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Po południu porównam ceny w sklepie i na rynku.

Po południu porównam ceny w sklepie i na rynku.
In the afternoon I will compare prices in the store and at the market.
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Questions & Answers about Po południu porównam ceny w sklepie i na rynku.

What does po południu mean, and why is po used with the locative case here?
Po + locative expresses “at a certain time after.” In temporal phrases it means “in the afternoon”. Here, południe (“noon/afternoon”) takes its locative form południu, so po + południu = “in the afternoon.”
Why is porównam used instead of an imperfective form like porównywać or będę porównywać?
Porównam is the simple future of the perfective verb porównać, indicating a single, completed action in the future. Imperfective forms like porównywać would require a compound future (będę porównywać) and suggest an ongoing or repeated action. Here you’re stating you will do it once.
What case is ceny in, and why?
Ceny is the accusative plural of cena (“price”). It’s in the accusative because it’s the direct object of porównam (“I will compare prices”). Feminine nouns ending in -a form accusative plural by changing -a to -y/-i.
Why do we say w sklepie and na rynku, and what case are sklepie and rynku?

Both are locative (showing location):

  • w
    • locative = “in” → w sklepie (“in the shop”)
  • na
    • locative = “at/on” → na rynku (“at the market”)
      Sklep (masculine) takes -ie in the locative (sklepie). Rynek (masculine) takes -u in the locative (rynku).
What is the word order in this sentence, and is it fixed?

The basic order is [Adverbial time] – [Verb] – [Object] – [Adverbial place]:
Po południu | porównam | ceny | w sklepie i na rynku
Polish word order is relatively flexible; you can move elements for emphasis, but this order is the most neutral.

How do I pronounce Po południu porównam ceny w sklepie i na rynku?

Polish stress is usually on the penultimate syllable:
po połúdniu porównám ceny w sklépie i na rýnku
– “po WRUHD-nyoo poru-VNAM tseh-nih f skle-PYEh ee na RIHN-koo.”

Can you explain the difference between w and na for locations like sklep vs. rynek?

Generally:

  • w/we = “in” (enclosed spaces or indoor places): w sklepie, w kinie.
  • na = “on/at” (open areas, public places or events): na rynku (“at the market square”), na koncercie (“at the concert”), na plaży (“on the beach”).