Learn Hardcore Polish: Zawsze daję im herbatę rano. - I always give them tea in the morning.

Polish word order is quite flexible. Putting zawsze (“always”) at the start emphasizes the habitual nature of the action. You could also say Daę im zawsze herbatę rano or Zawsze rano daję im herbatę, with only subtle shifts in emphasis.

What case is im, and why can’t I use ich here?

Im is the dative plural form of oni (“they”), used for the indirect object (“to them”). Ich is the accusative plural (“them” as a direct object), but when you give something, the person you give it to must be in the dative case.

Why is herbatę in the accusative case?

Herbatę is the direct object of daję (“I give”). Feminine nouns ending in -a switch to -ę in the singular accusative, so herbata → herbatę.

Why are there no articles like “a” or “the” before herbatę?

Polish does not have articles. Whether you mean “tea,” “a tea,” or “the tea,” the noun form stays the same; context or additional words clarify specificity.

What does rano mean, and why is there no preposition like “in”?

Rano is an adverb meaning “in the morning.” Polish often uses simple adverbs instead of prepositional phrases, so you don’t need a word for “in” here.

How do you pronounce daję, and what does the “ę” indicate?

Daję is pronounced roughly /ˈda.jɛ̃/. The “ę” represents a nasal vowel, similar to the French nasal sound in vin. In final position, it’s a soft nasal “en” sound.

Why use daję (imperfective) and not the perfective dam?

Daję (imperfective) describes a repeated or habitual action—“I keep giving” or “I always give.” Dam (perfective) would refer to a single, completed action in the future or past (e.g., “I will give it once”).

Could I use podaję instead of daję? What’s the difference?

Yes, you could say Podaję im herbatę rano, which leans more toward “I serve/present them tea in the morning,” often used when offering or passing dishes at the table. Daję is a more general “I give.”

Why is there no ja (“I”) at the start of the sentence?

In Polish, subject pronouns are usually dropped because the verb ending (-ę) clearly shows it’s first-person singular. Including ja is grammatically correct but redundant unless you want to emphasize “I” specifically.

Can I rearrange the sentence, and how would that affect the emphasis?

Yes. For example:

Zawsze rano daję im herbatę (emphasizes “always in the morning”)
Rano zawsze daję im herbatę (emphasizes “in the morning, always”)
Daję im herbatę zawsze rano (less common but still acceptable)
Each version shifts which element the speaker highlights.