Nauczycielka tłumaczy nowe słowo.

The teacher explains the new word.

Breakdown of Nauczycielka tłumaczy nowe słowo.

• nowy: new
• słowo: the word
• nauczycielka: the female teacher
• tłumaczyć: to explain

Questions & Answers about Nauczycielka tłumaczy nowe słowo.

Why is nauczycielka used instead of nauczyciel?

Nauczycielka means female teacher, while nauczyciel means male teacher or sometimes teacher in a more general masculine form.

So this sentence specifically tells you that the teacher is a woman.

• nauczyciel = male teacher
• nauczycielka = female teacher

Polish often marks gender in nouns much more clearly than English does.

What does tłumaczy mean here?

Here, tłumaczy means explains or is explaining.

The basic verb is tłumaczyć, which can mean:

• to explain
• to translate

In this sentence, the meaning is explains, because the object is nowe słowo = a new word. Depending on context, tłumaczyć słowo can also feel close to explain a word.

Also, tłumaczy is the 3rd person singular form, so it means:

• he explains
• she explains
• it explains

Here it matches nauczycielka, so: the female teacher explains.

Is this sentence in the present tense?

Yes. Tłumaczy is in the present tense.

So the sentence can mean:

• The teacher explains a new word
• The teacher is explaining a new word

Polish present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous meanings that English separates.