Ona robi kanapki z szynką i sałatą.

Yes — Polish often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• robi = she/he/it does / makes
• So Robi kanapki z szynką i sałatą would already be a complete sentence.

Ona is included here for one of these reasons:

• to add emphasis: She is making the sandwiches
• to make the subject especially clear
• because this is a learner-style or context-light sentence

In natural conversation, ona is often left out unless it is needed for contrast or emphasis.

Here robi means makes.

The verb robić is very common and has a broad meaning:

• to do
• to make

In this sentence, because it is about food, robi kanapki means makes sandwiches.

Examples:

• Co robisz? = What are you doing?
• Robię obiad. = I’m making dinner.
• Robi kanapki. = She is making sandwiches.

Because the sentence is talking about sandwiches in the plural, not a sandwich.

• singular: kanapka = sandwich
• plural: kanapki = sandwiches

So:

• Ona robi kanapkę = She is making a sandwich
• Ona robi kanapki = She is making sandwiches

Here kanapki is in the accusative plural, but for this noun it looks the same as the nominative plural.

Because after z meaning with, Polish uses the instrumental case.

So:

• szynka → z szynką
• sałata → z sałatą

This is a very common pattern.

For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the instrumental singular ends in -ą:

• kawa → z kawą
• herbata → z herbatą
• szynka → z szynką
• sałata → z sałatą

So the endings are changing because the grammar requires the instrumental case after z = with.

No. z can mean different things depending on context.

Common meanings:

• with: kanapka z serem = a sandwich with cheese
• from / out of: Jestem z Polski. = I am from Poland.
• sometimes part of fixed expressions

In this sentence, z clearly means with:

• kanapki z szynką i sałatą = sandwiches with ham and lettuce

So you have to learn the meaning from context.

Good question. The preposition z can govern different cases depending on meaning.

Most importantly:

• z + instrumental = with

  • z szynką
  • z sałatą
  • z kolegą = with a friend

• z + genitive = from / off / out of

  • z Polski = from Poland
  • z domu = out of the house
  • ze stołu = off the table

So in this sentence, because z means with, it requires the instrumental.

Because one z can apply to both nouns when they are joined by i (and).

So:

• z szynką i sałatą = with ham and lettuce

This is the normal and natural way to say it.

You could repeat z in some contexts for emphasis or clarity, but here it would sound unnatural:

• natural: kanapki z szynką i sałatą
• unnatural here: kanapki z szynką z sałatą

So one z is enough.

In this sentence, sałata means lettuce.

That can confuse English speakers because it looks a bit like salad, but Polish distinguishes them:

• sałata = lettuce
• sałatka = salad, usually a mixed salad or salad dish

So:

• kanapka z sałatą = a sandwich with lettuce
• sałatka would suggest an actual salad mixture, not just a lettuce leaf

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible, though some orders sound more neutral than others.

The most neutral order here is:

• Ona robi kanapki z szynką i sałatą.

You might also hear:

• Robi kanapki z szynką i sałatą.
• Kanapki z szynką i sałatą ona robi. — marked/emphatic, less neutral
• Z szynką i sałatą robi kanapki. — possible, but more context-dependent

Because Polish uses case endings, word order can move around more than in English. But not every possible order sounds equally natural in everyday speech.

Yes, robić kanapki is very natural and common in everyday Polish.

Other possible verbs exist, but they can sound more formal or more specific:

• przygotowuje kanapki = prepares sandwiches
• smaruje kanapki = butters/spreads sandwiches, focusing on spreading something on bread

For ordinary everyday speech, robi kanapki is exactly what you would expect.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide:

• sz sounds like English sh
• y is a Polish vowel with no exact English equivalent, but it is not ee
• ł sounds like English w
• ą is a nasal vowel; before the end of a word, it often sounds roughly like on/om said quickly and nasalized

Approximate pronunciations:

• szynką ≈ SHIN-kon / SHIN-kom
• sałatą ≈ sa-WA-ton / sa-WA-tom

Also:

• sałata has stress on the second-to-last syllable: sa-ŁA-ta
• szynką is stressed on the first syllable: SZYN-ką

As usual in Polish, stress is normally on the penultimate syllable.

Because Polish does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So kanapki can mean:

• sandwiches
• the sandwiches
• some sandwiches

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is why Polish learners often have to get used to understanding definiteness from the situation rather than from a separate word.

Yes, that is a very natural English interpretation of the Polish sentence.

Polish says:

• kanapki z szynką i sałatą literally:
• sandwiches with ham and lettuce

In English, a more natural translation is often:

• She is making ham and lettuce sandwiches.

So grammatically Polish uses z + instrumental to express the filling or ingredient, where English often uses a noun phrase before sandwiches.