While reflexive pronouns like się or sobie often express mutual actions, Polish uses explicit reciprocals like nawzajem and jeden drugiego to emphasize that an action is genuinely mutual—or when a preposition is involved.
Emphasizing with nawzajem
The unchangeable adverb nawzajem means "mutually" or "each other." Add it alongside się or sobie to clarify that people are doing something to each other, rather than to themselves.
| Thanks to empathy and understanding, we support each other. | Dzięki empatii i zrozumieniu wspieramy się nawzajem. |
| When we talk honestly, we do not blame one another. | Kiedy rozmawiamy szczerze, nie obwiniamy się nawzajem. |
| In the session we speak openly about addiction to help each other. | Na sesji otwarcie mówimy o uzależnieniu, żeby pomagać sobie nawzajem. |
The phrase jeden drugiego
You can also use the phrase jeden drugiego ("one another"). Unlike nawzajem, this phrase changes form to match the grammar of the sentence.
The first word (jeden) stays in the nominative case as the "one" doing the action. The second word (drugi) represents the "other" receiving the action, and declines into the case required by the verb. In these masculine/mixed group examples, it takes the form drugiego (used for Genitive and Accusative).
| The more openly we speak, the better we understand one another. | Im bardziej otwarcie mówimy, tym lepiej rozumiemy jeden drugiego. |
| The psychologist asks us to listen to one another in the session. | Psycholog prosi, żebyśmy na sesji słuchali jeden drugiego. |
Prepositions with jeden drugiego
If a mutual action requires a preposition (like sharing with someone, or looking at someone), the preposition is placed exactly in the middle of the phrase: jeden + [preposition] + drugi.
The word jeden remains unchanged, while drugi declines to match the case the preposition demands.
| During the session, we share our emotions with one another. | Podczas sesji dzielimy się naszymi emocjami jeden z drugim. |
| We often hide the truth from one another. | Często ukrywamy prawdę jeden przed drugim. |
| Because of trauma and shame, they do not look at each other. | Przez traumę i wstyd oni nie patrzą jeden na drugiego. |