Załóż ciepły sweter, bo jest zimno.

to be

Breakdown of Załóż ciepły sweter, bo jest zimno.

• zimny: cold
• bo: because
• ciepły: warm

Questions & Answers about Załóż ciepły sweter, bo jest zimno.

Why is załóż used here? What form is it?

Załóż is the imperative singular form of założyć, meaning put on.

So this sentence is giving one person a command or suggestion:

• Załóż... = Put on...

It is addressed to you in the singular informal sense:

• to one person: załóż
• to more than one person / formal you: załóżcie or proszę założyć depending on the situation

Also, założyć is a perfective verb, so it focuses on completing the action: put it on.

What is the difference between założyć and nosić?

This is a very common question.

• założyć = to put on
• nosić = to wear (in general, habitually, repeatedly)

So:

• Załóż ciepły sweter. = Put on a warm sweater.
• On nosi ciepłe swetry zimą. = He wears warm sweaters in winter.

If you want to say someone is wearing something right now, Polish often uses:

• mieć na sobie = to have on / to be wearing

For example:

• Ma na sobie ciepły sweter. = He/She is wearing a warm sweater.

Why is it ciepły sweter, not some other form like ciepłego swetra?