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Questions & Answers about Ja idę z siostrą do sklepu.
Do I need to say "Ja," or can I just say "Idę z siostrą do sklepu"?
You can drop the pronoun. Polish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person. The neutral, most natural version is: Idę z siostrą do sklepu. Using Ja idę… adds emphasis on “I” (as in “I, not someone else, am going…”).
Why isn’t there “to be” (am) like in English “I am going”?
Polish doesn’t use a separate “be” verb to form a continuous tense. The simple present of the verb itself does the job. So idę means “I’m going (right now).” You don’t say jestem idę.
What’s the difference between iść/idę, chodzić/chodzę, jechać/jadę, and pójść/pójdę?
- iść → idę: go on foot, a single, ongoing or planned occasion (I’m walking/I’m on my way; I’m going [on foot]).
- chodzić → chodzę: go on foot habitually/repeatedly (I go, I usually walk).
- jechać → jadę: go by vehicle, single ongoing/planned occasion (I’m going by car/bus/etc.).
- jeździć → jeżdżę: go by vehicle habitually (I go/ride regularly).
- pójść → pójdę (perfective): I will go (once), typically future: Pójdę do sklepu (I’ll go to the store [on foot]).
Why is it z siostrą and not z siostra? What case is that?
With the meaning “with,” z takes the instrumental case. Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -ą in the instrumental: siostra → siostrą. So “with (my) sister” is z siostrą.
Why is it do sklepu and not do sklep or do sklepie?
The preposition do (“to, into”) takes the genitive case. Masculine inanimate nouns like sklep form the genitive singular with -u: sklep → sklepu.
Compare:
- do sklepu = to the store (genitive)
- w sklepie = in the store (locative)
Can I use na instead of do (“na sklep”)?
No. You normally say do sklepu for “to the store.” Na is used with some places/events (e.g., na pocztę “to the post office,” na koncert “to a concert,” na zakupy “to do some shopping”), but not with sklep.
Where is “the/a”? Why does Polish not show articles?
Polish has no articles. Do sklepu can mean “to the store” or “to a store,” and context decides which is meant. Often, it’s the “default” local store.
Is “my” implied in z siostrą? Do I need to say z moją siostrą?
Polish often omits possessives with close family when it’s obvious from context. Z siostrą commonly means “with my sister.” Add z moją siostrą for clarity or contrast. With reflexive possession (when the subject is the possessor), ze swoją siostrą is also correct and common.
Is the word order fixed, or can I rearrange it?
Word order is flexible. Common variants:
- Idę z siostrą do sklepu. (neutral)
- Idę do sklepu z siostrą. (slight focus on the destination first)
- Z siostrą idę do sklepu. (emphasis on “with my sister”) All are grammatical; the differences are about emphasis and flow.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
Approximate: “Ya EE-deh z SHYO-strown doh SKLEH-poo.”
IPA: [ja ˈidɛ z ˈɕɔstrɔ̃ dɔ ˈsklɛpu]
Notes:
- idę: final -ę sounds like plain “e” in casual speech.
- si in siostrą marks a soft “ś” sound [ɕ]; the “i” isn’t a full vowel here.
- Final -ą in siostrą is a nasal vowel; often sounds like “on/om,” roughly “-on.”
- Stress is almost always on the second-to-last syllable: i-DĘ, SIO-strą, SKLE-pu.
When do I use z vs. ze?
They’re the same preposition; ze is used before certain consonant clusters or sounds to make pronunciation easier.
- Always say: ze mną, ze szkoły, ze stołu, ze złości, ze swoją siostrą.
- Here it’s standard to say z siostrą (not “ze siostrą”).
- You’ll also say z tobą, z nim, z nami.
Rule of thumb: if z + next word is hard to pronounce (e.g., z + s/z clusters), use ze.
How do I say I’m going by car/bus instead of on foot?
Use the “by vehicle” verb: Jadę do sklepu z siostrą (I’m going to the store with my sister [by vehicle]). To add the means explicitly: Jadę samochodem/autobusem do sklepu (I’m going by car/bus…).
How do I say this in the past or future?
- Past (on foot):
- if you’re male: Szedłem z siostrą do sklepu.
- if you’re female: Szłam z siostrą do sklepu.
- Future (single occasion, on foot): Pójdę z siostrą do sklepu.
- Future ongoing/by vehicle: Będę szedł/szła… (progress-like, rarer) or simply Pojadę/Jadę jutro…
What if I mean we do this regularly?
Use the habitual verb chodzić: Chodzę z siostrą do sklepu (co tydzień/często). = I (usually) go to the store with my sister (every week/often).
Why not do sklepie? What’s the difference between do and w?
- do + genitive = movement “to/into” a place: do sklepu (to the store).
- w + locative = location “in/inside” a place: w sklepie (in the store).
So do sklepu ≠ w sklepie.
How would I say “with my sisters” or “with two sisters”?
Instrumental plural of siostra is siostrami.
- “with my sisters”: z moimi siostrami
- “with two sisters”: z dwiema siostrami
Does “z siostrą” always mean my sister, or could it be someone else’s?
It can be any sister; context decides. If you need to specify, add a possessive: z moją siostrą, z jego/jej siostrą (with his/her sister).
Are pronouns like “ja” capitalized?
No, not normally. Ja is lowercase (unless at the start of a sentence). In letters/emails, polite forms Pan/Pani/Państwo may be capitalized when addressing someone respectfully, but that’s a different pronoun set.