Learn Hardcore Polish: Lubię siedzieć przy oknie, gdy czytam. - I like to sit by the window when I read.

The correct 1st person singular present of the verb lubić (to like) is lubię. The final ę marks the 1st person singular. Other present forms are: ty lubisz, on/ona lubi, my lubimy, wy lubicie, oni/one lubią. Writing lubie (without the accent) is a spelling mistake in standard Polish; lubi is 3rd person singular.

Why is the infinitive siedzieć used after Lubię?

Polish often uses lubić + infinitive to express liking an activity. So lubię siedzieć literally means “I like to sit / I like sitting.” You could also like a noun phrase (e.g., Lubię kawę), but for activities the infinitive is standard.

Why siedzieć and not siadać or usiąść?

siedzieć = to be in the state of sitting (static, ongoing state)
siadać = to sit down (imperfective, repeated/habitual action of starting to sit)
usiąść = to sit down (perfective, a single act of starting to sit)

Since the sentence talks about being seated while reading, siedzieć is the right choice.

What exactly does przy mean in przy oknie, and could I use other prepositions like u/koło/obok/w/na?

przy + Locative = by/at, right next to something (very common for seats: miejsce przy oknie = a window seat)
u + Genitive (u okna) = at/by the window; also common, a bit more literary in some contexts
koło/obok + Genitive (koło/obok okna) = near/next to the window (proximity, often slightly looser than przy)
w + Locative (w oknie) = in the window (e.g., someone is visible in the window)
na + Locative (na oknie) = on the window (e.g., decorations on the window); not used for “by the window” Choose based on the exact spatial relation you want; for seating, przy oknie is very natural.

Why is it oknie and not okno after przy?

Because przy governs the locative case. Okno (window) in the locative singular is oknie. Quick singular paradigm:

Nominative: okno
Genitive: okna
Dative: oknu
Accusative: okno
Instrumental: oknem
Locative: oknie

Why is there a comma before gdy?

In Polish, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like gdy (when) are separated by a comma. If the time clause comes first, the comma moves accordingly: Gdy czytam, lubię siedzieć przy oknie.

Is there any difference between gdy, kiedy, and jak here?

All three can mean “when” in time clauses:

gdy = neutral to slightly formal
kiedy = very common and neutral
jak = colloquial in this meaning (it also means “how”) In everyday speech, kiedy is extremely common. Your sentence is fine with any of them.

Why is czytam in the present tense? Could it also mean “when I am reading”?

Yes. Polish present tense covers both English simple and continuous aspects. Gdy czytam means “when I read / when I’m reading.” There’s no separate present continuous form in Polish.

Could I say gdy przeczytam instead of gdy czytam?

That would change the meaning. Gdy przeczytam uses a perfective verb and means “when I have finished reading/after I read (to completion).” Gdy czytam focuses on the time while the reading is in progress.

Can I change the word order, like Lubię przy oknie siedzieć or Gdy czytam, lubię siedzieć przy oknie?

Yes. Polish word order is flexible. All of these are grammatical:

Lubię siedzieć przy oknie, gdy czytam. (neutral)
Gdy czytam, lubię siedzieć przy oknie. (fronts the time frame)
Lubię przy oknie siedzieć, gdy czytam. (slight stylistic shift/focus) Word order mostly affects emphasis, not correctness.

Could I say Lubię czytać przy oknie instead?

Yes, but the focus shifts slightly:

Lubię siedzieć przy oknie, gdy czytam. = I like being seated by the window when I read.
Lubię czytać przy oknie. = I like doing my reading by the window (the activity of reading is foregrounded). Both are natural; choose the one that matches your emphasis.

Is Lubię sobie siedzieć… okay? What does sobie add?

Yes: Lubię sobie siedzieć przy oknie, gdy czytam. The particle sobie (dative of “self”) adds a casual, cozy, self-indulgent nuance, a bit like “I just like to sit…” It softens the statement; it’s common in informal speech.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like siedzieć, przy, and czytam?

Lubię: final ę is lightly nasal; in casual speech it often sounds like plain “e.”
siedzieć: si = soft “sh” sound [ɕ]; dzie = soft “dzh” [dʑe]; final ć = soft “ch” [tɕ]. Roughly “SHYE-djyetch.”
przy: prz = [pʂ], like “psh” but with the tongue further back; y = [ɨ], a central-ish vowel (not “ee”).
oknie: kn becomes [kɲ] (“k-nyeh”), due to palatalization before ie.
gdy: pronounced together [ɡdɨ]; the y is [ɨ].
czytam: cz = “ch” as in “church” but harder [t͡ʂ]; y in czy is [ɨ]. Stress is always on the penultimate syllable: LU-bię SIe-dzieć PRZY OK-nie GDY CZY-tam (each word stressed on its penultimate).

Is there a participle option like “while reading”?

Yes: Lubię siedzieć przy oknie, czytając. This uses the adverbial participle czytając (“while reading”). It’s grammatical, but the gdy/kiedy clause is more neutral and often clearer. Make sure the participle refers to the same subject as the main clause (here, “I”).

How would I say “a window seat” or use this in travel contexts?

Use miejsce przy oknie:

Poproszę miejsce przy oknie. = “A window seat, please.”
Wolę siedzieć przy oknie. = “I prefer to sit by the window.”