Kiedy pada deszcz, wolę iść przez tunel niż przez most.

When it rains, I prefer to go through the tunnel rather than across the bridge.

Breakdown of Kiedy pada deszcz, wolę iść przez tunel niż przez most.

• ja: I
• iść: to go
• kiedy: when
• niż: rather than

Questions & Answers about Kiedy pada deszcz, wolę iść przez tunel niż przez most.

Why does Polish use pada deszcz instead of a single verb meaning it rains?

Polish often expresses weather with a verb plus a noun.

• pada = falls / is falling
• deszcz = rain

So pada deszcz literally feels like rain is falling.

This is a very normal Polish way to talk about weather:

• Pada śnieg = It’s snowing
• Pada on its own can also mean It’s raining, if the context is clear.

So even though English uses it rains, Polish usually says something closer to rain falls.

Why is it kiedy pada deszcz and not kiedy deszcz pada?

Both word orders are possible in Polish, but kiedy pada deszcz is the more neutral, natural order here.

Polish word order is more flexible than English, but it is not random. The version in the sentence sounds like a standard statement:

• kiedy pada deszcz = when it rains

If you say kiedy deszcz pada, it may sound more marked, poetic, or contrastive depending on context.

So for a learner, the safest default is:

• verb + noun in this weather expression: pada deszcz

What exactly does kiedy mean here? Could I also use ?