To express that an action was completed mere moments ago, Polish uses the phrase dopiero co (just now) with a past-tense verb.
| just now | dopiero co |
| I just washed the hallway, and you dirtied it! | Dopiero co umyłam przedpokój, a ty go zabrudziłeś! |
| I just cleaned here, and you didn't take off your shoes! | Dopiero co tu posprzątałam, a ty nie zdjąłeś butów! |
Because it emphasizes a recently finished action, dopiero co is almost always paired with perfective verbs.
| He didn't wipe his shoes at all, and I just washed the floor. | On w ogóle nie wytarł butów, a ja dopiero co umyłem podłogę. |
| He just stepped into a puddle in front of the house. | On dopiero co wdepnął w kałużę przed domem. |
Notice how easily dopiero co integrates into longer sentences, including relative clauses.
| Whose footprints are these on the tiles that I just washed? | Czyje są te ślady na kafelkach, które dopiero co umyłem? |
| I just wiped the floor, and you ruined everything! | Dopiero co wytarłem podłogę, a ty wszystko zrujnowałeś! |
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