On idzie na spacer z nią.

He is going for a walk with her.

Breakdown of On idzie na spacer z nią.

• on: he
• iść: to go
• na: for
• spacer: the walk
• z: with
• nią: it

Questions & Answers about On idzie na spacer z nią.

Why is it z nią and not z ona?

Because z (“with”) requires the instrumental case in Polish.

• The basic (nominative) form is ona = “she”.
• After z, you must use the instrumental form:
  • ona → nią
  • (similarly: on → nim, ono → nim, my → nami, etc.)

So:

• ❌ z ona
• ✅ z nią — z
  • instrumental

What exactly does idzie mean here, and how is it different from iść, chodzić, and pójść?

• iść is the infinitive “to go (on foot), to walk” in one specific direction/occasion.
• idzie is the 3rd person singular present form of iść:
  • on idzie = “he is going / he is walking (now, in this specific case)”.

Contrast with:

• chodzić – “to go (on foot) habitually, repeatedly, in general”
  
  • On chodzi na spacery. – “He goes for walks (regularly).”
• pójść – perfective “to go (once, with focus on the result/starting to go)”
  
  • On pójdzie na spacer. – “He will go for a walk (once).”

In your sentence, idzie suggests a current, single action in progress or about to happen.

Why do we say na spacer and not something like do spaceru?

The set phrase in Polish for “to go for a walk” is iść na spacer.

• na
  • accusative (na spacer) is often used for:
    • going to an event or activity:
    • iść na koncert – to go to a concert
    • iść na obiad – to go to lunch
    • iść na spacer – to go for a walk

do spaceru is not idiomatic in this context. Native speakers simply say iść na spacer.

What case is spacer in, and why?

In na spacer, the noun spacer is in the accusative singular.

• Nominative: spacer (a walk)
• Accusative: also spacer (same form for masculine inanimate nouns)

The preposition na can take either:

• accusative – when there is movement onto / to / for (destination or activity):
  
  • iść na spacer – go for a walk
  • iść na plażę – go to the beach
• locative – when something is located somewhere (no movement):
  • na spacerze – on the walk (while walking)
  • na plaży – on the beach

So idzie na spacer uses accusative because it expresses movement towards an activity.

Is On really necessary? Could I just say Idzie na spacer z nią?

You can absolutely drop On:

• On idzie na spacer z nią.
• Idzie na spacer z nią.

Both are grammatically correct.

Polish is a “pro‑drop” language: subject pronouns are usually omitted when the verb ending already shows the person (here, -e in idzie for he/she/it).

You keep On when you want:

• to emphasize “he (as opposed to someone else)”
• to contrast: On idzie na spacer, a ona zostaje w domu. – “He is going for a walk, and she is staying at home.”

Can nią ever refer to something other than “her” (a woman)?

Yes. nią is the instrumental singular form of:

• ona – “she” (a woman, feminine person), or
• ona as a feminine noun (e.g. a feminine thing, animal, concept) used with a pronoun.

So z nią can mean:

• “with her” (a woman/girl),
• “with it” if “it” is a grammatically feminine noun in Polish, e.g.:
  • kawa (coffee, feminine) → Lubię kawę. Z nią zaczynam dzień.
    “I like coffee. I start the day with it.”

Context tells you whether nią is “her” or “it”.

What’s the difference in meaning or emphasis between On idzie na spacer z nią and On z nią idzie na spacer or Z nią on idzie na spacer?

All three are grammatically correct and describe the same basic situation, but the word order changes the focus:

1. On idzie na spacer z nią.
   – Neutral, natural word order. Slight focus on the action (he is going for a walk).

2. On z nią idzie na spacer.
   – Brings a bit more attention to togetherness (“he with her is going for a walk”), but still fairly normal.

3. Z nią on idzie na spacer.
   – Strong emphasis on “with her” (often contrastive), like:

   • “It’s with her that he’s going for a walk (not with someone else).”

Polish word order is flexible; changes mostly affect emphasis, not grammar.

How do you pronounce nią, and what’s going on with that ą at the end?

Nią is pronounced approximately like nyon:

• ni – like “nee” but softened (palatalized n, similar to Spanish ñ in niño).
• ą – a nasal vowel; in this position it sounds roughly like on or om.

So:

• nią ≈ nyon (with a soft n and a nasal vowel at the end).

The written ą marks nasalization. In different environments it can sound closer to om, on, or õ, but learners often approximate it as “on” and are still understood.

Could I use chodzi instead of idzie here? For example: On chodzi na spacer z nią?

You can, but the meaning changes:

• On idzie na spacer z nią.
  – He is going for a walk with her (now / this time).

• On chodzi na spacer z nią.
  – He (habitually / regularly) goes for walks with her.
  It suggests a repeated or usual action, not one specific instance.

So:

• idzie – one specific occurrence (in progress or planned soon),
• chodzi – a general habit or repeated action.

Is na spacer the only way to say “for a walk”, or can I use a verb like spacerować instead?

You have both options, but they’re used a bit differently:

1. iść na spacer – “to go for a walk” (focus on going / setting off):

   • On idzie na spacer z nią.

2. spacerować – “to walk / to stroll” (focus on the activity itself):

   • On spaceruje z nią. – “He is walking / strolling with her.”

You wouldn’t normally say idzie spacerować z nią in this context.
For “go for a walk”, the natural idiom is iść na spacer.