Carrying Right Now (Nieść)
When carrying an item by hand in a single direction right now, use the verb nieść (unidirectional). The multidirectional equivalent for carrying habitually or generally is nosić.
Notice how the root vowel of nieść changes between o and e depending on the subject:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|
| ja | niosę |
| ty | niesiesz |
| on / ona / ono | niesie |
| my | niesiemy |
| wy | niesiecie |
| oni / one | niosą |
Prefixes: Single Trip vs. Habitual
You can add prefixes to specify direction. These come in pairs based on whether the action is a single event or a repeating routine:
- The base -nosić is used for habitual actions or continuous processes (imperfective).
- The base -nieść is used for single, completed actions (perfective).
Bringing (Przynosić and Przynieść)
The prefix przy- means bringing an object toward someone or a location. Use the imperfective przynosić for bringing things repeatedly.
Use the perfective przynieść for a single, completed action of bringing an item.
Taking Somewhere (Zanosić and Zanieść)
The prefix za- means taking an object away to a destination. Use zanosić for a routine, repeated, or ongoing action:
Use the perfective zanieść for a single, completed trip. Because it is based on nieść, it uses the same root changes for the future tense (like zaniosę) and commands (like zanieśmy).
Taking Out (Wynosić and Wynieść)
The prefix wy- means taking an object out of a place (like carrying boxes outside or taking out the garbage). For habitual actions, use the imperfective wynosić.
For a single, completed event, use the perfective wynieść. Note that in the masculine past tense, the e in the root shifts to ó (e.g., wyniósł).
