Zamknij proszę okno, bo jest przeciąg.

Zamknij is the imperative form, meaning close!

It comes from the verb zamknąć (to close, perfective). In this sentence, it is directed to one person in an informal way.

So:

• zamknąć = to close
• zamknij! = close!

Because it is perfective, it suggests one complete action: close the window.

This is about aspect, which is very important in Polish.

• zamknij comes from zamknąć (perfective)
• zamykaj comes from zamykać (imperfective)

In this sentence, zamknij is used because the speaker wants one completed action: the window should end up closed.

zamykaj would sound different. It could suggest:

• a repeated action,
• a general instruction,
• or an ongoing process, depending on context.

So here:

• Zamknij okno = Close the window / Shut the window
• Zamykaj okno = more like Close the window regularly or Be closing the window, depending on context

For a simple request in a specific moment, zamknij is the natural choice.

Proszę here means please.

It softens the command, making it sound more polite:

• Zamknij okno. = Close the window.
  (can sound direct or abrupt)
• Zamknij proszę okno. = Please close the window.

A useful thing to know is that proszę has several meanings in Polish depending on context, including:

• please
• here you are
• go ahead
• I’m asking

But in this sentence, it simply functions as please.

Yes, Polish word order is quite flexible, so proszę can move around.

All of these are possible:

• Zamknij proszę okno.
• Proszę zamknij okno.
• Zamknij okno, proszę.

They all mean roughly Please close the window, but the tone can shift slightly.

• Zamknij proszę okno sounds very natural and neutral.
• Proszę zamknij okno can sound a bit more marked or emotional in some contexts.
• Zamknij okno, proszę is also common and often sounds a little more like spoken English Close the window, please.

Because okno is the direct object of the verb zamknij, and for a singular neuter noun, the accusative form is the same as the nominative form.

So:

• nominative: okno = window
• accusative: okno = window

That is why you see:

• Zamknij okno = Close the window

If the noun were masculine animate, for example, the accusative would often look different. But okno is neuter, so nothing changes here.

Because Polish has no articles.

English uses:

• a
• an
• the

Polish does not have direct equivalents for these in normal usage. So okno can mean:

• a window
• the window

The context tells you which one is meant. In this sentence, it is naturally understood as the window.

Yes, bo means because.

In this sentence:

• bo jest przeciąg = because there’s a draft

Bo is very common in everyday Polish and is especially normal in speech.

There are other ways to say because, for example:

• ponieważ
• gdyż

But those are often more formal or more written in style. In a natural spoken request like this one, bo is the most ordinary choice.

Przeciąg means a draft or a current of air, especially the unpleasant kind you feel when a window or door is open and air is moving through the room.

So the sentence means the person wants the window closed because cold or uncomfortable air is coming through.

This is a very common word in Polish daily life, and culturally it comes up a lot because people in Poland often talk about przeciąg as something unhealthy or unpleasant.

Polish often expresses this idea more directly than English.

• jest przeciąg literally looks like is draft
• natural English translation: there is a draft

Polish does not need a dummy subject like English there in this kind of sentence.

So:

• Jest zimno. = It is cold.
• Jest problem. = There is a problem.
• Jest przeciąg. = There is a draft.

This is completely normal in Polish.

It is informal singular.

Zamknij is used when speaking to:

• one person
• someone you address as ty
• for example, a friend, family member, child, classmate, or someone you know well

If you wanted to be more formal, Polish usually uses different structures, for example:

• Proszę zamknąć okno. = Please close the window.
• Niech pan zamknie okno. = Please close the window. (to a man, formal)
• Niech pani zamknie okno. = Please close the window. (to a woman, formal)

So the original sentence is polite because of proszę, but still informal because of zamknij.

Because in Polish, bo introduces a clause giving a reason, and it is normally separated by a comma.

So:

• Zamknij proszę okno, bo jest przeciąg.

This is standard punctuation.

It works similarly to English punctuation in sentences like:

• Close the window, because there’s a draft.

Even though English sometimes handles commas differently depending on style, in Polish the comma before bo is standard here.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

Zamknij proszę okno, bo jest przeciąg
≈ ZAHM-kneey PRO-sheh OK-noh, boh yest psheh-chohngk

A few helpful pronunciation notes:

• j in Polish sounds like English y in yes
• sz sounds like sh
• cz sounds like ch, but usually harder than in English
• ę and ą are nasal vowels, though in real speech their pronunciation changes depending on nearby sounds
• proszę is pronounced roughly PRO-sheh
• przeciąg is tricky; the beginning prze- sounds roughly like pshe-

You do not need a perfect accent right away, but it helps to notice that Polish spelling is quite regular once you learn the sound rules.