Wstań proszę i otwórz okno.

Stand up, please, and open the window.

Breakdown of Wstań proszę i otwórz okno.

• i: and
• proszę: please
• okno: the window
• otworzyć: to open
• wstać: to stand up

Questions & Answers about Wstań proszę i otwórz okno.

Are Wstań and otwórz imperatives? Who am I talking to?

Yes. Both are second-person singular imperative forms, used to address one person informally:

• wstań ← infinitive wstać (to stand up)
• otwórz ← infinitive otworzyć (to open)

How polite/direct is this? Is it okay for strangers or formal situations?

It’s a direct request softened by proszę. With friends/family, it’s fine. For more politeness:

• Informal but softer: Czy mógłbyś/mogłabyś wstać i otworzyć okno? (to a male/female respectively)
• Formal singular: Czy mógłby pan/pani wstać i otworzyć okno? or Proszę wstać i otworzyć okno.
• Another formal option: Niech pan/pani wstanie i otworzy okno.

Where can I put proszę, and do I need commas?

You can put proszę at the start, in the middle, or at the end. When used parenthetically, Polish normally sets it off with commas:

• Proszę, wstań i otwórz okno.
• Wstań, proszę, i otwórz okno.
• Wstań i otwórz okno, proszę. Without proszę, no comma before i: Wstań i otwórz okno. In casual writing, many people omit the commas around proszę.

What changes if I’m speaking to more than one person?

Use plural imperatives:

• Wstańcie, proszę, i otwórzcie okno. If only one person in a group should open it, say:
• Niech ktoś otworzy okno. or address someone by name: Kasiu, otwórz okno.

Why i and not a for “and”?

i is the neutral “and.” a often implies contrast (“and/whereas”). Because the actions are sequential and not contrasted, i is the natural choice: Wstań … i otwórz …

Why is it otwórz (perfective) and not otwieraj (imperfective)?

Polish usually uses perfective for a one-off, result-focused request: otwórz = “open (it completely).”
otwieraj suggests an ongoing/repeated process and can sound impatient or commanding (“Open up! Now!”). Similarly, wstań (perfective) asks for the completed action; wstawaj is more like “get up (already)/start getting up,” often used in repeated contexts (e.g., mornings).

Why wstań and not stań?

• wstań = “stand up” (from sitting/lying).
• stań = “stand (still)/take your position” (e.g., Stań tutaj = “Stand here”). So for getting someone up from a seat, wstań is correct.

What case is okno in here? Should it change form?

It’s the direct object of otworzyć, so it’s in the accusative. Neuter nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative singular, so okno stays okno.

• Singular: okno (nom/acc)
• Plural: okna (nom/acc)
  You can specify a particular window: otwórz to okno (“open this/that window”).

How do I pronounce each word?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA-like hints):

• Wstań: [fstaɲ] — the initial w devoices to [f] before s; ń is like “ny” in “canyon.”
• proszę: [ˈprɔʂɛ] ~ [ˈprɔʂe] — final ę is often just [e] in everyday speech; stress on the first syllable.
• i: [i] — like “ee.”
• otwórz: [ˈɔtvuʂ] — ó = [u]; final rz devoices to [ʂ] (“sh”); stress on the first syllable.
• okno: [ˈɔknɔ] — stress on the first syllable. General rule: Polish stress is usually on the penultimate syllable (for two-syllable words, that’s the first syllable).

What do the diacritics and digraphs do here (ń, ó, ę, rz, sz)?

• ń: palatal “n,” like “ny” in “canyon” (but as one sound).
• ó: pronounced like u [u]; spelling reflects historical development.
• ę: nasal “e”; at the end of a word it’s usually pronounced like plain [e] or very lightly nasal.
• rz: usually [ʐ] (like “zh”), but word-finally it devoices to [ʂ] (“sh”).
• sz: [ʂ] (“sh” as in “ship,” but retroflex).

Is it okay to skip Polish diacritics when typing (e.g., prosze, otworz)?

Avoid it. Readers might guess, but it’s incorrect and can change meanings or look illiterate. Use proszę, otwórz, wstań. Most phones/computers let you add a Polish keyboard easily.

Is there a neutral, formal way a teacher or announcer would say this?

Yes:

• Proszę wstać i otworzyć okno. (polite, neutral; proszę
  • infinitive)
• Also common: Niech pan/pani wstanie i otworzy okno. (addressing a man/woman formally) To a group: Proszę wstać. / Proszę usiąść.

Do I need an exclamation mark?

Optional. A period is neutral: Wstań, proszę, i otwórz okno. An exclamation mark adds urgency or firmness: Wstań, proszę, i otwórz okno!

Does proszę only mean “please”?

It’s multifunctional:

• “Please” in requests: Proszę, usiądź.
• “Here you are/Here you go” when handing something over.
• “You’re welcome” in response to thanks (often alongside nie ma za co).
• “Excuse me?” to get attention.

Is otwórzyć ever correct?

No. The correct infinitive is otworzyć (with o), imperative otwórz (with ó). Common mistake: mixing the two vowels.

Are there alternative verbs like powstań?

Yes, powstań/powstańcie exist but sound elevated/ceremonial (“arise”). In everyday “stand up,” wstań/wstańcie is the natural choice.