a habit (“I drink/am drinking tea”). wypić (perfective) focuses on the completion of the action (“I will drink up the tea”). In the example, piję herbatę emphasizes the ongoing act of drinking.