Zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra.

Wracam is the 1st person singular present tense of wracać, which means to return / to come back.

So:

• ja wracam = I return / I come back

In Polish, the subject pronoun ja is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action. That is why the sentence says wracam, not necessarily ja wracam.

In Polish, the present tense is commonly used for habitual or repeated actions, just like in English:

• Usually I come back from work later...
• Zwykle wracam z pracy później...

So wracam here does not mean only I am coming back right now. With zwykle (usually), it clearly means a regular habit.

Zwykle means usually.

In this sentence, it comes first:

• Zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra.

That is a very natural position, but Polish word order is more flexible than English. You may also hear:

• Wracam zwykle z pracy później niż moja siostra.

That said, putting zwykle at the beginning is very common and neutral.

Because the sentence means returning from work, not going to work.

• z pracy = from work
• do pracy = to work

Examples:

• Idę do pracy. = I’m going to work.
• Wracam z pracy. = I’m coming back from work.

So after wracać in this meaning, z (from) is the natural choice.

After the preposition z meaning from, Polish normally uses the genitive case.

The basic form is:

• praca = work / job

But after z, it changes to:

• z pracy = from work

So this is a case change:

• nominative: praca
• genitive: pracy

Później niż means later than.

This is the standard way to make a comparison with an adverb:

• późno = late
• później = later
• niż = than

So:

• wracam później niż moja siostra = I come back later than my sister

This is similar to:

• szybciej niż = faster than
• wcześniej niż = earlier than

In Polish, just like in English, the repeated verb can be omitted when it is understood from context.

So:

• Zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra.

literally feels like:

• I usually return from work later than my sister [does].

The verb wraca is understood, so it does not need to be repeated.

A fuller version would be:

• Zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra wraca z pracy.

But that sounds repetitive and unnatural in normal speech.

Polish often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you the subject.

• wracam already means I return / I come back

So ja is unnecessary unless you want to emphasize it:

• Ja zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra.

Using ja can add contrast, like:

• I usually come back later than my sister.

Without emphasis, leaving it out is more natural.

Wracać is imperfective.

That matters because the sentence describes a usual, repeated action, not a single completed return. In Polish, habitual actions normally use the imperfective verb.

• wracać = imperfective, used for repeated/habitual returning
• wrócić = perfective, used for a single completed return

So here:

• Zwykle wracam... is correct because it describes what happens regularly.

You would not normally use the perfective here for a habitual statement.

No, not in this meaning.

Polish uses wracać z pracy to express coming back from work.
Using być (to be) would not express the action of returning.

So the natural sentence is:

• Wracam z pracy... = I come back from work...

not:

• Jestem z pracy...

Sometimes Polish comparisons use od, but not in this sentence.

With adverbs like później (later), the normal comparison is:

• później niż moja siostra

Using od is more typical in some adjective comparisons, for example:

• Jestem wyższy od brata. = I am taller than my brother.

For this sentence, niż is the natural choice.

The word order is fairly flexible, but some versions sound more natural than others.

Neutral and natural:

• Zwykle wracam z pracy później niż moja siostra.

Also possible:

• Wracam z pracy zwykle później niż moja siostra.
• Później niż moja siostra zwykle wracam z pracy. — possible, but much more marked and less neutral

Polish word order often changes for emphasis, rhythm, or contrast. The original sentence is a very natural, standard version.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• wracam ≈ VRAH-tsam

A few details:

• w sounds like English v
• r is rolled or tapped
• c in wracam sounds like ts
• stress is on the second-to-last syllable, so: WRA-cam

So the stress falls on wra.

Yes, sometimes, but the meaning changes slightly in tone.

• moja siostra = my sister
• siostra = sister

In English, you usually need my sister, and in Polish moja is also very natural here.
Sometimes Polish drops possessives when the relationship is obvious from context, but in this sentence moja siostra sounds clear and normal.

So for learners, moja siostra is the safest and most natural choice.