Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Po pracy boli mnie głowa.
Why is it boli (3rd person) and not bolę (1st person)?
In Polish with boleć (to ache), the hurting thing is the grammatical subject. In Po pracy boli mnie głowa, the subject is głowa (head, 3rd person singular), so the verb must be 3rd singular boli. If the subject were plural, you’d use bolą: Po pracy bolą mnie plecy (my back hurts). The 1st-person form bolę exists, but it would mean “I ache,” which isn’t how Polish expresses “I have a headache.”
What case is mnie here, and can I use mi?
Here mnie is accusative (“me”), which is the standard pattern after boleć: the body part (subject, nominative) “aches” the experiencer (accusative pronoun). You will often hear mi (dative) in everyday speech: Boli mi głowa. It’s widespread but considered colloquial and is best avoided in careful writing. As a learner, stick with mnie. Other pronouns: boli cię/go/ją/nas/was/ich.
Why is it głowa and not głowę?
Because głowa is the subject in the nominative. The sentence literally means “After work, the head aches me.” Using głowę (accusative) would treat it as an object and is nonstandard (though heard regionally).
Can I change the word order?
Yes, Polish word order is flexible, and changes mainly affect emphasis:
- Neutral: Po pracy boli mnie głowa.
- Also natural: Boli mnie głowa po pracy.
- Emphasizing the head: Po pracy głowa mnie boli.
- Emphasizing the experiencer: Po pracy mnie boli głowa. Avoid in formal writing: Po pracy boli mi głowa (colloquial).
What does po mean here, and what case does it take in po pracy?
Here po means “after” and takes the locative case: praca → pracy. Compare:
- Time: po pracy, po kolacji (after work, after dinner) — locative.
- “For, to fetch”: iść po chleb, po kawę (go for bread/coffee) — accusative.
- Distributive: po dwa jabłka (two apples each).
Do I need to say moja głowa to mean “my head”?
No. With body parts, Polish usually omits possessives when the possessor is clear from a pronoun: Boli mnie głowa already means “my head hurts.” Use a possessive only for contrast/emphasis: Boli mnie tylko moja głowa, a nie jego.
Is Mam ból głowy a good alternative?
It’s grammatical and common in medical or formal contexts, but in everyday speech Poles strongly prefer Boli mnie głowa. Natural alternatives include Mam migrenę (I have a migraine) or Bardzo boli mnie głowa.
Can I drop mnie and just say Po pracy boli głowa?
You can, but then it no longer means “my head” specifically. It sounds like a general statement (“Heads hurt after work”). To talk about your own pain, keep mnie.
How do plurals work with boleć?
The verb agrees with the hurting part(s):
- Singular subject → boli: Boli mnie ząb/kolano.
- Plural subject → bolą: Bolą mnie zęby/oczy/plecy.
How do I say this in the past or future?
- Past (agreeing with the body part):
- Feminine singular: Wczoraj po pracy bolała mnie głowa.
- Plural: Wczoraj po pracy bolały mnie plecy.
- Future (imperfective):
- Jutro po pracy będzie mnie bolała głowa.
- To say “started to hurt,” use a perfective like rozboleć:
- Po pracy rozbolała mnie głowa.
Do I need a comma after Po pracy?
No. Polish does not use a comma after a short initial adverbial like Po pracy. Write: Po pracy boli mnie głowa.
How do I pronounce it?
- Po — “po” (as in “pot” without the t)
- pracy — “PRAH-tsih” (c = ts; y = hard i)
- boli — “BOH-lee” (o = short oh)
- mnie — “mnyeh” (m+n+ye blended)
- głowa — “GWOH-vah” (ł = English w)
Stress is mostly on the second-to-last syllable: po PRA-cy BO-li mnie GŁO-wa.
How can I intensify or soften it?
Common adverbs go before the verb:
- Intensify: Po pracy bardzo/strasznie/okropnie boli mnie głowa.
- Soften: Po pracy trochę/nieco boli mnie głowa.
- Frequency: Po pracy często/czasami boli mnie głowa.
Can I say Po robocie instead of Po pracy?
Yes, but it’s colloquial. Po pracy is neutral/standard; Po robocie sounds informal. Note that Już po robocie! can also mean “The job is done!” (not “after work” in time).