Learn Hardcore Polish: Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.

I like this city more and more.

Breakdown of Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Polish now

Questions & Answers about Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.

What does coraz bardziej literally mean, and how is it different from just bardziej?

Bardziej on its own means “more” (used mostly with adjectives/adverbs/verbs of liking):

Lubię to miasto bardziej niż tamto. – I like this city more than that one.

Coraz bardziej means “more and more / increasingly” and suggests a gradual change over time:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto. – I like this city more and more / I’m liking this city more and more.

So:

bardziej = a simple comparison (more than X)
coraz bardziej = a growing intensity over time (more and more, increasingly)

Why is it lubię and not something like “jestem lubiący” to mean “I am liking”?

Polish normally doesn’t use a special continuous form like English “I am liking”. The simple present usually covers both “I like” and “I am liking” for verbs of feeling, thinking, and wanting.

Lubię to miasto. – I like this city. / I’m fond of this city.
With coraz bardziej:
- Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto. – I’m liking this city more and more.

Forms like jestem lubiący are either wrong or sound extremely unnatural in everyday Polish. For ongoing processes you usually just use the present tense, and adverbs like coraz bardziej give you the “increasingly / more and more” nuance.

Is the word order fixed? Can I also say “Lubię to miasto coraz bardziej”?

The word order is flexible in Polish. These are all grammatically correct:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.
Lubię to miasto coraz bardziej.
To miasto lubię coraz bardziej.

All can mean “I like this city more and more.”

Nuances (they’re subtle, and context/intonation matters a lot):

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.
Neutral, very common: first highlight that something is “more and more,” then say what (liking this city).
Lubię to miasto coraz bardziej.
Focus slightly more on “this city” as the thing that is liked more and more.
To miasto lubię coraz bardziej.
Stronger emphasis on to miasto (“this city, in particular, I like more and more”), often in contrast to some other places.

For a learner, the first two are the safest and most natural in isolation.

Why is it to miasto and not ten miasto?

Because miasto (city, town) is neuter, and the demonstrative “this” must agree in gender with the noun.

Nominative/accusative singular demonstratives:

ten – masculine
ta – feminine
to – neuter

Since miasto is neuter:

to miasto = this city

Ten miasto would mix masculine ten with a neuter noun, which is ungrammatical.

Which case is to miasto in here, and why does it look like the nominative?

Grammatically, to miasto is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of lubię (I like what? → this city).

For inanimate neuter nouns like miasto, the nominative and accusative forms are identical:

Nominative singular: to miasto – this city (as subject)
Accusative singular: to miasto – this city (as object)

So:

To miasto jest ładne. – This city is beautiful. (nominative subject)
Lubię to miasto. – I like this city. (accusative object)

Same form, different function.

What’s the difference between lubię to miasto and podoba mi się to miasto?

Both can translate as “I like this city”, but they’re used slightly differently:

Lubię to miasto.
- From lubić = to like (as an attitude/feeling).
- More general, can include emotional attachment, affinity, memories, etc.
- Works for people, food, places, hobbies: Lubię kawę, Lubię Piotra, Lubię to miasto.
Podoba mi się to miasto.
- Literally: “This city is pleasing to me.”
- More about finding it nice/pleasant/attractive, often visually or in general impression.
- Typically used with things you find pleasing: Podoba mi się ten film, Podoba mi się ten kolor.

In your sentence:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto. – I’m increasingly fond of this city.
Coraz bardziej podoba mi się to miasto. – I find this city more and more pleasing / attractive.

Both are correct; lubię sounds a bit more about personal attachment.

What’s the difference between lubię and polubiłem / polubiłam in this context?

lubić – imperfective: describes a state (to like) or a repeated action.
polubić – perfective: describes the moment you come to like something, the change of state.

In the present:

lubię to miasto. – I like this city. (state, now)

In the past:

polubiłem to miasto. (said by a man)
polubiłam to miasto. (said by a woman)
→ I came to like this city / I grew to like this city (at some point).

Your sentence:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.
Focuses on the ongoing process: you already like it, and that liking is growing.

If you said:

Z czasem polubiłem / polubiłam to miasto.
You’d be highlighting the result: at some time in the past, a change happened and now you like it.

Can I drop to and just say “Coraz bardziej lubię miasto”?

You can say Coraz bardziej lubię miasto, but it sounds less specific and often a bit odd out of context.

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto.
Usually refers to a particular city you’re in / talking about (“this city we’re discussing, I increasingly like it”).
Coraz bardziej lubię miasto.
Could mean something like “I increasingly like the (idea of) city life / cities in general”. Without to, it may sound like you’re talking about “the city” as a general concept, not a specific place in front of you.

In most real situations where you mean this actual city, you want to miasto.

Can coraz bardziej also go with adjectives, or is it only for verbs like lubić?

You can use coraz bardziej with verbs and with adjectives/adverbs, but it’s used especially with comparative or gradable words:

With verbs:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto. – I like this city more and more.
Coraz bardziej tęsknię za domem. – I miss home more and more.

With adjectives/adverbs (often when there’s no simple comparative form, or to emphasize):

Ona jest coraz bardziej zmęczona. – She is more and more tired.
To jest coraz bardziej interesujące. – This is getting more and more interesting.

Sometimes, with adjectives, Polish prefers the built‑in comparative:

Miasto jest coraz piękniejsze. – The city is getting more and more beautiful.
rather than
Miasto jest coraz bardziej piękne. – possible, but usually less natural here.

With lubić, coraz bardziej is the normal, natural way to say “more and more.”

How do I pronounce Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto?

Approximate phonetic guide (stressed syllables in CAPS):

Coraz – TSAH-ras (IPA: [ˈtsɔ.ras])
bardziej – BAR-dzhey (IPA: [ˈbar.d͡ʑɛj])
lubię – LOO-byeh (IPA: [ˈlu.bʲɛ] or [ˈlu.bʲẽ]; the ę before a consonant often sounds like a slightly nasal e)
to – toh (IPA: [tɔ])
miasto – MYAS-toh (IPA: [ˈmʲas.tɔ]; the mi is palatalized, like “myah”)

Spoken smoothly:

Coraz bardziej lubię to miasto. → TSAH-ras BAR-dzhey LOO-byeh toh MYAS-toh.

The main stress in Polish is almost always on the second‑to‑last syllable of each word: co-RAS, BAR-dziej, LU-bię, MIA-sto.