Ja czekam na paczkę w domu.

Breakdown of Ja czekam na paczkę w domu.

ja
I
dom
the house
w
in
na
for
czekać
to wait
paczka
the package
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Questions & Answers about Ja czekam na paczkę w domu.

Why is ja used here? Do I have to include it?
The pronoun ja (I) is optional in Polish because the verb ending -am already shows first-person singular. It’s used for emphasis or clarity, but you can simply say Czekam na paczkę w domu.
Why is paczkę used instead of paczka?
Paczkę is the accusative singular of paczka (package). After na with the verb czekać (wait for), the direct object must be in the accusative case.
Why do we need the preposition na before paczkę?
To specify what you’re waiting for, Polish uses czekać na (wait for). Without na, czekać just means “to wait” in general.
What case is domu, and why is w used instead of na?
Domu is the locative of dom (house). The preposition w (in/at) requires the locative when indicating location. Saying w domu means “at home.”
What’s the difference between czekać and poczekać?
Czekać is imperfective, focusing on an ongoing or habitual action (“I am waiting”). Poczekać is perfective, focusing on the action as a whole or its completion (“I will wait” or “I waited”).
Can I change the word order in this sentence?
Yes. Polish word order is flexible. For emphasis you can say W domu czekam na paczkę or Na paczkę czekam w domu—the meaning stays the same.
How do I pronounce czekam?
Czekam is pronounced CHEH-kam: cz as in “cherry,” e as in “bet,” and kam like “calm” without the “l.”
What gender is paczka, and how does that affect its forms?
Paczka is feminine. Its singular cases are: nominative paczka, accusative paczkę, genitive paczki, locative paczce, etc., with endings changing by case.