Attaching endings to "żeby" and "gdyby"
In Polish, personal endings like -m (I), -ś (you), and -śmy (we) can detach from the verb. In subordinate clauses starting with żeby (so that / in order to) or gdyby (if), the personal ending attaches directly to the conjunction instead.
The verb that follows must be in its 3rd-person past tense form.
| Person | "żeby" (so that) | "gdyby" (if) |
|---|---|---|
| I | żebym | gdybym |
| You (singular) | żebyś | gdybyś |
| He / She / It | żeby | gdyby |
| We | żebyśmy | gdybyśmy |
| You (plural) | żebyście | gdybyście |
| They | żeby | gdyby |
Commands and purposes with "żeby"
When stating the purpose of an action ("...so that we can...") or expressing a desire for someone else to do something ("I want you to..."), use żeby with the appropriate personal ending.
| I want us to negotiate new concessions. | Chcę, żebyśmy negocjowali nowe ustępstwa. |
| The boss wants me to prepare a detailed report. | Szef chce, żebym przygotował szczegółowy raport. |
| I am asking you to accept this favorable agreement. | Proszę, żebyście przyjęli to korzystne porozumienie. |
Hypothetical conditions with "gdyby"
The exact same rule applies to hypothetical conditions with gdyby (if). The condition clause uses a form like gdybym or gdybyśmy plus the 3rd-person past tense verb. The result clause then uses the standard conditional mood (a 3rd-person past tense verb with the -by suffix).
| If we rejected this detailed plan, I would regret it. | Gdybyśmy odrzucili ten szczegółowy plan, żałowałbym. |
| If I lowered the prices, would you agree? | Gdybym obniżył ceny, zgodziłbyś się? |
Just like in English, the order of the condition and the result can be swapped.
| We would agree if you proposed better conditions. | Zgodzilibyśmy się, gdybyś zaproponował lepsze warunki. |