The Verb Nosić (To Carry Habitually)
Polish uses different motion verbs depending on the nature of a trip. For carrying items regularly, repeatedly, or back-and-forth on a round trip, use the multidirectional verb nosić.
| to carry (habitually / multidirectional) | nosić |
Here is the present tense conjugation:
| Pronoun | Singular | Pronoun | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| ja | noszę | my | nosimy |
| ty | nosisz | wy | nosicie |
| on/ona/ono | nosi | oni/one | noszą |
Because nosić describes habits or repeated actions, it is often paired with adverbs like codziennie (every day) or zawsze (always).
| This worker carries heavy material to the construction site every day. | Ten robotnik codziennie nosi ciężki materiał na budowę. |
| Why do they always carry ten sacks of concrete? | Dlaczego zawsze noszą dziesięć worków betonu? |
| We always carry boards and other materials to the construction site. | Zawsze nosimy deski i inne materiały na budowę. |
Past Tense and Modal Verbs
When describing carrying habits in the past, nosić takes the standard past tense endings (such as nosił for "he carried").
| This worker always carried boards, therefore he needed a wheelbarrow. | Ten robotnik zawsze nosił deski, dlatego potrzebował taczki. |
You will also frequently use the infinitive nosić after past-tense modal verbs like móc (to be able to / could) when talking about physical limitations or abilities.
| They could not carry these bricks, therefore they bought a wheelbarrow. | Nie mogli nosić tych cegieł, dlatego kupili taczkę. |
| The women could not carry the sand, because the sacks were heavy. | Kobiety nie mogły nosić piasku, dlatego że worki były ciężkie. |
Nosić as "To Wear"
In Polish, nosić is also the standard way to say "to wear" (clothes, accessories, or safety gear). Think of wearing a hard hat as "habitually carrying" it on your head!
| Must this worker wear a helmet on the construction site? | Czy ten pracownik musi nosić kask na budowie? |