Word
Po kolacji czytam dzieciom krótką bajkę o lesie i małym króliku.
Meaning
After dinner I read the children a short fairy tale about a forest and a little rabbit.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Po kolacji czytam dzieciom krótką bajkę o lesie i małym króliku.
ja
I
dziecko
the child
i
and
czytać
to read
Questions & Answers about Po kolacji czytam dzieciom krótką bajkę o lesie i małym króliku.
Why is it po kolacji and not po kolacja?
Because the preposition po usually requires the locative case when it means after in expressions of time.
- kolacja = dinner
- po kolacji = after dinner
So kolacji is the locative form of kolacja.
A few similar examples:
- po pracy = after work
- po obiedzie = after lunch
- po szkole = after school
Why is czytam used here? Does it mean I read or I am reading?
Czytam is the 1st person singular present tense of czytać.
It can mean either:
- I read (habitually / regularly), or
- I am reading (right now)
Polish present tense often covers both meanings, and context tells you which one is intended.
So this sentence could mean:
- After dinner, I read the children a short story...
or - After dinner, I am reading the children a short story...
depending on the situation.
Why is there no separate word for to in I read to the children?