Breakdown of Proszę skręcić w prawo przy bankomacie, ratusz będzie po lewej.
być
to be
proszę
please
ratusz
the town hall
skręcić
to turn
bankomat
the ATM
w prawo
to the right
przy
at
po lewej
on the left
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Questions & Answers about Proszę skręcić w prawo przy bankomacie, ratusz będzie po lewej.
Why does this sentence start with Proszę skręcić instead of using a simple imperative like Skręć?
The verb skręcić is in the infinitive because it follows Proszę, which here turns it into a polite or formal instruction. Think of it as a more courteous version of “turn right.” If you want to be more direct or informal you could say Skręć w prawo, but that might sound brusque in many contexts.
Why is it w prawo and not na prawo when giving directions?
In Polish, when you talk about turning or moving towards a direction, you usually use w + accusative (so w prawo for “to the right,” w lewo for “to the left”). Na prawo can also mean “to the right,” but it often implies movement onto a surface or area (like na prawo od domu “to the right of the house”). For the verb skręcić, the standard collocation is skręcić w prawo.
Why is the word bankomacie used instead of bankomat?
The preposition przy (meaning “by” or “next to”) requires the locative case. The noun bankomat (ATM) in the locative becomes bankomacie. So przy bankomacie literally means “by the ATM.”
What is the nuance of using przy here instead of obok ?
Both przy and obok can mean “next to,” but:
- przy generally stresses being right next to or in the immediate vicinity of something.
- obok simply means “beside” or “alongside.”
In directions, przy bankomacie feels a bit more natural when you want to indicate the landmark you approach or pass.
Why is there a comma before ratusz?
Because the sentence is a compound of two independent clauses:
- Proszę skręcić w prawo przy bankomacie,
- ratusz będzie po lewej.
Polish punctuation rules call for a comma between two main clauses joined without a conjunction.
Why does it say będzie po lewej instead of using the present tense jest po lewej?
Using the future tense będzie (“will be”) implies something you will encounter after you turn (it’s about what’s coming up). You could use jest (“is”) if the building is already there and visible, but będzie is very common in spoken directions to signal “after you turn, the town hall will be on your left.”
Why is it just po lewej instead of po lewej stronie?
The phrase po lewej is a concise way to say “on the left.” You can expand it to po lewej stronie, literally “on the left side,” and it means exactly the same. Omitting stronie is more conversational.
Can I rephrase it as Skręć w prawo przy bankomacie, ratusz będzie po lewej?
Yes, you can. Dropping Proszę and using the 2nd person singular imperative Skręć makes it more direct and less formal. It’s perfectly acceptable in casual contexts, but if you’re giving directions to a stranger or want a polite tone, stick with Proszę skręcić.
How do I pronounce the ę in skręcić?
The letter ę is a nasal vowel similar to the French in in “pain.” In skręcić, it’s pronounced roughly like “skrehn-chich,” where the ę is a nasalized e and the “ć” is a soft ch sound.