Learn Hardcore Polish: Po prostu nie mam dziś czasu na spotkanie. - I simply don’t have time for a meeting today.

It means “simply/just” and serves as a softener or matter‑of‑fact framing. Without it, Nie mam dziś czasu na spotkanie is perfectly fine. With it, the sentence can feel less confrontational or more down‑to‑earth: “I just don’t have time today for a meeting.”

Why is it czasu and not czas?

Because of the “genitive of negation.” Direct objects normally take the accusative (e.g., Mam czas “I have time”), but when the verb is negated, Polish typically switches the object to genitive: Nie mam czasu “I don’t have time.”
More examples:

Mam pieniądze → Nie mam pieniędzy
Widzę problem → Nie widzę problemu

What is na spotkanie doing here? Why use na and which case is it?

Na + accusative often expresses destination, purpose, or attending an event. Na spotkanie (accusative) means “for a meeting/to a meeting.”
Contrast:

na spotkanie = to/for a meeting (motion/purpose, accusative)
na spotkaniu = at the meeting (location, locative)

Can I say Nie mam czasu na spotkać?

No. After na, you use a noun, not an infinitive. Say either:

Nie mam czasu na spotkanie (noun)
Nie mam czasu, żeby się spotkać (clause with żeby
- infinitive)

What’s the difference between dziś and dzisiaj?

They’re synonyms meaning “today.” Dziś is just a shorter form. Both are neutral; dziś can feel a bit more concise or slightly literary in writing, but you’ll hear both in speech.

Where can I place dziś in the sentence?

Polish word order is flexible. All of these are natural, with slight shifts in emphasis:

Po prostu nie mam dziś czasu na spotkanie.
Dziś po prostu nie mam czasu na spotkanie.
Po prostu dziś nie mam czasu na spotkanie.
Nie mam dziś po prostu czasu na spotkanie. (emphasizes the “simply” right before the noun)

Do I need to say ja for “I”?

No. The verb ending in mam already shows 1st person singular. Ja is added only for emphasis or contrast: Ja po prostu nie mam dziś czasu… (“I, simply, don’t have time…”).

Is this sentence polite enough? How can I soften it?

It’s neutral and acceptable. To make it softer or more formal:

Niestety, po prostu nie mam dziś czasu na spotkanie.
Przykro mi, ale nie mam dziś czasu na spotkanie.
Czy moglibyśmy przełożyć? Dziś nie mam czasu na spotkanie.

How do I specify a particular meeting (“that meeting”)?

Add a determiner: na to spotkanie (“for that meeting”).
Example: Po prostu nie mam dziś czasu na to spotkanie.

Can I talk about the future instead of right now?

Yes:

Gender‑neutral: Dzisiaj nie będę mieć czasu na spotkanie.
Gendered: Dzisiaj nie będę miał czasu na spotkanie (male) / …miała… (female).

Any pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?

Po prostu: stress the second‑to‑last syllable of each word: po PRO‑stu; approximate “poh PROS-too.”
nie: “nyeh” (soft n).
mam: “mahm.”
dziś: soft, like “jeesh” but with a very soft d at the start.
czasu: “CHAH-soo” (Polish cz ~ “ch” in “charm”).
na: “nah.”
spotkanie: spot-KAH-nyeh (soft ń before e).
Polish stress is almost always on the second‑to‑last syllable of a word.

Do I need a comma after Po prostu?

No. Po prostu doesn’t require a comma here. Writing Po prostu, nie mam… would be incorrect in standard punctuation.

Could po prostu ever sound rude?

Context matters. It can sound blunt if it dismisses someone’s argument (“It’s just like that”). In this sentence, it usually softens the refusal. If you worry about tone, add niestety or przykro mi.

Why is there no article like “a/the” before spotkanie?

Polish has no articles. Specificity is shown with context or determiners like to (“that”): na to spotkanie.

Can I use do instead of na here?

No. Do is mainly “to(wards)” places/containers (e.g., do domu “to home”). For attending events or purposes like meetings, Polish uses na: na koncert, na obiad, na spotkanie.

What are natural short alternatives to say the same thing?

Dziś nie dam rady. (“I can’t manage today.”)
Dziś nie mogę. (“I can’t today.”)
Dzisiaj mi nie pasuje. (“Today doesn’t suit me.”)
Nie mam dziś czasu, żeby się spotkać.