Learn Hardcore Polish: Wizyta u lekarza jest jutro o siódmej. - The doctor's appointment is tomorrow at seven.

In Polish, u + genitive means “at someone’s place / with a professional”: wizyta u lekarza = an appointment at/with the doctor. Do + genitive expresses motion “to”: Idę do lekarza = I’m going to the doctor. With the noun wizyta, the natural collocation is u lekarza, not do lekarza.

What case is lekarza, and why?

Lekarza is genitive singular. The preposition u always takes the genitive: u kogo? u lekarza, u dentysty, u fryzjera.

Why o siódmej and not o siedem or o siódmą?

To say “at X o’clock,” Polish uses o + locative with an ordinal number. The correct form is o siódmej (feminine locative). Siedem is a cardinal (wrong here), and siódmą is accusative (used after na, as in na siódmą).

What does siódmej agree with?

It agrees with the implied noun (godzinie) “hour”: o [godzinie] siódmej. Godzina is feminine, hence siódmej (feminine locative).

How do other hours look with o?

1:00–12:00: o pierwszej, o drugiej, o trzeciej, o czwartej, o piątej, o szóstej, o siódmej, o ósmej, o dziewiątej, o dziesiątej, o jedenastej, o dwunastej
13:00–23:00 use 24‑hour ordinals: o trzynastej, o czternastej, ... o dwudziestej trzeciej

Does this mean 7 a.m. or 7 p.m.? How do I specify?

By itself, o siódmej is ambiguous. Add a time‑of‑day word:

o siódmej rano = at 7 a.m.
o siódmej wieczorem = at 7 p.m. You can also use the 24‑hour form: o dziewiętnastej (19:00).

Can I say na siódmą instead of o siódmej?

Yes, but it changes nuance:

o siódmej states when something happens: the appointment is at 7.
na siódmą sets a target/scheduled time: we booked it for 7. Example: Umówiłem wizytę na siódmą.

Could/should I use będzie jutro instead of jest jutro?

Both are possible:

jest jutro treats it as a scheduled fact.
będzie jutro highlights the future occurrence. In everyday speech both sound natural here.

Can I drop jest?

In notes or headlines you may see Wizyta u lekarza jutro o siódmej (elliptical). In a full sentence, keep jest: Wizyta … jest jutro ….

Can I say Mam wizytę u lekarza jutro o siódmej?

Yes. That shifts the focus to the person who has the appointment. Note the case change: mam wizytę (accusative) vs wizyta jest (nominative).

Why wizyta here, not wizytę?

Because wizyta is the subject of jest, so it’s nominative. You use wizytę after verbs that take the accusative, e.g., mam: Mam wizytę…. The noun wizyta is feminine.

Do I need articles like “a/the”?

Polish has no articles. Wizyta u lekarza can mean “a doctor’s appointment” or “the doctor’s appointment.” Context (or determiners like ta “this,” moja “my”) makes it specific.

Can I use doktor instead of lekarz? What about a female doctor?

Yes: wizyta u doktora is common in speech. Lekarz is the profession; doktor is also a title. For a woman you can say u lekarki; however, u lekarza is widely used generically regardless of the doctor’s gender.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky parts?

wizyta: vi-ZY-ta (stress the second syllable).
lekarza: le-KAR-za; rz sounds like the “s” in “measure”.
siódmej: SHOOD-mey; ó is like “oo,” and si before a vowel sounds like a soft “sh” (ś). Stress the first syllable.

Do I need a preposition before jutro?

No. Jutro is an adverb (“tomorrow”), so it stands alone: jest jutro. Don’t say w jutro. With days of the week you do use w: w piątek (on Friday).