Jestem z siebie zadowolony.

I am satisfied with myself.

Breakdown of Jestem z siebie zadowolony.

• ja: I
• być: to be
• z: with
• zadowolony: satisfied
• siebie: themselves

Questions & Answers about Jestem z siebie zadowolony.

What does z siebie literally mean, and why is it used here?

Literally, z siebie means “from myself” (or “out of myself”).

In this sentence, though, jestem z siebie zadowolony is an idiomatic way to say “I’m satisfied with myself / I’m pleased with myself.”

In Polish, the adjective zadowolony (“satisfied, pleased”) very often takes the preposition z + genitive to show what you are satisfied with:

• zadowolony z pracy – satisfied with (the) work
• zadowolony z wyniku – satisfied with the result
• zadowolony z siebie – satisfied with myself

So z siebie is the natural complement for zadowolony when the “object” is yourself. It doesn’t feel as strange in Polish as “from myself” would in English; it’s just the standard pattern.

Why is it z siebie and not z się?

Polish has several related forms: się, sobie, siebie, sobą. They are not interchangeable.

• się is a clitic reflexive particle used with verbs:
  
  • uczę się – I’m learning
  • cieszę się – I’m glad
• siebie is the full reflexive pronoun used where you would use mnie / ciebie / jego… etc., often after prepositions:
  
  • boję się siebie – I’m afraid of myself
  • jestem z siebie dumny – I’m proud of myself

Because we have the preposition z, we need a full pronoun, not the clitic się. So:

• ✅ z siebie
• ❌ z się (ungrammatical)

What case is siebie in here?

In jestem z siebie zadowolony, the z takes the genitive case.

siebie here is genitive singular of the reflexive pronoun. (The form siebie is used for several cases, so we identify the case from the preposition: z + genitive.)

Compare:

• z pracy (gen.) – from work / of work
• z dziecka (gen.) – of the child
• z siebie (gen.) – of myself

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Jestem zadowolony z siebie instead?

Yes, you can change the word order. Both are correct:

• Jestem z siebie zadowolony.
• Jestem zadowolony z siebie.

They mean the same. The difference is very slight and mostly about rhythm/emphasis in a given context. In everyday speech, Jestem zadowolony z siebie may actually be a bit more common.

Polish word order is relatively flexible; adjectives and prepositional phrases can usually move around as long as the grammar (cases, agreement) is correct.

Can I drop z siebie and just say Jestem zadowolony?

Yes, you can say:

• Jestem zadowolony. – “I’m satisfied / I’m pleased.”

However, then it does not specifically mean “with myself.” It just means “I’m satisfied” in general, often with something understood from context:

• Jestem zadowolony z wyniku. – I’m satisfied with the result.
• If you already talked about the result, you might just say
  Jestem zadowolony. – (I’m satisfied with it.)

To emphasize yourself as the source of satisfaction, you need:

• Jestem z siebie zadowolony. – I’m satisfied with myself.

How would the sentence change if the speaker is a woman or a group of people?

The adjective zadowolony agrees in gender and number with the speaker.

• Male speaker:
  • Jestem z siebie zadowolony.
• Female speaker:
  • Jestem z siebie zadowolona.
• Group of people (mixed or all male):
  • Jesteśmy z siebie zadowoleni.
• Group of only women:
  • Jesteśmy z siebie zadowolone.

Only the adjective and the verb change; z siebie stays the same.

Is zadowolony the same as “happy”? What’s the nuance?

zadowolony usually means “satisfied, pleased”, often with a result, performance, or situation. It suggests:

• expectations were met
• things turned out acceptably or well

Examples:

• Jestem zadowolony z egzaminu. – I’m satisfied with the exam.
• Szef jest zadowolony z naszej pracy. – The boss is satisfied with our work.

For more emotional “happy,” you more often see:

• szczęśliwy – happy, fortunate (deeper, emotional happiness)
• wesoły – cheerful

So:

• Jestem z siebie zadowolony. – I’m pleased/satisfied with myself.
• Jestem szczęśliwy. – I’m happy. (emotionally)

Why is the preposition z used here and not something like od or na?

In Polish, certain adjectives “go with” specific prepositions; these combinations are largely fixed and must be memorized.

zadowolony normally takes z + genitive to indicate what you’re satisfied with:

• zadowolony z siebie – satisfied with oneself
• zadowolony z pracy – satisfied with the job
• zadowolony z wyniku – satisfied with the result

Using od or na here would sound incorrect or would change the meaning. So think of zadowolony z + [genitive] as a standard pattern to learn.

How do I say “I’m pleased with you / him / this result” using the same structure?

Use zadowolony + z + the appropriate genitive form:

• Jestem z ciebie zadowolony. – I’m pleased with you.
  (to someone you address as ty; if you’re a woman: zadowolona)

• Jestem z pana / pani zadowolony. – I’m pleased with you (formal).
  (Again, a female speaker: zadowolona.)

• Jestem z niego zadowolony. – I’m pleased with him.
• Jestem z niej zadowolony. – I’m pleased with her.
• Jestem z tego wyniku zadowolony. – I’m pleased with this result.

Notice that z siebie is just the reflexive version of the same pattern:

• z kogo? z czego? (genitive) → z siebie

What’s the difference between siebie, sobą, and sobie in similar sentences?

They are different forms of the reflexive pronoun, used in different grammatical roles:

• siebie – used like mnie / ciebie after many verbs and prepositions (object role, often genitive/accusative):

  • jestem z siebie zadowolony – I’m satisfied with myself
  • boję się siebie – I’m afraid of myself

• sobą – instrumental (“with / by myself” in a literal sense):

  • jestem z siebie dumny, jestem z ciebie dumny – jestem z was dumny;
    but: jestem z siebie zadowolony, not z sobą zadowolony

  More typical use:

  • jestem zadowolony z pracy, którą wykonałem własnymi rękami, własną sobą – stylistically different; sobą emphasizes the person as an instrument/agent.

• sobie – dative, often “to/for myself”:

  • kupiłem sobie książkę. – I bought myself a book.
  • dałem sobie spokój. – I gave up on it / left it alone.

In jestem z siebie zadowolony, only siebie fits the preposition z in this idiomatic sense.

Is Jestem z siebie zadowolony a common and natural sentence in modern Polish?

Yes, it is natural and common. You’ll hear and see it:

• in everyday speech:
  • Udało mi się to. Jestem z siebie zadowolony.
• in slightly more reflective or serious contexts:
  • Pierwszy raz od dawna jestem z siebie zadowolony.

It does not sound old-fashioned or overly formal. It simply states that you are pleased or satisfied with your own behavior, effort, or result.

What’s the difference between Jestem z siebie zadowolony and Jestem z siebie dumny?

Both talk about a positive evaluation of yourself, but:

• zadowolony – satisfied, pleased (expectations met; things went well):

  • Jestem z siebie zadowolony. – I’m satisfied/pleased with myself.

• dumny – proud (stronger emotion, sense of achievement or moral approval):

  • Jestem z siebie dumny. – I’m proud of myself.

You can be zadowolony even with a small success or just “good enough” performance.
Dumny suggests something more significant or personally meaningful.