Word
Kiedy pada deszcz, zakładam kalosze i idę ostrożnie przez przejście dla pieszych.
Meaning
When it rains, I put on rubber boots and walk carefully across the pedestrian crossing.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Kiedy pada deszcz, zakładam kalosze i idę ostrożnie przez przejście dla pieszych.
ja
I
i
and
kiedy
when
padać
to rain
Questions & Answers about Kiedy pada deszcz, zakładam kalosze i idę ostrożnie przez przejście dla pieszych.
Why is there no ja in the sentence?
Polish usually drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.
- zakładam = I put on / I wear
- idę = I go / I walk
So ja is not necessary. You could add ja for emphasis, but in a neutral sentence it is normally omitted.
Why is kiedy used here? Could it also be gdy?
Yes, gdy would also work.
- kiedy pada deszcz = when it rains
- gdy pada deszcz = also when it rains
In this sentence, kiedy is very natural and common in everyday speech. Gdy can sound a little more literary or formal in some contexts, but both are correct.
Why is there a comma after deszcz?
Because Kiedy pada deszcz is a subordinate clause: When it rains.
In Polish, a subordinate clause is normally separated by a comma from the main clause:
- Kiedy pada deszcz, zakładam kalosze...
This is more strictly required in Polish than in English.
Why do Poles say pada deszcz instead of just one verb meaning it rains?