Learn Hardcore Polish: Włącz lampę i zamknij drzwi, proszę. - Turn on the lamp and close the door, please.

They are second-person singular imperatives: Włącz means Turn on, and zamknij means Close, addressed to one person you are on informal terms with (ty).

Why does lampę end with -ę?

Because lampa is a feminine noun and here it’s a direct object in the accusative singular. Feminine nouns like lampa typically take -ę in the accusative singular: lampa → lampę.

Why doesn’t drzwi change form here?

Drzwi is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum). Its nominative and accusative forms are the same: drzwi. So as a direct object it stays drzwi.

Is the aspect here important? Why włączyć/zamknąć (perfective) and not włączać/zamykać (imperfective)?

Yes. Imperatives that ask for a single, complete action usually use the perfective: Włącz (switch it on once, to completion), zamknij (close it fully). Imperfective imperatives (włączaj, zamykaj) suggest ongoing/repeated actions or instructions like Do keep turning it on / Make it a habit to close it.

How would I say this to more than one person?

Use the plural imperative: Włączcie lampę i zamknijcie drzwi, proszę.

How can I be more formal/polite, e.g., to a stranger?

Common options:

Proszę włączyć lampę i zamknąć drzwi. (proszę + infinitive)
Niech Pan/Pani włączy lampę i zamknie drzwi. (to a man/woman respectively)
With a conditional: Czy mógłby Pan/mogłaby Pani włączyć lampę i zamknąć drzwi?

Can proszę go somewhere else? Is the comma correct?

Yes. You can say Proszę, włącz lampę i zamknij drzwi. or Włącz lampę i zamknij drzwi, proszę. Commas are standard because proszę functions like a parenthetical please. You can also omit proszę for a more direct tone.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a”?

Polish has no articles. Lampa and drzwi can mean the lamp/door or a lamp/door; context supplies definiteness.

How do I say Don’t turn on the lamp and don’t close the door?

Typically with imperfective and genitive after negation:

Nie włączaj lampy i nie zamykaj drzwi. Note: after negation, direct objects usually take genitive: lampy (gen. sg.). Drzwi happens to look the same in accusative and genitive plural.

Could I swap the order: Close the door and turn on the lamp?

Yes: Zamknij drzwi i włącz lampę, proszę. Polish word order is flexible; both are natural.

Why use i and not a between the two commands?

I means and (simple addition). A often contrasts or shifts topics, so here i is the natural choice.

Are there synonyms for włączyć in this context?

Yes:

Zapal światło or zaświeć światło = Turn on the light (very common for lights).
Włącz lampę/światło = Turn on the lamp/light (neutral, especially for anything with a switch). Avoid the common mistake włanczać/włanczyć—these are incorrect; the correct forms are włączać/włączyć.

How do I pronounce the tricky bits?

ł like English w: włącz ≈ vwonch (the final cz like ch in church).
ą is nasal; before cz it sounds roughly like the vowel in French bon: vwonch.
rz like English zh in measure: drzwi starts with a d+zh cluster, then w is like v: roughly dzh-VEE.
sz in proszę is sh: pro-sheh. Stress in Polish is almost always on the second-to-last syllable: WŁącz, ZAM-knij, DRZ-wi, PRO-szę.

Is the full stop okay after an imperative? Should it be an exclamation mark?

Both are fine. A period sounds neutral/polite, especially with proszę. An exclamation mark adds urgency or emphasis.

What gender are these nouns and how do they agree?

Lampa is feminine: ta lampa, tę lampę, z tą lampą.
Drzwi is plural-only: te drzwi, otwarte drzwi, w drzwiach, do drzwi, z drzwiami. Adjectives and pronouns must be plural with drzwi.

Could I say Włącz światło instead of Włącz lampę?

Yes. Włącz światło (Turn on the light) is often more idiomatic if you mean room lighting in general. Włącz lampę focuses on the specific lamp as a device. Both are fine depending on context.