Saying "Both" in Polish
When you want to say "both" in Polish, the word you choose depends on the gender of the nouns you are talking about. The forms perfectly mirror the grammar rules used for the number two (dwa, dwie, dwoje).
Oba for Masculine Inanimate and Neuter Nouns
If you are referring to two masculine inanimate objects—such as a tennis court (kort), a set (set), or a tournament (turniej)—you will use oba. This form is also used for neuter nouns.
Notice how the noun stays in its standard plural form:
| Both courts are new. | Oba korty są nowe. |
| He lost both sets. | On przegrał oba sety. |
| Both teams were standing close to the net. | Oba zespoły stały blisko siatki. |
Obie for Feminine Nouns
When referring to feminine nouns, such as a female player (zawodniczka) or a net (siatka), you must use obie.
| Both female players won one set. | Obie zawodniczki wygrały jeden set. |
| Both female players return the ball quickly. | Obie zawodniczki szybko odbijają piłkę. |
Oboje for Mixed Groups and Children
If you are talking about a mixed-gender pair (for example, one male and one female player) or children (dzieci), you need to use the collective numeral oboje.
Using collective numerals like oboje triggers two important grammatical changes in the sentence:
- The noun that follows it is forced into the Genitive case (e.g., the plural subject zawodnicy becomes the Genitive zawodników).
- The verb that follows is treated as singular, not plural.
Watch how the verb remains singular in the present tense (gra, chce) even though we are talking about two people:
| Both players are playing great. | Oboje zawodników gra świetnie. |
| Both children want to serve. | Oboje dzieci chce serwować. |
