Learn Hardcore Polish: Pociąg zwykle odjeżdża o siódmej rano. - The train usually departs at seven in the morning.

To say "at seven (o’clock)" Polish uses the preposition o + the locative case of the ordinal number that agrees with the (implied) feminine noun godzina. So siódma (seventh hour) becomes siódmej in the locative: o siódmej. The cardinal siedem isn’t used with o for clock times.

What case is "siódmej," and what’s the base form?

It’s the locative feminine singular of the ordinal siódma (agreeing with godzina).

Nominative: siódma
Genitive/Locative: siódmej
Accusative/Instrumental: siódmą
Dative: siódmej

Why do we use "o" for clock time rather than "w"?

Clock times use o + locative: o siódmej, o dziewiątej. The preposition w is used with days, months, years, or certain time nouns: w środę (on Wednesday), w maju (in May), w 2025 roku, w nocy (at night).

Why is there no preposition before "rano"? Shouldn’t it be "w rano"?

Rano is an adverb meaning “in the morning,” so no preposition is used. Compare:

rano (in the morning)
wieczorem (in the evening; instrumental used adverbially)
po południu (in the afternoon; with po
- locative)
w nocy (at night; with w
- locative)

Can I omit "rano"?

Yes. Pociąg zwykle odjeżdża o siódmej is fine if AM/PM is clear from context. To make 7 pm clear, either use 24‑hour time (o dziewiętnastej) or add a time-of-day word: o siódmej wieczorem.

Where can "zwykle" go in the sentence? Are other positions okay?

All of these are natural (with slight emphasis differences):

Zwykle pociąg odjeżdża o siódmej rano.
Pociąg zwykle odjeżdża o siódmej rano. (most neutral)
Pociąg odjeżdża zwykle o siódmej rano. Ending the sentence with it sounds awkward: ?… rano zwykle.

Why is it "odjeżdża" and not "odjedzie"?

Odjeżdża (imperfective present) expresses habits/schedules. Odjedzie (perfective future) is for a single, one‑off event.

Habit: Pociąg zwykle odjeżdża o siódmej.
One time (e.g., today): Pociąg odjedzie o siódmej.

What’s the difference between "odjeżdżać" and "wyjeżdżać"?

Odjeżdżać is the standard verb for vehicles departing from a stop/station: Pociąg odjeżdża ze stacji. Wyjeżdżać means “to leave/go out (by vehicle)” more generally (people or vehicles): Wyjeżdżam z miasta o siódmej. For trains from stations, odjeżdżać is more idiomatic.

Why "pociąg" (nominative) and not "pociągu"?

Pociąg is the subject, so it’s nominative. Other cases appear with different roles/prepositions:

Genitive: Nie ma pociągu.
Accusative: Czekam na pociąg.
Locative: W pociągu.
Instrumental: Z pociągiem.

How do you pronounce tricky parts like "Pociąg" and "odjeżdża"?

Pociąg ≈ “PO-chyonk” (IPA: [ˈpɔ.t͡ɕɔŋk]); ci gives a soft “ch/ty” sound, ą before g/k sounds like “on(g)”.
odjeżdża ≈ “od-YEZH-jah” (IPA: [ɔdˈjɛʐd͡ʐa]); żdż is roughly “zh‑j”.
siódmej ≈ “SHOOD-may” (IPA: [ˈɕud.mɛj]); si before a vowel sounds like ś; ó is “oo”.
rano ≈ “RA-no” (rolled r).

Why is "siódmej" spelled with "ó," and why does "si" sound like "ś"?

In Polish, ó is pronounced like u; the choice of ó/u is mostly historical/morphological. The sequence si before a vowel is pronounced like soft ś. When not before a vowel, the letter ś is used (e.g., święto).

Can I say "o godzinie siódmej rano" instead of "o siódmej rano"?

Yes. O godzinie siódmej (rano) is a bit more formal/explicit; o siódmej (rano) is more common in everyday speech. Both are correct.

How do I say "around seven in the morning"?

Use około + genitive: Pociąg zwykle odjeżdża około siódmej rano. (For feminine ordinals, genitive singular looks the same as locative: siódmej.)

How do I write the time with digits?

Common options:

o 7 / o 7:00
o godz. 7 / o godzinie 7 You can add rano if needed: o 7 rano.

Is "odchodzi" acceptable for trains?

It’s understandable and appears in some formal contexts (e.g., timetables), but odjeżdża is the most idiomatic verb for trains in everyday speech.

How do I negate the sentence?

Put nie before the verb: Pociąg zwykle nie odjeżdża o siódmej rano. To contrast: Pociąg nie odjeżdża o siódmej, tylko o ósmej.