Questions & Answers about Odkładam je na półkę.
Why is there no ja in Odkładam je na półkę? Does odkładam already include I?
Yes. In Polish the personal ending on the verb shows the subject, so you usually drop the pronoun.
- odkładam = I put / I am putting
- stem: odkłada-
- ending -m = 1st person singular (I)
You only add ja for emphasis or contrast:
- Ja odkładam je na półkę, a ty je zostawiasz na stole.
I put them on the shelf, and you leave them on the table.
What is the exact tense and aspect of odkładam? Is it “I put” or “I am putting”?
Odkładam is:
- present tense
- imperfective aspect
- 1st person singular
Imperfective present in Polish covers both:
- I put them on the shelf (regularly, habitually).
- I am putting them on the shelf (right now).
Context decides which reading is intended.
The perfective partner is odłożyć:
- Odłożę je na półkę. – I will put them on the shelf (single, completed future action).
What does je mean here, and why is it je and not ich?