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Questions & Answers about Czy Państwo są gotowi?
What does the word "Państwo" mean here, and when do I use it?
It’s the formal plural way to address a group as “you,” typically a mixed group or any group that includes at least one man. It’s also used for a couple (Mr. and Mrs.). For groups of only women use Panie; for only men use Panowie.
Why is Państwo capitalized?
In formal address, Polish often capitalizes polite forms like Pan, Pani, Państwo (and sometimes Ty/Wy in letters) to show respect. In everyday writing, lowercase is common and not wrong, but capitalization adds politeness.
Why is the verb są used instead of jesteście or jest?
With polite forms (Pan/Pani/Państwo), Polish uses third-person verb forms. Państwo therefore takes the third-person plural są. Jesteście is second-person plural and goes with Wy (informal “you all”). Jest is third-person singular, so it doesn’t fit here.
Why is the adjective gotowi used, not gotowe/gotowy/gotowa?
Adjectives agree with the grammatical category of the subject. Państwo is treated as masculine-personal plural, so the correct form is gotowi. Use gotowe for non-masculine-personal plural (e.g., all women), gotowy (masculine singular), and gotowa (feminine singular).
How would I say this to only women, only men, or informally?
- All women, formal: Czy Panie są gotowe?
- All men, formal: Czy Panowie są gotowi?
- Informal mixed group or men: (Czy) jesteście gotowi?
- Informal all women: (Czy) jesteście gotowe?
- One person, formal: Czy Pan jest gotowy? / Czy Pani jest gotowa?
- One person, informal: Czy jesteś gotowy/gotowa?
Can I drop Czy?
Yes. You can ask with intonation alone: Państwo są gotowi?, Są Państwo gotowi?, or even just Gotowi?. Using Czy is neutral and clear; omitting it sounds more conversational.
Is there a preferred word order: Czy Państwo są gotowi? vs Czy są Państwo gotowi?
Both are correct and natural. Placing the verb before the subject (Czy są Państwo gotowi?) is slightly more typical in yes/no questions, but the difference is minor.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
- Czy: like “ch” in “church” + a hard Polish y “chih” but without a smiley “i”-sound.
- Państwo: [PAHɲ-stfo]; ń is like Spanish ñ; w sounds like English “v”.
- są: the ą is nasal, like French “on”: often [sõ]; before pauses it may sound close to “som”.
- gotowi: go-TOH-vee (stress on TOH); w = “v”.
Is Państwo singular or plural grammatically?
Plural. That’s why it takes są and gotowi, even when you’re addressing just one couple.
What case is Państwo here? Are there other common forms?
Here it’s nominative (the subject). In set phrases you’ll see other forms, e.g. Proszę Państwa (“Ladies and Gentlemen,” used to address an audience) and Dziękuję Państwu (“Thank you,” dative).
Does państwo also mean “state/country”?
Yes, lowercase państwo means “state/country” and is neuter singular (e.g., To państwo jest duże – “That country is big”). In your sentence, capitalized Państwo clearly means “you (all)” in polite address.
Is Państwo są gotowe? ever correct?
Not when addressing people as Państwo. With Państwo (masculine-personal plural), the adjective must be gotowi. For an all-female group, switch the address to Panie: Czy Panie są gotowe?
Can I say just Gotowi? to a group?
Yes. It’s a clipped, friendly check like “Ready?” In formal situations, prefer the full Czy (są) Państwo gotowi?
What’s the difference between gotowy and gotów?
Both mean “ready.” Jestem gotowy/gotowa is fully standard. Jestem gotów (masculine) is a shorter, slightly more formal/literary variant; women say Jestem gotowa (there’s no short form like “gotów” for feminine).
Do I really need the Polish diacritics (ą, ń)?
Yes, especially in formal writing. Without them (są → sa, Państwo → Panstwo) spelling becomes nonstandard and sometimes ambiguous. In casual texting some people omit them, but it’s best to include them.