Najpierw biorę łopatę, przygotowuję ziemię i usuwam każdy chwast.

First I take a shovel, prepare the soil, and remove every weed.

Breakdown of Najpierw biorę łopatę, przygotowuję ziemię i usuwam każdy chwast.

• ja: I
• i: and
• najpierw: first
• każdy: every

Questions & Answers about Najpierw biorę łopatę, przygotowuję ziemię i usuwam każdy chwast.

Why is there no word for I (ja) in the sentence?

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

Here, all three verbs are 1st person singular:

• biorę = I take
• przygotowuję = I prepare
• usuwam = I remove

So ja is not necessary. You could add it for emphasis, for example if you want to contrast yourself with someone else:

• Ja najpierw biorę łopatę... = I take the shovel first...

What does najpierw mean, and does it have to be at the beginning?

Najpierw means first or first of all.

Putting it at the beginning is the most natural choice here because it sets up the sequence of actions:

• Najpierw biorę łopatę...

It can be moved, but the emphasis changes:

• Biorę najpierw łopatę... = still correct, but now najpierw is attached more closely to taking the shovel

So the original order is the most neutral and natural.

How do I know that biorę, przygotowuję, and usuwam all mean I if they have different endings?