Breakdown of Na urodziny i imieniny babci zawsze śpiewamy jej tę samą piosenkę.
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Questions & Answers about Na urodziny i imieniny babci zawsze śpiewamy jej tę samą piosenkę.
Why do we use na with urodziny and imieniny here, and what does it mean?
In this sentence na means “for (the occasion of)”.
- na urodziny = for (someone’s) birthday
- na imieniny = for (someone’s) name day
This na + accusative pattern is very common with events and occasions:
- na święta – for the holidays / at Christmas time
- na kolację – for dinner
- na wesele – for the wedding
Using w urodziny would be wrong in this meaning. With dates or days you use w + accusative/locative (e.g. w sobotę – on Saturday), but with occasions you use na.
Why are urodziny and imieniny in the plural, even though in English we say “birthday” and “name day” (singular)?
In Polish, some celebration nouns are normally plural, even when referring to a single event:
- urodziny – birthday (lit. “birthdays”)
- imieniny – name day (lit. “name days”)
- wakacje – vacation/holidays (lit. “vacations”)
- zaręczyny – engagement
So you say, for example:
- Moje urodziny są jutro. – My birthday is tomorrow. (verb in plural in very formal grammar, but often singular in speech)
- Idę na imieniny Kasi. – I am going to Kasia’s name day (party).
There is a singular form urodzina / imienina, but it is rare and sounds unnatural in everyday language. You almost always use the plural.
What exactly are imieniny, and how are they different from ?