Learn Hardcore Polish: Ja chcę pożyczyć książkę z biblioteki. - I want to borrow a book from the library.

In Polish, the verb ending in chcę already signals “I” (first person singular), so subject pronouns are usually dropped in everyday speech. You could simply say Chcę pożyczyć książkę z biblioteki. Including Ja adds emphasis (e.g. “I, as opposed to someone else, want to borrow…”) or serves to clarify who is acting if the context is ambiguous.

Why is książkę in the accusative case?

Książkę is the direct object of the verb pożyczyć (“to borrow”). In Polish, direct objects normally take the accusative case. Since książka is feminine singular, its accusative form changes the ending -a → -ę, giving książkę.

Why is biblioteki in the genitive case with the preposition z?

The preposition z has two common uses:

With genitive, it means “from” (origin or source).
With instrumental, it means “with” (accompaniment).
Here, z biblioteki means “from the library,” so you use genitive: biblioteki is the genitive form of biblioteka.

When do we use z versus ze before a word?

The form z changes to ze when the next word begins with two consonants or a difficult cluster, or before some pronouns/numerals. For example:

ze szkoły (“from school,” because sz is a consonant cluster)
ze mnie (“from me”)
Since biblioteki begins with a single consonant b followed by a vowel i, you keep z: z biblioteki.

What’s the difference between pożyczyć and wypożyczyć, and which is better for a library context?

Both can mean “to borrow” (when you say pożyczyć coś od kogoś or wypożyczyć coś z…) or “to lend” (when you say pożyczyć coś komuś). In the context of libraries, wypożyczyć is more unambiguous and common to mean “to borrow from an institution.” However, many speakers also say pożyczyć książkę z biblioteki in casual speech, and people will understand you.

Why use chcę instead of a more polite form like chciałbym/chciałabym?

Chcę means “I want,” which is direct and normal in everyday statements. Chciałbym (masculine) or chciałabym (feminine) is the conditional form “I would like,” often used for polite requests or softer expressions of desire. In a formal or very polite request, you might say Chciałbym wypożyczyć książkę z biblioteki.

Is the word order flexible here? Could I say Chcę z biblioteki pożyczyć książkę?

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible. The default is Subject–Verb–Object–Phrase, but you can swap elements to shift emphasis.

Chcę pożyczyć książkę z biblioteki. (neutral)
Chcę z biblioteki pożyczyć książkę. (emphasizes from the library)
Both are correct, and the meaning remains the same.

Why use z biblioteki instead of od biblioteki for “from the library”?

Z + genitive is the standard way to say “from a place.” Od + genitive is more common when borrowing from people or agents (e.g. od kolegi – “from a friend”). With institutions or locations, z biblioteki is far more idiomatic, though od biblioteki is grammatically possible but unusual in this context.