Breakdown of Jeśli pójdziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek, zobaczysz nasze wejście.
pójść
to go
nasz
our
jeśli
if
zobaczyć
to see
wejście
the entrance
prosto
straight
jeszcze kawałek
a bit further
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Questions & Answers about Jeśli pójdziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek, zobaczysz nasze wejście.
What exactly is pójdziesz? How is it different from idziesz?
- pójdziesz = second person singular simple future of perfective pójść (to go on foot, once). It means “you will go.”
- idziesz = second person singular present of imperfective iść (you are going / you go).
- For a future with the imperfective, you’d say: będziesz szedł (to a man) / będziesz szła (to a woman).
- Aspect nuance: perfective (pójdziesz) presents a single, complete trip; imperfective (iść) describes an ongoing or habitual action.
Why is zobaczysz used instead of widzisz?
- zobaczysz (from perfective zobaczyć) means “you will see / you will catch sight of (once).”
- widzisz (from imperfective widzieć) is present: “you see (now).”
- For a future with an ongoing flavor you’d use: będziesz widział/widziała. Here we expect one specific moment of seeing, so the perfective future zobaczysz fits best.
What does jeszcze mean here? Doesn’t it also mean “still”?
- jeszcze can mean “still/yet” or “more/extra,” depending on context.
- Here it means “a bit more/further”: jeszcze kawałek = “a little more (distance).”
- Other uses: Jestem jeszcze w pracy (“I’m still at work”), Jeszcze 5 minut (“5 more minutes”).
What does kawałek literally mean, and how does it express distance?
- Literally “a piece/bit.” Colloquially it often means “a short distance/time.”
- In movement: iść kawałek = “to go a bit/a short way.”
- jeszcze kawałek adds the idea of “a bit more from where you are now.”
- Natural synonyms: trochę (dalej), nieco (dalej), kawałeczek (cute/diminutive).
Is the word order prosto jeszcze kawałek fixed? Can I say jeszcze kawałek prosto?
- Both are fine and common: Jeśli pójdziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek… and Jeśli pójdziesz jeszcze kawałek prosto…
- Polish word order is flexible. Keep the chunk jeszcze kawałek together when you want to emphasize “a bit more.”
Could I replace jeszcze kawałek with dalej or trochę dalej?
Yes. All of these work (with small nuance differences):
- Jeśli pójdziesz dalej prosto, …
- Jeśli pójdziesz prosto trochę dalej, …
- Jeśli pójdziesz prosto nieco dalej, … “jeszcze kawałek” is very colloquial and friendly; dalej is neutral.
When should I use pójdziesz vs pojedziesz? What if the person is driving?
- pójdziesz (on foot), from pójść.
- pojedziesz (by vehicle), from pojechać.
- Talking to a driver, you’ll typically use the imperative: Jedź prosto jeszcze kawałek (“Drive straight a bit further”). In a conditional: Jeśli pojedziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek, zobaczysz…
Why is there a comma after the Jeśli-clause? Is to missing?
- In Polish, a clause introduced by jeśli is separated by a comma.
- The correlative to (“then”) is optional: Jeśli…, (to) …
- Both orders are correct: Jeśli pójdziesz…, zobaczysz… / Zobaczysz…, jeśli pójdziesz…
Can I use Jak or Gdy/Kiedy instead of Jeśli?
- jeżeli ≈ jeśli (near-synonyms).
- jak is very common in speech for “if/when,” a bit more colloquial.
- gdy/kiedy are more “when”-like; they can imply the event is expected rather than hypothetical. In neutral speech you’ll still hear them used, but jeśli/jeżeli is the safest for a true condition.
What does prosto mean here, and how is it different from na wprost or prosty?
- prosto (adverb): “straight (ahead).” Example: Idź prosto.
- na wprost: “directly opposite/facing.” Example: Sklep jest na wprost kościoła.
- prosty (adjective): “straight/simple.” Example: To jest prosty plan.
Why is it nasze wejście (not nasz or nasza)?
- wejście is a neuter noun, so the possessive must be neuter: nasze.
- Quick guide: masculine nasz dom, feminine nasza ulica, neuter nasze wejście.
What case is nasze wejście after zobaczysz?
- Accusative (it’s the direct object of zobaczysz).
- For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative look the same: wejście.
Could I say wejście nasze instead? Is the possessive position flexible?
- The neutral order is possessive before the noun: nasze wejście.
- wejście nasze is possible but marked (emphatic/poetic); you wouldn’t choose it in normal directions.
Is there a difference between wejście, drzwi, and wstęp?
- wejście: the entrance (place/point of entry). Example: wejście główne (“main entrance”).
- drzwi: the door(s) (physical object). Example: drzwi wejściowe (“entrance door”).
- wstęp: admission/permission to enter. Example: Wstęp wzbroniony (“No entry”).
Pronunciation tips for pójdziesz, jeszcze, and wejście?
- pójdziesz sounds like u; -dź- is soft [d͡ʑ].
- jeszcze is [ʂt͡ʂ] (two sounds).
- wejście = [ɕ], ć = [t͡ɕ]. Polish stress is almost always on the penultimate syllable.
Could I drop nasze and just say zobaczysz wejście?
Grammatically yes, but it’s less informative. In directions you usually specify whose/which entrance: nasze wejście, wejście do budynku X, wejście od ulicy Y.
Would an imperative be more natural when giving directions? Any other natural rewrites?
- Imperative is very common: Idź prosto jeszcze kawałek, a zobaczysz nasze wejście.
- Other natural variants:
- Jeszcze kawałek i zobaczysz nasze wejście.
- Jak pójdziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek, to zobaczysz nasze wejście.
- Zobaczysz nasze wejście, jeśli pójdziesz prosto jeszcze kawałek.