Learn Hardcore Polish: To jest luźny plan.

So the whole sentence is more naturally “This is a rough plan” or “This is a loose / flexible plan”, not about something being physically loose.

Other common meanings of luźny in different contexts:

luźne spodnie – loose (baggy) trousers
luźna rozmowa – casual, relaxed conversation
luźny związek – casual, not very committed relationship

So here it’s metaphorical: the plan is not strict or final.

Why is it luźny and not luźna or luźne?

Because adjectives in Polish agree with the gender, number and case of the noun.

plan is a masculine noun (masculine inanimate).
In the basic dictionary form (nominative singular), a typical masculine adjective ends in -y or -i.

So we get:

luźny plan – a loose plan (masculine singular)
luźna książka – a loose book (feminine singular, hypothetical)
luźne spodnie – loose trousers (plural)

In To jest luźny plan, luźny matches plan:

gender: masculine
number: singular
case: nominative (because it’s a predicate after jest).

Why is it To jest luźny plan and not something like To luźny plan without jest?

Both forms exist:

To jest luźny plan. – fully standard, neutral.
To luźny plan. – possible, a bit shorter and more “headline-like” or colloquial.

In everyday speech and writing, using jest after to is very common and sounds natural, especially for learners. The version without jest occurs:

in short, emphatic statements: To dobry pomysł!
in titles, labels, or notes: To ważna sprawa.
in more informal styles.

For clear, neutral sentences, To jest luźny plan is a very good default for you.

Could I also say Plan jest luźny? Is there a difference from To jest luźny plan?

Yes, you can say Plan jest luźny. Both are correct, but there’s a nuance:

To jest luźny plan.
- Feels like “This is a loose plan.”
- You’re introducing or identifying something as a loose plan.
- Often used when you first mention the plan or point at it (physically or in context).
Plan jest luźny.
- Feels like “The plan is loose.”
- You’re talking about a plan already known from context.
- You’re describing a property of that specific plan.

Both are good; choice depends on whether you’re identifying “what this is” (To jest…) or describing “what the plan is like” (Plan jest…).

What case is plan in here, and why doesn’t it change form?

In To jest luźny plan, plan is in the nominative singular:

It stands after jest and works like a predicate noun (“This is a plan”).
In Polish, after forms of być (to be) in such sentences, the noun normally stays in nominative.

That’s why it looks like the dictionary form:

plan (nominative singular) – the basic form
You will see other endings in different cases:
- planu (genitive: nie mam planu – I don’t have a plan)
- planem (instrumental: z dobrym planem – with a good plan), etc.

Here, because it’s “X is Y”, both to (logically) and plan correspond to nominative.

How would I say it in the plural, like “These are loose plans”?

Plural would be:

To są luźne plany. – These are loose plans.

Changes:

jest (singular) → są (plural)
luźny (masc. sing.) → luźne (plural)
plan → plany (plural noun)

So the pattern is:

singular: To jest luźny plan.
plural: To są luźne plany.

What’s the difference between to and ten here? Could I say Ten plan jest luźny?

Yes, Ten plan jest luźny is correct and natural. Differences:

To jest luźny plan.
- to is a neutral demonstrative/pronoun, often like “this/that/it”.
- Common pattern for introducing or identifying something: To jest X.
Ten plan jest luźny.
- ten is an adjective-like demonstrative meaning “this” (masculine).
- Literally: “This plan is loose.”
- You’re clearly talking about this specific plan, often contrasted with others.

So:

introducing something: To jest luźny plan.
talking about “this particular plan”: Ten plan jest luźny.

How do I pronounce luźny correctly?

Syllables: lu-źny (2 syllables).

Sounds:

l – as in English l.
u – like oo in “food”, but shorter.
ź – a soft, palatal sound, similar to the s in “vision” or “measure”, but softer and more “y-ish”.
n – as in English n, but:
y – like i in “bit”, but a bit more central; not like English ee in “see”.

Rough approximation: LOO-zh-nih, but with that Polish y (somewhere between “i” and “uh”) and a soft ź (like zh in “vision” but palatal).

How would I say “This is not a loose plan” in Polish?

You negate jest with nie placed before it:

To nie jest luźny plan. – This is not a loose plan.

Pattern:

To jest luźny plan. – affirmative
To nie jest luźny plan. – negative

Note that nie does not merge with jest (in the present tense of być, it stays separate).

Is there a difference between To jest luźny plan and To jest tylko luźny plan?

Yes, tylko adds a limiting/softening meaning:

To jest luźny plan.
- Neutral: “This is a loose/rough plan.”
To jest tylko luźny plan.
- “This is only a loose plan.”
- Implies:
  - It’s not final or binding.
  - Don’t treat it too seriously.
  - There may be changes.

tylko here roughly corresponds to “only / just”.