Questions & Answers about Ta kartka leży na biurku.
In Polish, demonstratives (ten / ta / to / ci / te / tamten etc.) must agree with the gender, number and case of the noun.
- kartka is a feminine noun in the nominative singular (dictionary form: kartka).
- The feminine nominative singular form of this is ta.
So you get:
- ten – masculine (e.g. ten stół – this table)
- ta – feminine (e.g. ta kartka – this sheet of paper)
- to – neuter (e.g. to biurko – this desk)
Because kartka is feminine, you must use ta.
Kartka most commonly means a (single) sheet of paper or a small piece of paper. Depending on context it can also mean:
- a note, a scrap of paper: kartka z notatkami – a note with some scribbles
- a card: kartka świąteczna – a Christmas card
- a ration card (in historical/PRL contexts): kartki na mięso – meat ration cards
In the sentence Ta kartka leży na biurku, the default understanding is This sheet of paper is lying on the desk.
Leżeć means to lie, to be lying (in a lying position). In Polish you often use a verb that describes the position of an object instead of a neutral to be:
- leżeć – to lie (be lying)
- stać – to stand (be standing)
- wisieć – to hang (be hanging)
- siedzieć – to sit (be sitting)
So:
- Ta kartka jest na biurku. – This piece of paper is on the desk. (neutral)
- Ta kartka leży na biurku. – This piece of paper is lying on the desk. (adds position: it’s flat, lying there)
Both sentences are correct; leży gives a bit more information about how the paper is placed.
Often yes, but not always naturally.
- For objects that plausibly lie somewhere, leży is very natural:
- Książka leży na stole. – The book is lying on the table.
- For objects that typically stand, stać is more natural:
- Szklanka stoi na stole. – The glass is (standing) on the table.
You can say Ta kartka jest na biurku, and it’s correct. It just sounds more neutral and less specific about position. In everyday speech people frequently use jest, leży, stoi, wisi depending on what feels natural for that object.
Leżeć (to lie, be lying) in the present tense:
- ja leżę – I lie / I am lying
- ty leżysz – you (sg.) lie
- on / ona / ono leży – he / she / it lies
- my leżymy – we lie
- wy leżycie – you (pl.) lie
- oni / one leżą – they lie
So in Ta kartka leży na biurku, leży is 3rd person singular (she/it lies), agreeing with kartka (singular).
Kartka here is in the nominative singular (mianownik, liczba pojedyncza).
- The subject of a basic sentence is in the nominative case.
- In Ta kartka leży na biurku, the subject is ta kartka – the thing that is doing the action of lying.
So:
- Kto? Co? (Who? What?) leży na biurku?
- Ta kartka leży na biurku.
Answering that question uses the nominative case, which is kartka (feminine singular).
Polish prepositions change meaning depending on the case they govern.
With na you have a common contrast:
- na + locative (miejscownik) – location, where something is
- na + accusative (biernik) – motion, where something is going to
Examples:
- Książka leży na biurku. – The book is lying on the desk (where? – locative).
- Kładę książkę na biurko. – I am putting the book onto the desk (where to? – accusative).
In Ta kartka leży na biurku, the paper is already there, so we use locative: biurku (not biurko).
Biurko is a neuter noun. Its basic forms are:
- Nominative: biurko – (a) desk
- Locative: biurku – on/at the desk (after na, przy, etc.)
In the phrase na biurku, na (on) requires the locative when describing location, so biurko changes to biurku.
Yes. The locative case (miejscownik) appears mainly after a small set of prepositions, typically in static location or “about” meanings. The most common are:
- w / we – in
- w domu – in the house
- na – on, at (for location)
- na biurku – on the desk
- o – about
- mówić o książce – to talk about the book
- przy – by, near
- przy oknie – by the window
- po in some meanings (e.g. time, space):
- po obiedzie – after lunch
- po ulicy – along the street (walking around there)
So biurku is a standard locative singular form after na indicating location.
Yes. Polish word order is flexible, and different orders usually change emphasis rather than correctness.
All of these are correct:
- Ta kartka leży na biurku.
- Na biurku leży ta kartka.
- Na biurku ta kartka leży. (less common, but possible in the right context)
Rough nuances:
- Ta kartka leży na biurku. – fairly neutral; you introduce “this sheet,” then say where it is.
- Na biurku leży ta kartka. – emphasizes where something is; typical if you are talking about what is on the desk.
- Na biurku ta kartka leży. – can sound slightly more poetic or contrastive, highlighting ta kartka among other things.
Functionally, for a learner, 1 and 2 are the most useful, both perfectly natural.
You need to change this → these, the noun to plural, and the verb to plural:
- Te kartki leżą na biurku. – These sheets of paper are lying on the desk.
Changes:
- ta (this, fem. sg.) → te (these, non-masc. personal plural)
- kartka → kartki (nominative plural)
- leży (3rd person singular) → leżą (3rd person plural)
Biurku stays the same, because it’s still one desk in the locative singular.
Polish has no articles (no a/an and no the). The sentence Ta kartka leży na biurku literally has:
- ta kartka – this sheet (of paper)
- leży – lies / is lying
- na biurku – on (the) desk
Whether you translate it as This sheet of paper or The sheet of paper in English depends on context, not on any special Polish word.
If you want to stress this, you use a demonstrative like ta, ten, to. Otherwise, a bare noun can be a or the in English, depending on context.
Past tense in Polish agrees with gender and number of the subject. Kartka is feminine singular, so:
- Ta kartka leżała na biurku. – This sheet of paper was lying on the desk.
Basic past forms of leżeć (singular):
- ja leżałem / leżałam – I was lying (m/f)
- ty leżałeś / leżałaś – you were lying (m/f)
- on leżał – he was lying
- ona leżała – she was lying
- ono leżało – it was lying
For ta kartka (feminine), you use leżała.
In Polish, you put nie directly before the verb:
- Ta kartka nie leży na biurku. – This sheet of paper is not lying on the desk.
Pattern:
- [subject] + nie + [verb] + …
- On nie pracuje. – He is not working.
- Ona nie mieszka tutaj. – She does not live here.
If you want to contrast locations:
- Ta kartka nie leży na biurku, tylko na krześle.
– This sheet of paper isn’t lying on the desk, but on the chair.
Yes, that’s possible, but the meaning shifts slightly.
- Ta kartka leży na biurku. – This (specific) sheet of paper is lying on the desk.
- Kartka leży na biurku. – A/Some sheet of paper is lying on the desk. (less specific, more like “There’s a sheet of paper on the desk.”)
Because Polish has no articles, removing ta makes the reference more indefinite or generic, similar to changing this sheet → a sheet in English.
No. Biurko means strictly desk (the piece of furniture).
- biurko – desk
- biuro – office (as a place or organization)
So:
- Ta kartka leży na biurku. – This sheet of paper is lying on the desk.
- Ta kartka leży w biurze. – This sheet of paper is lying in the office.
Don’t confuse biurko (desk) with biuro (office).