Po wejściu do wagonu pytam, czy ten przedział jest wolny.

After getting into the carriage, I ask whether this compartment is free.

Breakdown of Po wejściu do wagonu pytam, czy ten przedział jest wolny.

• ja: I
• być: to be
• ten: this
• po: after

Questions & Answers about Po wejściu do wagonu pytam, czy ten przedział jest wolny.

Why is it po wejściu, and not something like po wejście?

Because po in the sense of after takes the locative case.

• base form: wejście = entering / entrance
• locative singular: wejściu

So po wejściu literally means after the entering, but in natural English it is simply after entering.

This is a very common Polish pattern:

• po przyjeździe = after arriving
• po powrocie = after returning
• po skończeniu pracy = after finishing work

In this sentence, wejście is a verbal noun, formed from wejść = to enter.

Why is it do wagonu?

Because do normally requires the genitive case.

• base form: wagon
• genitive singular: wagonu

So:

• do wagonu = into the carriage / train car

This is the standard pattern:

• do domu = into/to the house
• do pokoju = into/to the room
• do pociągu = into/to the train

What exactly does wagon mean here? Is it the same as English wagon?