Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Brakuje mi czasu.
What is the literal structure of Brakuje mi czasu?
It uses the verb brakować “to lack, to be missing” in an impersonal way:
- Brakuje = “there is a lack” (3rd person singular)
- mi = “to me” (dative)
- czasu = “of time” (genitive)
Literal idea: “There is a lack to me of time.” Natural English: “I’m short of time / I lack time.”
Why is mi in the dative, and what about mnie?
With brakować, the person who experiences the lack is in the dative, so mi (to me).
- mi is the unstressed, clitic form; it’s the default in neutral statements: Brakuje mi czasu.
- mnie is the stressed form, used for emphasis or after prepositions: Mnie brakuje czasu (It’s me who lacks time).
- Starting with Mi brakuje czasu is very common in speech but considered colloquial in formal writing, where Brakuje mi czasu or Mnie brakuje czasu is preferred.
Why is it czasu (genitive) and not czas?
Because brakować governs the genitive for the thing that is lacking. The genitive also serves a partitive role (an indefinite amount), which fits “time.” The genitive singular of czas is czasu: Brakuje mi czasu.
Why is the verb 3rd person singular (brakuje) and not 1st person (brakuję)?
In this construction (komuś + czegoś + brakuje), Polish uses an impersonal 3rd person singular verb: Brakuje mi czasu. You don’t say brakuję here. When the missing items become the grammatical subject, the verb can agree: e.g. Brakują dwie śruby (“Two screws are missing”). But with a dative experiencer (“to me”), you use impersonal brakuje.
Is Brakuje mi czasu the same as Nie mam czasu?
They’re close in meaning and both are common.
- Nie mam czasu = “I don’t have time” (straightforward ownership).
- Brakuje mi czasu = “I’m lacking time / time is in short supply for me” (emphasizes shortage). Both are natural; the second can feel a touch more descriptive or emotive in some contexts.
How do I talk about past or future, or say “I ran out of time”?
- Ongoing shortage in the past: Brakowało mi czasu.
- A specific moment when time ran out: Zabrakło mi czasu.
- Ongoing shortage in the future: Będzie mi brakować czasu.
- A specific moment in the future: Zabraknie mi czasu. (Shorter variant Braknie mi czasu also exists but zabraknie is more common.)
How can I add “for something,” like “I lack time for X”?
Use:
- na + accusative for “for [activity/thing]”: Brakuje mi czasu na czytanie / na to.
- A clause with żeby (“so that / to”): Brakuje mi czasu, żeby to zrobić.
Can brakować also mean “to miss someone/something” emotionally?
Yes. With people it means “to miss”:
- Brakuje mi ciebie / cię = “I miss you.”
- Brakuje mi twojej obecności = “I miss your presence.”
With things it’s literal lack: Brakuje mi kawy = “I’m out of coffee / I lack coffee.”
Note: Tęsknię za tobą is the other common way to say “I miss you.”
What are some natural alternatives to express this idea?
- Nie mam czasu. (I don’t have time.)
- Mam mało czasu. (I have little time.)
- Nie starcza mi czasu. (I don’t have enough time.)
- Nie wyrabiam (się). (Colloquial: I can’t keep up / I’m not managing time-wise.)
- Nie znajduję czasu. (I can’t find time.)
- Brak mi czasu. (There’s a lack of time for me.) Opposites:
- Nie brakuje mi czasu. / Wystarcza mi czasu. / Mam dość czasu. (I have enough time.)
How flexible is the word order, and what changes with it?
Polish allows re-ordering for emphasis:
- Neutral: Brakuje mi czasu.
- Emphasizing the thing lacking: Czasu mi brakuje.
- Emphasizing the person (contrastive): Mnie brakuje czasu. Starting with Mi brakuje czasu is common in speech but informal; clitic mi typically prefers a “second position” in neutral writing.
How do I ask someone if they lack time or have enough time?
- Brakuje ci czasu? / Czy brakuje ci czasu?
- Polite: Czy brakuje Panu/Pani czasu?
- To ask about sufficiency: Masz dość czasu? / Czy masz wystarczająco czasu?
Can this pattern work with plurals and other nouns?
Yes:
- Brakuje mi pieniędzy. (I’m short of money.)
- Brakuje mi dwóch godzin. (I’m two hours short.) When the missing items are the subject, the verb can be plural: Brakują dwie śruby (“Two screws are missing”).
How is it pronounced and stressed?
Polish stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable.
- brakuje: bra-KU-je (the “u” like “oo” in “food,” “j” gives a “y” glide: “-uye”).
- mi: like English “me.”
- czasu: CZA-su (“cz” like the “ch” in “church,” but a bit harder).
Is there a short or noun-based version?
Yes:
- Brak mi czasu. ≈ “I lack time” (same meaning as Brakuje mi czasu).
- Brak czasu = “a lack of time” (general statement, no dative person).
How do I say “I have enough time” or negate the lack?
- Nie brakuje mi czasu. (I don’t lack time.)
- Wystarcza mi czasu. / Mam dość czasu. (I have enough time.)
Can I replace mi with other persons?
Yes, use dative pronouns:
- ci (to you, sg.), mu (to him), jej (to her), nam (to us), wam (to you, pl.), im (to them). Examples: Brakuje ci czasu? / Brakuje im czasu.
Why not say dla mnie brakuje czasu?
Because brakować normally takes a dative experiencer, not a dla + genitive phrase.
- Brakuje mi czasu = “I lack time.”
- Dla mnie brakuje czasu can be used in special contexts to mean “There isn’t enough time for me (as opposed to others),” but it doesn’t mean the same thing as the neutral “I’m short of time.” For your own shortage, stick to the dative: Brakuje mi czasu.