Mam wolne popołudnie.

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Breakdown of Mam wolne popołudnie.

• mieć: to have
• wolny: free
• popołudnie: the afternoon

Questions & Answers about Mam wolne popołudnie.

Why is it mam, not jestem?

Because Polish uses the verb mieć (to have) here, just like English does in I have a free afternoon.

• mam = I have
• jestem = I am

So:

• Mam wolne popołudnie = I have a free afternoon
• Jestem wolny / wolna po południu would mean something more like I am free in the afternoon

These are related ideas, but not the same structure.

Why is there no word for I?

In Polish, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• mam clearly means I have
• so ja (I) is not necessary

You could say Ja mam wolne popołudnie, but that usually adds emphasis, for example:

• Ja mam wolne popołudnie, ale on pracuje.
  I have a free afternoon, but he is working.

Normally, Mam wolne popołudnie is the natural choice.

What case is popołudnie in?