Pani w oddziale wyjaśniła mi spokojnie, jak zrobić przelew i jak sprawdzić saldo.

The woman at the branch explained to me calmly how to make a transfer and how to check the balance.

Breakdown of Pani w oddziale wyjaśniła mi spokojnie, jak zrobić przelew i jak sprawdzić saldo.

• i: and
• mi: me
• zrobić: to make
• w: at

Questions & Answers about Pani w oddziale wyjaśniła mi spokojnie, jak zrobić przelew i jak sprawdzić saldo.

What does Pani mean here?

Pani literally means lady or madam. In Polish, it can also be the formal word for you when speaking to a woman.

In this sentence, it most naturally means the lady / the female employee, not you, because it is being used as the subject of the sentence. Since it is the first word of the sentence, it is capitalized anyway.

So here Pani w oddziale is basically the lady at the branch.

What does w oddziale mean, and why is it oddziale instead of oddział?

Oddział can mean branch, department, or ward, depending on context. Here, because the sentence is about a transfer and balance, it clearly means bank branch.

The preposition w means in or at, and when it refers to location, it normally requires the locative case.

So:

• oddział = base form
• w oddziale = in/at the branch

That is why the ending changes.

Why is the verb wyjaśniła feminine?

Because Polish past tense agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Here the subject is Pani, referring to a woman, so the verb is feminine singular:

• wyjaśnił = he explained
• wyjaśniła = she explained

So Pani wyjaśniła means the lady explained.