Learn Hardcore Polish: On potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji. - He can speak more quietly during the lesson.

Potrafi means “is able to/capable of.” It expresses ability, often practical or situational. It’s close to English “can” (in the sense of ability), but see the next question for nuances against other Polish verbs.

How is potrafi different from umie and może?

Umie = “knows how to,” a learned skill (e.g., Umie pływać “He knows how to swim”).
Potrafi = “is able to/capable of,” often in a given situation (e.g., able to control volume).
Może = “may/can,” permission or possibility. On może mówić ciszej can mean “he is allowed to speak more quietly,” not necessarily that he has the ability.

Can I drop the subject pronoun On?

Yes. Polish is a pro‑drop language. Potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji is natural; use On mainly for emphasis or clarity/contrast.

Why is it mówić and not powiedzieć?

Mówić is imperfective and describes an ongoing/habitual action (“to speak/talk”). Powiedzieć is perfective (“to say [once]”). Since we’re talking about how he speaks in class, the ongoing verb mówić fits.

What does ciszej mean, and why not bardziej cicho?

Ciszej is the comparative adverb “more quietly,” from cicho (“quietly”). It’s the idiomatic, synthetic comparative. Bardziej cicho is understandable but less natural; use ciszej.

Is there anything irregular about ciszej?

Yes. Adjective: cichy → cichszy (quieter). Adverb: cicho → ciszej (more quietly). The adverb changes the stem: cicho → ciszej, not “cichiej.”

Where should ciszej go in the sentence?

Common: potrafi mówić ciszej. You can also hear potrafi ciszej mówić (slight emphasis on manner). Both are fine; Polish word order is flexible, with rhythm and emphasis guiding placement.

Why is it podczas lekcji and not another case?

The preposition podczas (“during”) always takes the genitive case, so lekcja → genitive lekcji. This is a fixed rule: podczas + GEN.

Is lekcji here singular or plural?

Formally, lekcji can be genitive singular or plural. In context, podczas lekcji can mean “during the lesson” (a specific one) or “during lessons” (in general). Context disambiguates.

Could I say na lekcji instead of podczas lekcji?

Yes. Na lekcji (locative) means “in class/during the lesson” as a setting; podczas lekcji focuses on the time span “during.” Both are natural. For plural generality: na lekcjach (“in classes”).

What’s the case difference with na?

Location/state: na + locative → na lekcji (“in class”).
Motion toward: na + accusative → na lekcję (“to class”).
Here we want location/time, so na lekcji (locative).

How do I negate this sentence?

Put nie directly before the verb: On nie potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji (“He can’t/isn’t able to speak more quietly during class”).

How do I make a yes–no question?

Add Czy or just use rising intonation:

Czy on potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji?
On potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji? (spoken, with rising tone)

What are the key present‑tense forms of potrafić I should know?

ja: potrafię
ty: potrafisz
on/ona/ono: potrafi
my: potrafimy
wy: potraficie
oni/one: potrafią

If the subject is female or plural, does the sentence change?

Only the subject and verb agreement change:

Female: Ona potrafi mówić ciszej podczas lekcji.
Plural (mixed/masc. personal): Oni potrafią mówić ciszej podczas lekcji.
Plural (non‑masc. personal): One potrafią mówić ciszej podczas lekcji.

How would I say “Speak more quietly during class!”?

Informal singular: Mów ciszej podczas lekcji!
Polite (to a stranger/group): Proszę mówić ciszej podczas lekcji.

What’s the difference between mówić cicho and mówić ciszej?

Mówić cicho = “to speak quietly” (absolute quality).
Mówić ciszej = “to speak more quietly” (comparative, relative to some baseline: than before/than others). You can add niż: ciszej niż zwykle (“quieter than usual”).

Is po cichu interchangeable with cicho?

Not exactly. Po cichu means “quietly” with a nuance of discretion/stealth. Mówić po cichu is “to speak in a low voice/whispery, on the sly.” Cicho is neutral “quietly.”

Could I use rozmawiać instead of mówić?

You can, but it slightly shifts meaning. Rozmawiać = “to converse.” On potrafi rozmawiać ciszej podczas lekcji emphasizes quiet conversation, while mówić is broader “speak/talk.”

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

ó in mówić sounds like “u.”
Final ć in mówić is a soft “ch” (like “tch” but palatal).
ci in ciszej is soft “tchee,” and sz is a hard “sh.”
lekcji is two syllables: LEK‑ci, with stress on the first (penultimate overall in Polish).

How would I say “much more quietly” or “a bit more quietly”?

“Much more quietly”: o wiele/znacznie ciszej
“A bit more quietly”: trochę/nieco ciszej

Is there a natural opposite to use here?

Yes: głośno (loudly) → głośniej (more loudly). For example: On potrafi mówić głośniej podczas lekcji, though in real life teachers usually ask for ciszej!

Can I talk about future ability with potrafić?

Yes: On będzie potrafił mówić ciszej podczas lekcji. It’s correct but somewhat formal. Often you’ll hear alternatives like On nauczy się mówić ciszej… (“He will learn to speak more quietly…”) or On będzie mógł… if you mean possibility.