Breakdown of Zawsze noszę portfel w kieszeni.
ja
I
w
in
zawsze
always
portfel
the wallet
nosić
to carry
kieszeń
the pocket
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Zawsze noszę portfel w kieszeni.
Why is there no article the or a in this sentence?
Polish does not use articles like the, a, or an. Definiteness and indefiniteness are inferred from context, word order, or additional words rather than separate articles.
Why is portfel not changed to indicate it’s the direct object?
Because portfel is a masculine inanimate noun. In Polish, masculine inanimate nouns have identical forms in the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object), so portfel stays the same.
Why does w kieszeni end in -i?
The preposition w (in) requires the locative case when indicating location. The base noun kieszeń (pocket) is feminine; its singular locative form is kieszeni, hence w kieszeni.
Why is zawsze placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Adverbs of frequency like zawsze (always) can appear before or after the verb in Polish. Placing zawsze at the very start adds emphasis, similar to saying “Always, I carry...”
What’s the difference between using noszę and saying mam przy sobie?
Noszę (“I carry/wear”) is an imperfective verb expressing a habitual or repeated action—“I regularly carry my wallet in my pocket.”
Mam przy sobie (“I have on me”) focuses on possession at that specific moment rather than an ongoing habit.
Why is the subject “I” not written explicitly?
Polish verb endings indicate person and number. The -ę ending in noszę tells you it’s first-person singular (“I”). Therefore the pronoun ja (I) is usually omitted unless needed for contrast or clarity.
Can I say Zawsze noszę portfel w mojej kieszeni to mean “in my pocket”?
Yes. While Poles often drop the possessive because it’s obvious (your own pocket), you can add mojej to emphasize “my.” Note that mojej is the feminine singular locative form of mój (my), matching kieszeni.