On mówi coraz lepiej po polsku.

He speaks better and better in Polish.

Breakdown of On mówi coraz lepiej po polsku.

• on: he
• mówić: to speak
• coraz lepiej: better and better
• po polsku: in Polish

Questions & Answers about On mówi coraz lepiej po polsku.

What does "coraz" add here, and how does "coraz lepiej" work?

• coraz + comparative means "more and more" or "increasingly."
• lepiej is the comparative of dobrze (well), so coraz lepiej = "better and better / increasingly well."
• You can use coraz with other comparatives: coraz szybciej (faster and faster), coraz głośniej (louder and louder).

Why is it lepiej and not bardziej dobrze?

• Polish uses the irregular comparative for dobrze: dobrze → lepiej → najlepiej.
• bardziej dobrze is unidiomatic; say lepiej.

What’s the difference between lepiej and lepszy?

• lepiej is an adverb (modifies verbs): Mówi lepiej (He speaks better).
• lepszy is an adjective (modifies nouns): lepszy akcent (a better accent).
• Superlatives: najlepiej (adverb), najlepszy (adjective).

Why do we say po polsku and not w polskim or po polskim?

• For the language you speak in, Polish uses po + [language in the -sku form]: po polsku, po angielsku, po niemiecku.
• w polskim would mean "in Polish" in another sense (e.g., within the Polish language), not the idiomatic "speak in Polish."
• A formal variant is w języku polskim ("in the Polish language").

What grammatical form is polsku?

• It’s a special adverbial form in -sku, not a standard case ending. Don’t replace it with polskim here.
• Treat po polsku as a fixed expression meaning "in Polish."

Is the pronoun On necessary?

• No. Polish drops subject pronouns when context is clear: Mówi coraz lepiej po polsku is fine.
• On adds emphasis or contrast (e.g., him vs. someone else).

How would this change if the subject is female?

• Use Ona: Ona mówi coraz lepiej po polsku.
• The verb mówi doesn’t change by gender in the present tense.

Can I move coraz lepiej or po polsku around?

• Yes; word order is flexible and affects emphasis:
  • On coraz lepiej mówi po polsku.
  • On mówi po polsku coraz lepiej.
  • Coraz lepiej mówi po polsku. (no pronoun; general statement)

How do I ask a yes/no question or negate it?

• Yes/no question: Czy on mówi coraz lepiej po polsku?
• Informal question (intonation only): On mówi coraz lepiej po polsku?
• Negation: On nie mówi coraz lepiej po polsku (he isn’t improving), or stronger: On wcale nie mówi lepiej po polsku (not improving at all).

Why use mówić and not powiedzieć?

• mówić (imperfective) covers ongoing/habitual speaking and is used for ability and gradual change.
• powiedzieć (perfective) is a one‑time "to say/tell" and can’t express progressive improvement.

Is zna polski correct?

• Prefer zna język polski ("he knows the Polish language") or simply mówi po polsku for ability.
• zna polski is often treated as nonstandard in careful speech; best to avoid it.

Can I omit po polsku?

• Yes: On mówi coraz lepiej = "He speaks better and better" (no language specified). Include po polsku to specify Polish.

Any pronunciation tips?

• ó in mówi, polsku sounds like English "oo" [u].
• c in coraz is "ts".
• j in lepiej is like "y" in "yes".
• Stress is on the second‑to‑last syllable: MÓ‑wi, CO‑raz, LE‑piej, POL‑sku.

Are language names capitalized?

• No. polski is lowercase when it means the language. Proper names like Polska (Poland) and Polak (a Pole) are capitalized.

How else can I express that someone’s Polish is improving?

• Mówi coraz płynniej po polsku (more and more fluently).
• Jego polski jest coraz lepszy (his Polish is getting better).
• For the school subject: On jest coraz lepszy z polskiego (he’s getting better at Polish as a subject).