Breakdown of Chcemy się targować i negocjować niższą cenę.
Questions & Answers about Chcemy się targować i negocjować niższą cenę.
Where is the word we, and what exactly is chcemy?
The idea of we is built into chcemy.
- chcieć = to want
- chcemy = we want
Polish verb endings usually show the subject, so you do not need a separate word for we. You could add my for emphasis, but normally it is omitted:
- (My) chcemy się targować... = We want to haggle...
So chcemy already tells you it is 1st person plural: we.
Why are targować and negocjować in the infinitive, with no separate word for English to?
After chcieć (to want), Polish normally uses the infinitive directly:
- Chcę jeść. = I want to eat.
- Chcemy rozmawiać. = We want to talk.
So in your sentence:
- chcemy = we want
- się targować = to haggle
- negocjować = to negotiate
English uses to before the verb, but Polish does not add a separate word there. The infinitive form itself does the job.
What does się mean here?
Here, się is part of the verb targować się.
For a learner, the safest way to remember it is:
- targować się = to haggle / bargain
In this sentence, się does not literally mean oneself. Very often in Polish, się is just part of how a verb works.
So you should learn these as two different verb patterns:
- targować się = haggle, bargain
- negocjować = negotiate
You cannot normally just remove się and keep the same meaning.
Can I also say Chcemy targować się... instead of Chcemy się targować...?
Yes, that is possible, but Chcemy się targować... is the more neutral and more natural order for many speakers.
Polish word order is fairly flexible, and short words like się often appear early in the clause:
- Chcemy się targować...
- very natural
- Chcemy targować się...
- also possible
So both can be grammatical, but if you are unsure, putting się before the infinitive is a good default in a sentence like this.
What is the difference between targować się and negocjować?
They are similar, but not identical.
targować się = to haggle / bargain
- often about price
- often more informal
- common in markets, shops, private sales
negocjować = to negotiate
- broader meaning
- can be more formal
- can apply to price, contract terms, conditions, deadlines, and so on
So in everyday English, targować się is closer to haggle, while negocjować is closer to negotiate.
Why is it niższą cenę, not niższa cena?
Because the phrase is in the accusative case, not the nominative.
The basic dictionary forms are:
- niższa cena = a lower price (subject form / nominative)
But after a verb like negocjować, you need the direct object, so Polish uses the accusative:
- niższą cenę
The endings change like this:
- niższa → niższą
- cena → cenę
So:
- To jest niższa cena. = This is a lower price.
- Negocjujemy niższą cenę. = We are negotiating a lower price.
Is niższą cenę more natural than tańszą cenę?
Yes. Niższą cenę is the more standard and natural phrase.
In Polish, people normally say:
- niższa cena = a lower price
The adjective tańszy / tańsza / tańsze is more naturally used with the thing that costs less:
- tańszy produkt = a cheaper product
- tańszy hotel = a cheaper hotel
So:
- negocjować niższą cenę sounds natural
- negocjować tańszą cenę sounds less idiomatic
Is this sentence fully natural, or should targować się have o?
This is a very good question. The sentence is understandable, but many speakers would expect targować się o + something.
A very natural pattern is:
- targować się o niższą cenę = to haggle over / for a lower price
So these are especially natural:
- Chcemy się targować o niższą cenę.
- Chcemy negocjować niższą cenę.
Your original sentence is understandable, but it slightly compresses two different verb patterns into one shared object. That is why some learners may feel it is a bit awkward.
Why use negocjować instead of wynegocjować?
This is about aspect.
negocjować = imperfective
- focuses on the process
- to negotiate / be negotiating
wynegocjować = perfective
- focuses on the result
- to negotiate successfully / to secure by negotiation
So:
Chcemy negocjować niższą cenę.
= We want to negotiate a lower price.
Focus: the activity/process.Chcemy wynegocjować niższą cenę.
= We want to get/negotiate a lower price successfully.
Focus: the outcome.
Both can be correct, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.
Do I need to add my to make it clear that the subject is we?
Usually, no.
Polish normally leaves subject pronouns out unless they are needed for emphasis, contrast, or clarity. Since chcemy already means we want, my is optional.
- Chcemy się targować... = normal, neutral
- My chcemy się targować... = more emphatic, like we want to haggle
So in ordinary speech, the version without my is completely normal.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PolishMaster Polish — from Chcemy się targować i negocjować niższą cenę to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions