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Questions & Answers about Proszę, podaj mu kawę.
What is the function of proszę in this sentence?
Here proszę means “please.” It’s a polite formula used to soften a command or request. Although it’s also a form of the verb prosić (“to ask”), in this context it doesn’t carry any literal grammatical subject—think of it as a fixed interjection.
Why is podaj in this form?
Podaj is the second-person singular imperative of podać (“to pass” or “to hand over”). In Polish, you form a command to someone you address as ty by using the verb’s imperative form, here podaj for “you pass.”
Why is there no word for “you” in the sentence?
Polish often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates the person. The -j ending in podaj tells you it’s addressed to ty (informal “you”), so there’s no need for an explicit ty.
What case is mu, and why not jemu?
Mu is the short-form dative pronoun meaning “to him.” Polish has full forms (jemu) and short forms (mu) for dative/locative pronouns. In everyday speech and writing the short forms (mi, ci, mu, nam, wam, im) are preferred.
Why is kawę in that form?
Kawa (“coffee”) is feminine. As the direct object of the verb, it takes the accusative case. The feminine singular accusative of kawa ends in -ę, giving kawę.
Could you swap the word order—for example, say Proszę podaj kawę mu?
Polish word order is flexible, but some orders feel more natural. The standard is verb + indirect object + direct object: podaj mu kawę. You could move proszę to the end—Podaj mu kawę, proszę—but Proszę podaj kawę mu sounds awkward. If you really want to swap, say Proszę, podaj mu kawę or Podaj mu kawę, proszę.
What’s the difference between podaj and daj in this context?
Both podaj (from podać) and daj (from dać) can mean “give.” However, podaj usually implies “pass” or “hand to someone nearby” (e.g. at a table), while daj is more general (“give me that thing”). Here, if you’re handing someone their coffee, podaj is more idiomatic.