Questions & Answers about On będzie gotowy dopiero wieczorem.
What nuance does dopiero add here? Is it just “only”?
Dopiero means “not until,” implying a delay compared to what someone might expect. It denies any earlier time.
- On będzie gotowy dopiero wieczorem = he won’t be ready before evening (later than expected).
- Tylko means “only” in the sense of exclusivity. On będzie gotowy tylko wieczorem says the evening is the sole time, but doesn’t carry the “later than expected” feel. In many contexts, dopiero sounds much more natural here.
Can I omit On and/or change the word order?
Yes. Polish often drops subject pronouns and allows flexible word order to adjust emphasis:
- Będzie gotowy dopiero wieczorem. (neutral)
- Dopiero wieczorem będzie gotowy. (strong focus on the time)
- On dopiero wieczorem będzie gotowy. (contrastive focus on “he”)
- Gotowy będzie dopiero wieczorem. (slightly formal/literary) Avoid overly split placements like On będzie dopiero wieczorem gotowy unless you want very marked spoken emphasis.
Which case is wieczorem, and how do I express other time relations like “by/until/toward evening”?