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On wraca z zagranicy jutro.

On wraca z zagranicy jutro.
He is coming back from abroad tomorrow.

Breakdown of On wraca z zagranicy jutro.

on
he
wracać
to return
jutro
tomorrow
z
from
zagranica
abroad
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Questions & Answers about On wraca z zagranicy jutro.

Why is wraca (present tense) used even though the action happens jutro (tomorrow)?

In Polish, the present tense of an imperfective verb is often used to talk about the near future, especially when there is a time expression like jutro, za godzinę, wieczorem, etc.

So:

  • On wraca z zagranicy jutro.
    = “He is coming back from abroad tomorrow.” / “He comes back from abroad tomorrow.”

English needs a special future form (“will come back”, “is coming back”), but Polish can just use the present tense and let jutro show that it’s about the future.

What’s the difference between wraca and wróci?

They come from two different aspects of the verb:

  • wracać (imperfective) → on wraca
  • wrócić (perfective) → on wróci

Imperfective (wracać):

  • focuses on the process or the regularity of the action
  • used in the present and for planned / expected future with a time word:
    • On wraca jutro. – He is (in the process of) returning tomorrow / he comes back tomorrow (neutral).

Perfective (wrócić):

  • focuses on the single completed result of the action
  • used more for “at some point he will have come back”:
    • On wróci jutro. – He will return tomorrow (single, completed event; a bit more result-focused).

In everyday speech, in a sentence like this, both On wraca jutro and On wróci jutro are possible; wraca feels more like a scheduled/expected return, wróci sounds more like “the act of returning will be completed tomorrow.”

Is the pronoun On necessary? Can I just say Wraca z zagranicy jutro?

The pronoun on is not grammatically necessary. Polish is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending already shows the person.

  • On wraca z zagranicy jutro. – He comes back from abroad tomorrow. (more explicit, maybe emphasizing he)
  • Wraca z zagranicy jutro. – (He) is coming back from abroad tomorrow. (totally normal if context makes it clear who you mean)

You usually include on to:

  • introduce a new person into the conversation,
  • contrast him with others (On wraca jutro, a ona pojutrze. – He returns tomorrow, and she the day after tomorrow),
  • add emphasis.
Why is it z zagranicy, not z zagranica?

Because zagranica (abroad) is a noun and after the preposition z (“from”) you must use the genitive case.

  • Nominative (dictionary form): zagranica – “abroad” (as a place)
  • Genitive singular: zagranicy

The preposition z meaning “from (inside)” takes the genitive:

  • z domu – from (the) house
  • z pracy – from work
  • z kina – from the cinema
  • z zagranicy – from abroad

So z zagranica is incorrect; you must say z zagranicy.

What case is zagranicy, and why is that case used here?

Zagranicy is in the genitive singular.

It’s in the genitive because of the preposition z (“from”), which in the sense of “from a place (out of it)” requires the genitive.

Pattern:

  • z
    • GENITIVE → “from (somewhere)”
      • z Warszawy – from Warsaw
      • z kuchni – from the kitchen
      • z Polski – from Poland
      • z zagranicy – from abroad

So the case is determined by the preposition, not by the verb.

What’s the difference between z zagranicy and za granicą / zagranicą?

They express different directions:

  1. za granicą / zagranicą – “abroad” as a location (where someone is)

    • On jest za granicą / zagranicą. – He is abroad.

  2. z zagranicy – “from abroad” as a direction / source (where someone is coming from)

    • On wraca z zagranicy. – He is coming back from abroad.

So:

  • być za granicą / zagranicą – to be abroad
  • wracać z zagranicy – to come back from abroad

You cannot say wraca zagranicą for “he is coming back from abroad”; you need z zagranicy.

Can I move jutro to a different place in the sentence?

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatical:

  • On wraca z zagranicy jutro. (neutral, very natural)
  • On jutro wraca z zagranicy.
  • Jutro on wraca z zagranicy.
  • Jutro wraca on z zagranicy. (more emphatic or stylistically marked)

The basic information doesn’t change; different orders add different emphasis:

  • Putting jutro first (Jutro on wraca…) highlights “tomorrow”.
  • Putting on early (On jutro wraca…) can highlight “he” (as opposed to someone else).

For most everyday situations, On wraca z zagranicy jutro and On jutro wraca z zagranicy will sound the most neutral.

Could I just say On wraca jutro without z zagranicy?

Yes. On wraca jutro. is a complete sentence: “He comes back / is coming back tomorrow.”

  • z zagranicy simply adds from where he is returning.
  • Without it, you’re not saying where from; that will normally be understood from context (e.g. from work, from a trip, from some city).

So:

  • On wraca jutro. – He is coming back tomorrow. (place unspecified)
  • On wraca z zagranicy jutro. – He is coming back from abroad tomorrow. (place specified)
Is wracać only used for “going back home,” or can it be more general?

Wracać means “to return, to go/come back” in a broad sense:

  • wracać do domu – go back home
  • wracać do pracy – go back to work
  • wracać z wakacji – return from holiday
  • wracać z zagranicy – come back from abroad
  • wracać do tematu – return to the topic (figurative)

So in On wraca z zagranicy jutro, it just says he is returning from abroad, not necessarily specifying where to (home, work, etc.). That can be added with do + [place in genitive], e.g.:

  • On wraca jutro z zagranicy do Polski. – He is coming back from abroad to Poland tomorrow.
How do I conjugate wracać for other people (I, you, we, etc.)?

Here is the present tense of wracać:

  • ja wracam – I return / I am returning
  • ty wracasz – you (sg., informal) return
  • on / ona / ono wraca – he / she / it returns
  • my wracamy – we return
  • wy wracacie – you (pl.) return
  • oni / one wracają – they return

So based on the model sentence:

  • Wracam z zagranicy jutro. – I am coming back from abroad tomorrow.
  • Wracamy z zagranicy jutro. – We are coming back from abroad tomorrow.
Why does Polish use z here, not od or ze for “from”?

Polish has several prepositions that can translate as “from,” but they’re used in different ways.

  1. z

    • genitive – from (out of / from inside a place, from a country, city, building, etc.)

    • z domu – from (the) house
    • z kina – from the cinema
    • z Polski – from Poland
    • z zagranicy – from abroad
      → That’s why z is used here: it’s about coming from a place.

  2. od

    • genitive – from (a person or sometimes an institution)

    • od mamy – from (my) mum
    • od lekarza – from the doctor
    • od kolegi – from a (male) friend

  3. ze is just a phonetic variant of z used before certain consonant clusters or certain words to make pronunciation easier:

    • ze szkoły – from school
    • ze sklepu – from the shop

So conceptually this sentence needs z (place of origin), and spelling stays z because zagranicy is easy to pronounce after z.

Where is the stress in zagranicy and jutro? How are they pronounced?

Polish stress is almost always on the second‑to‑last syllable.

  • za-gra-NI-cy → stress on NI
  • JU-tro → stress on JU
  • WRA-ca → stress on WRA

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like hints):

  • wraca → “VRA-tsa” (rolled/flapped r; “ts” as in “cats”)
  • zagranicy → “za-gra-NEE-tsi”
  • jutro → “YOO-tro”

So the rhythm is: on WRA-ca z za-gra-NI-cy JU-tro.