Breakdown of Proszę skręcić w lewo przy aptece.
proszę
please
apteka
the pharmacy
skręcić
to turn
w lewo
to the left
przy
at
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Questions & Answers about Proszę skręcić w lewo przy aptece.
Why do we use the infinitive skręcić after proszę?
In Polish, a polite instruction often takes the form proszę + infinitive (e.g. proszę skręcić). This construction is neutral/formal and doesn’t mark second person explicitly. It’s equivalent to English “please turn…”.
Could we instead say Skręć w lewo przy aptece? What’s the difference?
Yes. Skręć is the second-person-singular imperative of skręcić, used in informal speech (friends, family).
- Proszę skręcić = polite or formal “please turn” (singular formal or plural)
- Skręć = casual “turn” (you, informal, one person)
What case is used in w lewo and why?
W lewo (“to the left”) is a fixed adverbial phrase. Grammatically you can see it as w + accusative of lewo, but it functions as an adverb rather than a true noun phrase. Many directional phrases work the same way: w prawo (“to the right”), do przodu (“forward”).
Why is aptece in its current form? Which case is that?
After the preposition przy (“by, next to”), Polish requires the locative case. The base form (nominative) is apteka. The locative singular is aptece, so przy aptece means “by the pharmacy.”
Does word order matter? Could you say Proszę skręcić przy aptece w lewo?
Polish word order is flexible. You could say Proszę skręcić przy aptece w lewo, but the most natural sequence for directions is verb → w lewo → przy aptece. That keeps the main action and direction together.
What aspect is the verb skręcić, and why is perfective used here?
Skręcić is the perfective form (“to turn once, complete the turn”). In commands and directions, perfective verbs are preferred because they imply a completed single action.
Does przy always take the locative case?
Yes. The preposition przy exclusively governs the locative case and denotes proximity (“at, by, next to”).
How would you address more than one person or use an even more formal tone?
– Polite singular or plural: Proszę skręcić w lewo przy aptece, can address one person formally or a group.
– Informal plural: Skręćcie w lewo przy aptece (you all, casual).