Szukam nowego stanowiska, bo moja pensja jest za niska.

Szukam is the 1st person singular present tense form of szukać (to look for / to search for).

So:

• szukam = I am looking for / I look for
• szukasz = you are looking for
• szuka = he/she/it is looking for

In this sentence, szukam means I’m looking for.

Because the verb szukać usually takes the genitive case in Polish.

The basic dictionary form is:

• stanowisko = position / post / role

But after szukać, it changes to the genitive:

• szukam stanowiska = I’m looking for a position
• szukam nowego stanowiska = I’m looking for a new position

So:

• stanowisko → nominative
• stanowiska → genitive singular

And the adjective must match:

• nowe stanowisko → nominative
• nowego stanowiska → genitive

This is one of the most important things to remember with szukać.

It is genitive singular.

Why?

• stanowisko is a neuter singular noun
• nowy (new) must agree with it in gender, number, and case
• after szukam, both the noun and adjective go into the genitive

So:

• nominative: nowe stanowisko
• genitive: nowego stanowiska

This can feel strange to English speakers, because English does not change the noun after look for.

Not exactly.

• stanowisko = position, post, role
• praca = job, work

In many contexts, both can work, but stanowisko sounds a bit more like a specific professional position, especially in office or formal contexts.

Compare:

• Szukam nowej pracy. = I’m looking for a new job.
• Szukam nowego stanowiska. = I’m looking for a new position.

The second one can sound slightly more formal or career-oriented.

Bo means because.

In this sentence:

• Szukam nowego stanowiska, bo moja pensja jest za niska.
• I’m looking for a new position because my salary is too low.

Bo is very common in everyday Polish and is slightly more conversational than ponieważ, which is also translated as because.

Compare:

• bo = common, natural, everyday
• ponieważ = a bit more formal or written

Both are correct, but bo is very natural here.

In Polish, a comma is normally used before conjunctions such as bo, że, ale, ponieważ, when they introduce another clause.

So:

• Szukam nowego stanowiska, bo moja pensja jest za niska.

This comma is standard and expected in Polish spelling.

Yes, pensja usually means salary, especially regular pay from a job.

It is often used for a fixed monthly amount, especially in everyday speech.

Related words:

• pensja = salary
• płaca = pay, wage
• wynagrodzenie = remuneration / compensation / pay (more formal)

So in this sentence, moja pensja is very naturally translated as my salary.

Because pensja is a feminine singular noun, and the adjective must agree with it.

So:

• pensja = feminine
• niska = feminine singular form of niski (low)

Also:

• moja is the feminine singular form of my
• jest = is

So the structure is:

• moja
  • pensja
    • jest
      • za niska
• my
  • salary
    • is
      • too low

Agreement is very important in Polish:

• masculine: za niski
• feminine: za niska
• neuter: za niskie

In this sentence, za means too when used before an adjective or adverb.

So:

• za niska = too low
• za mała = too small
• za drogo = too expensive
• za późno = too late

This is a very common Polish pattern.

Important: this is a different use of za from meanings like behind, beyond, or for in other contexts.

Here, za + adjective/adverb = too ...

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• moja pensja jest niska = my salary is low
• moja pensja jest za niska = my salary is too low

So za adds the idea that the salary is lower than acceptable / lower than desired.

In standard Polish, jest should be included here.

• moja pensja jest za niska = my salary is too low

Unlike in Russian or some casual spoken styles in other languages, Polish normally keeps the verb to be in the present tense in sentences like this.

So:

• correct: moja pensja jest za niska
• not standard here: moja pensja za niska

You may sometimes hear omissions in very informal speech, but learners should use jest.

Yes. Polish often uses the present tense for something happening now or for a current ongoing situation.

• Szukam = I’m looking for
• jest = is

So the speaker is describing a present situation:

1. they are currently looking for a new position
2. the reason is that their salary is too low

This matches English quite closely.

Yes, Polish word order is more flexible than English, although some orders sound more natural than others.

The original sentence:

• Szukam nowego stanowiska, bo moja pensja jest za niska.

is very natural.

You could also say:

• Bo moja pensja jest za niska, szukam nowego stanowiska.

This puts more emphasis on the reason.

You can change word order in Polish, but not all versions sound equally neutral. For learners, the original order is the safest and most natural.

A rough English-style guide:

• szukam ≈ SHOO-kam
• stanowiska ≈ sta-noh-VEES-ka

A few useful sound notes:

• sz sounds like sh
• u sounds like oo in food
• w sounds like English v
• stress in Polish is usually on the second-to-last syllable

So:

• SZU-kam
• stano-WIS-ka

This is only an approximation, but it helps as a starting point.