Ta ścierka jest już ciężka od wody, więc połóż ją przy kranie.

Because ścierka is a feminine noun, and Polish demonstratives must agree with the noun’s gender.

• ten = masculine
• ta = feminine
• to = neuter

So:

• ta ścierka = this dishcloth / this cloth

The adjective ciężka later in the sentence is also feminine, matching ścierka.

Ścierka usually means a cloth used for wiping things, often a dishcloth, kitchen cloth, or rag, depending on context.

It comes from the verb ścierać = to wipe off / rub off / erase / wear away.

In this sentence, ścierka most naturally means a cloth that has become soaked with water.

Because ciężka is the feminine singular form of the adjective heavy.

Polish adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since ścierka is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative:

• masculine: ciężki
• feminine: ciężka
• neuter: ciężkie

So:

• Ta ścierka jest ciężka = This cloth is heavy

Yes, już often literally means already, but in sentences like this it can sound more natural in English as:

• already
• now
• by now
• getting

So Ta ścierka jest już ciężka od wody can imply:

• This cloth is already heavy with water
• This cloth is now heavy with water

It suggests the cloth has reached that state.

Wody is the genitive singular form of woda (water).

The preposition od normally takes the genitive.

So:

• woda = nominative
• od wody = from water / because of water / with water on it

In this sentence, ciężka od wody means something like:

• heavy from water
• heavy with water
• weighed down by water

This is a common Polish pattern: adjective + od + genitive to show the cause of a state.

Because the meaning is different.

• ciężka od wody = heavy because it is full of / soaked with water
• z wodą = with water, more like together with water or containing water

So od wody focuses on the cause of the heaviness.

Compare:

• Koszula jest mokra od deszczu. = The shirt is wet from rain.
• Stół jest lepki od soku. = The table is sticky from juice.

This pattern is very natural in Polish.

Więc means so, therefore, or thus.

Here it connects the two parts:

• Ta ścierka jest już ciężka od wody = This cloth is already heavy with water
• więc połóż ją przy kranie = so put it by the tap

Polish word order is fairly flexible, but więc commonly appears near the beginning of the second clause, just as it does here.

Because połóż is the imperative form: put! / lay!

The infinitive is położyć = to put / to lay down.

So:

• położyć = infinitive
• połóż = command to one person
• połóżcie = command to more than one person
• proszę położyć = more polite/formal: please put

In this sentence, połóż ją przy kranie means:

• put it by the tap

Because ją is an object form of ona (she/it, feminine).

Since ścierka is feminine, the pronoun referring back to it is also feminine:

• subject form: ona
• object form: ją

So:

• Ona jest ciężka. = It is heavy.
• Połóż ją przy kranie. = Put it by the tap.

In English, objects don’t show gender for things very much, but Polish does.

It is the accusative singular of the feminine pronoun ona.

That is because położyć takes a direct object, and direct objects are commonly in the accusative.

So:

• ścierka → feminine noun
• ją → her/it in the accusative, referring to ścierka

Because the preposition przy requires the locative case.

The noun kran (tap / faucet) changes in the locative singular:

• nominative: kran
• locative after przy: kranie

So:

• przy kranie = by the tap / near the faucet

This is a very common pattern:

• przy stole = by the table
• przy oknie = by the window
• przy drzwiach = by the door

It can cover all of those ideas depending on context.

Przy usually means:

• by
• near
• next to
• sometimes at

So połóż ją przy kranie suggests placing the cloth close to the tap/faucet, probably so it can drip or be used there.

If Polish wanted to be more specifically on something, it would use a different preposition, such as na.

Yes. Połóż comes from the perfective verb położyć.

Perfective verbs usually focus on a completed action. In a command, that often sounds like:

• put it down
• place it
• make sure it ends up there

The imperfective partner is usually kłaść:

• kłaść = to be putting / to put repeatedly
• położyć = to put down once, successfully

So połóż ją przy kranie is a very natural instruction for a single completed action.

Yes. Polish word order is flexible, though each version can sound slightly different in emphasis.

The original:

• Ta ścierka jest już ciężka od wody, więc połóż ją przy kranie.

Other possible orders include:

• Ta ścierka jest już ciężka od wody, więc ją połóż przy kranie.
• Połóż ją więc przy kranie.

The original version is the most neutral and natural. In Polish, moving words often changes focus rather than basic meaning.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• ta ≈ tah
• ścierka ≈ SHCHER-kah
  
  • ś/si is a soft sh sound
  • cie here sounds roughly like che
• ciężka ≈ CHENSH-kah
  
  • ę is a nasal vowel
• więc ≈ vyents
• połóż ≈ POH-woosh
• ją ≈ yow̃ or yom depending on speech
• przy ≈ pshih or pshy
• kranie ≈ KRAH-nye

A few useful letter notes:

• ś = soft sh
• ć = soft ch
• ż = zh as in measure
• ł = English w
• ę and ą are nasal vowels

Yes. A very literal translation like This cloth is already heavy from water, so put it by the tap is understandable, but not the most natural English.

More natural English versions would be:

• This cloth is already soaked, so put it by the tap.
• This cloth is heavy with water now, so put it by the faucet.
• The cloth is already waterlogged, so put it by the sink tap.

This is a good reminder that Polish and English often package everyday situations differently, even when the grammar is straightforward.