To jest fakt.

This is a fact.

Breakdown of To jest fakt.

• być: to be
• to: this
• fakt: the fact

Questions & Answers about To jest fakt.

What does to mean here? Is it this or it?

In To jest fakt, to is a very common Polish word used in sentences that identify or label something.

It can often be translated as this or it, depending on context. In this sentence, it works a bit like this/it in This is a fact or It is a fact.

So:

• to = this / it
• jest = is
• fakt = fact

Polish uses to very often in simple identification sentences:

• To jest dom. = This is a house.
• To jest problem. = This is a problem.
• To jest fakt. = This is a fact.

Why is jest included? Can Polish leave out is?

Usually, in the present tense, Polish often leaves out forms of to be when talking about someone’s identity or characteristics:

• On jest lekarzem. can become On lekarzem only in very limited, stylistic contexts, but normally jest is kept in standard speech.
• To problem is possible in some colloquial or emphatic uses, but To jest problem is the standard full form.

So in To jest fakt, jest is the normal, clear, standard choice.

You may sometimes hear shorter expressions like:

• To fakt. = That’s a fact.

This is natural too, but it is a slightly shortened version. For learners, To jest fakt is the safest full sentence.