Jaki film lubisz?

Which movie do you like?

Breakdown of Jaki film lubisz?

• ty: you
• lubić: to like
• film: the movie
• jaki: which

Questions & Answers about Jaki film lubisz?

What does each word in Jaki film lubisz? literally mean?

• jaki – what kind of / which
• film – film, movie
• lubisz – you like (2nd person singular, informal)

So the whole sentence is literally: “What kind of film you-like?”, i.e. “What kind of movie do you like?” / “Which film do you like?”

Why is there no “you” (ty) in Jaki film lubisz?

In Polish, subject pronouns (like ty = you) are usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person.

• lubisz can only mean “you (singular, informal) like”, so ty is understood.

You can say Ty jaki film lubisz?, but it sounds more marked/emphatic, like: “And you, what film do you like?”

What grammatical form is lubisz and what is the infinitive?

The infinitive is lubić – to like.
lubisz is:

• 2nd person
• singular
• present tense

Conjugation (present tense) of lubić:

• ja lubię – I like
• ty lubisz – you (sg., informal) like
• on/ona/ono lubi – he/she/it likes
• my lubimy – we like
• wy lubicie – you (pl.) like
• oni/one lubią – they like

What case is film in, and why doesn’t it change its form?

film is the direct object of the verb lubisz, so it’s in the accusative case.

For masculine inanimate nouns like film, the accusative singular form is the same as the nominative.

• Nominative: film – a movie
• Accusative: film – (you like) a movie

So even though the case changes, the form stays the same.

Why is it jaki film and not jakiego filmu?

Because here “film” is treated as a specific direct object: “Which film / what kind of film do you like?” — and it’s in the accusative, where:

• masculine inanimate noun: film
• agreeing adjective/pronoun: jaki

jakiego filmu would be genitive, used in other structures, for example:

• Nie znam jakiego filmu szukasz. – I don’t know which film you’re looking for.
• Jestem ciekaw, jakiego filmu nie lubisz. – I’m curious which film you don’t like.

So in the simple direct question with lubić, jaki film is correct.

What is the difference between jaki and który? Could I say Który film lubisz?

Both can often be translated as “which”, but there’s a nuance:

• jaki – more like “what kind of”, asking about type/character:

  • Jaki film lubisz? – What kind of films do you like? (comedy, horror, etc.)

• który – more like “which (one)” from a known, limited set:

  • Który film lubisz? – Which film (from these that we know/see) do you like?

Both sentences are correct, but jaki film lubisz? sounds more like asking about general taste, while który film lubisz? sounds like choosing one from a list.

What is the difference between jaki and jak? Why not Jak film lubisz?

• jaki is an adjective/pronoun meaning “what kind of, which” and it agrees in gender, case, and number with a noun:

  • jaki film, jaka książka, jakie filmy

• jak is an adverb meaning “how”:

  • Jak się masz? – How are you?
  • Jak on mówi po polsku? – How does he speak Polish?

So Jak film lubisz? is ungrammatical; to ask about the type of film, you must use jaki.

Does jaki change with gender and number? How would I say similar questions with other nouns?

Yes, jaki agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case. In the same pattern as Jaki film lubisz? (accusative object), you might say:

• Feminine: Jaką książkę lubisz? – What kind of book do you like?
• Neuter: Jakie piwo lubisz? – What kind of beer do you like?
• Plural (any gender mix): Jakie filmy lubisz? – What kind of films do you like?

So the template is:
Jaki / Jaką / Jakie + [noun in appropriate case] + lubisz?

Can I change the word order? For example, Jaki lubisz film? or Lubisz jaki film?

Polish word order is fairly flexible, but some options are more natural:

• Jaki film lubisz? – very natural; neutral or lightly focused on what kind of film.
• Jaki lubisz film? – also possible; this often sounds like stressing lubisz or contrasting with other verbs (e.g. you like, not hate).
• Lubisz jaki film? – sounds odd or very marked; it might be used in a special context (e.g. repeating a question in surprise), but it’s not the standard way to ask.

For a learner, it’s safest to stick to Jaki film lubisz?.

How would I make it plural: “What kind of films do you like?”

You change both the adjective and the noun to plural:

• Jakie filmy lubisz? – What kind of films do you like?

Here:

• jakie – plural form of jaki
• filmy – plural nominative/accusative of film

How do you pronounce Jaki film lubisz?

Approximate pronunciation (with English-like hints):

• Jaki – YA-kee
• film – like English film, but with a bit clearer l and final m
• lubisz – LOO-bish (the final sz is like English sh)

Word stress in Polish is almost always on the second-to-last syllable:

• JA-ki FILM LU-bisz (capital letters marking the stressed syllables).

What is the difference between lubić and podobać się for “like”? Could I say Jaki film ci się podoba?

Polish has two common ways to talk about “liking”:

1. lubić – more like “to like, to be fond of” (fairly broad, used for people, food, activities, etc.):

   • Jaki film lubisz? – What kind of film do you like?

2. podobać się – more like “to appeal to someone, to please someone (visually/artistically)”, very common with things you watch, see, hear, etc.:

   • Jaki film ci się podoba? – What film do you like / What film appeals to you?

Both questions are natural, but Jaki film lubisz? sounds a bit more about general taste, while Jaki film ci się podoba? can focus slightly more on which films you find pleasing. In many contexts, they are interchangeable.

How would I make this sentence more polite or formal?

To be formal, you don’t change jaki film, but you change the verb and pronoun to formal Pan/Pani forms:

• To a man: Jaki film pan lubi? – What film do you like, sir?
• To a woman: Jaki film pani lubi? – What film do you like, ma’am?

Note:

• Pan/Pani take 3rd person singular verb forms (lubi, not lubisz).
• You normally don’t capitalize pan/pani inside the sentence in modern everyday writing unless you want to be very ceremonious.