Log inSign up

Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.

Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.
In the morning I open the curtain and immediately see the wall of the neighbouring block.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Polish now

Questions & Answers about Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.

Why is rano used by itself? Is it a case form, and can I say w rano for “in the morning”?

Rano here works like an adverb meaning “in the morning / in the mornings.”
You don’t add a preposition.

  • You say: Rano otwieram zasłonę. – In the morning I open the curtain.
  • You do not say: ✗ w rano (this is incorrect).

Related options:

  • rankiem – a bit more formal/literary: Rankiem otwieram zasłonę.
  • z rana – more colloquial: Z rana otwieram zasłonę.

All three can mean roughly the same thing in this context.

What exactly does otwieram mean here? Is it “I open” or “I am opening”? Why not otworzę?

Otwieram is 1st person singular, present tense, imperfective: “I open / I am opening.”

In Polish:

  • Present imperfective can express:
    • an action happening now: Teraz otwieram zasłonę. – I’m opening the curtain now.
    • a habitual action: Rano otwieram zasłonę. – In the morning I (usually) open the curtain.

So here it’s understood as a habit/routine: Every morning I open the curtain…

Why not otworzę?

  • otworzyć (perf.) → otworzę = I will open (future, one-time event)
  • Using otworzę would sound like you’re talking about a specific future morning, not about a general routine.
Why is it widzę and not something like zobaczę or zobaczyłem?

Widzę is 1st person singular, present tense, imperfective of widzieć – “I see.”

  • widzieć (impf.) – ongoing or repeated perception:
    • widzę – I see (now / generally)
  • zobaczyć (perf.) – moment of noticing:
    • zobaczę – I will (manage to) see / I’ll catch sight of
    • zobaczyłem – I saw (I noticed at some point)

In this sentence, we want a simple, regular outcome of the routine:

  • Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę… – In the morning I open the curtain and (then) I see…

If you said:

  • Rano otworzę zasłonę i od razu zobaczę…

it would sound like a one-time future event: Tomorrow/one day I’ll open the curtain in the morning and (then) I’ll see…

Why is it zasłonę and not zasłona?

Zasłona is a feminine noun: zasłona (nom. sg.).

In the sentence, it is the direct object of otwieram (what do I open?), so it must be in the accusative singular:

  • nominative: zasłona
  • accusative: zasłonę

Compare:

  • Zasłona jest biała. – The curtain is white. (subject, nominative)
  • Otwieram zasłonę. – I open the curtain. (object, accusative)
What’s the difference between zasłona, firanka, rolety, etc.?

These words refer to different window coverings:

  • zasłona – a thicker curtain, usually for blocking light and view.
  • firanka – a sheer/net curtain, thin, often white, mostly for privacy, letting light through.
  • roleta (pl. rolety) – a roller blind.
  • żaluzje – blinds (horizontal or vertical slats).

In this sentence, zasłona suggests a regular curtain you physically pull aside or open.

What does od razu mean exactly, and how is it used?

Od razu is a very common adverbial phrase meaning:

  • “immediately, right away, straight away.”

Literal components:

  • od – “from”
  • raz – “time, occasion”

But you should treat od razu as a fixed phrase.

Examples:

  • Otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę.
    I open the curtain and immediately see the wall.
  • Powiedz mi od razu. – Tell me right away.

Synonyms: natychmiast, od ręki (in some contexts).

Why is it ścianę and not ściana?

Ściana is a feminine noun (wall).

Again, as with zasłona, in this sentence ściana is the direct object of widzę (what do I see?), so it must be in the accusative singular:

  • nominative: ściana
  • accusative: ścianę

Compare:

  • Ściana jest blisko. – The wall is close. (subject)
  • Widzę ścianę. – I see the wall. (object)
Why is it sąsiedniego bloku? What case is this, and how does it work?

Sąsiedniego bloku is a genitive phrase modifying ścianę:

  • ścianę (kogo? czego?) sąsiedniego bloku
    → the wall of the neighbouring block.

Breakdown:

  • blok – “(apartment) block”, masculine inanimate
    • nominative sg.: blok
    • genitive sg.: bloku
  • sąsiedni – “neighboring / next-door”
    • must agree with bloku in case, number, and gender
    • genitive masculine sg.: sąsiedniego

So you get:

  • ścianę sąsiedniego bloku = the wall of the neighboring apartment block.

The genitive here corresponds to English “of X”.

What exactly does blok mean? Is it the same as “block” in English?

Not quite. Polish blok usually means:

  • a block of flats, an apartment building, often a multi-storey residential building (especially in housing estates).

So sąsiedniego bloku is generally:

  • “of the neighboring apartment building / block of flats.”

It usually refers to one building, not a city “block” (as in an area between streets). For that you’d rather use other expressions.

Could I say Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę sąsiedni blok? Would that be different?

Yes, that’s grammatical but the meaning changes.

  • widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku
    → you see the wall of the neighboring building.
  • widzę sąsiedni blok
    → you see the neighboring building itself (the whole block).

So the original sentence emphasizes that your view is directly onto a wall, not a nice panorama of the building or surroundings.

Why is the conjunction i used? Could it be a or oraz?

In this sentence:

  • i = “and” (neutral, very common)
    • Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę… – the two actions follow one another naturally.

Alternatives:

  • a – also “and”, but often shows contrast or a slight shift:
    • Rano otwieram zasłonę, a od razu widzę ścianę…
      would sound a bit like “and (you know what?) I immediately see the wall…” with a slight contrast/emphasis.
  • oraz – more formal/literary “and”, mostly for lists, not so natural here.

So i is the default, most natural choice here.

What’s the difference between widzę and patrzę (na)? Could you say patrzę na ścianę sąsiedniego bloku instead?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

  • widzieć = “to see” (perception that happens, often without effort)
    • widzę ścianę – I see the wall (it’s simply in my field of vision).
  • patrzeć (na) = “to look (at)” (an intentional action)
    • patrzę na ścianę – I am looking at the wall (I am directing my gaze to it).

The original sentence is about what automatically appears in your view when you open the curtain, so widzę is more natural.
If you said:

  • Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu patrzę na ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.

it would suggest that you deliberately look at that wall, not just that it’s there in front of you.

Can the word order be changed, for example with rano or od razu?

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible, especially for adverbs. All of these are possible and natural, with only small differences in emphasis:

  • Rano otwieram zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.
  • Rano otwieram zasłonę i widzę od razu ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.
  • Otwieram rano zasłonę i od razu widzę ścianę sąsiedniego bloku.

Rough tendencies:

  • Putting rano at the beginning highlights the time frame.
  • Moving od razu closer to widzę can slightly emphasize the immediacy of seeing.

But all these versions are understandable and grammatically correct.