Modal Verbs and Infinitives
In Polish, expressing ability, obligation, or desire works much like it does in English. Conjugate the main modal verb for the subject, and follow it with a second verb in its dictionary form (the infinitive).
Móc (To be able to)
To say that you can or are able to do something, use móc. Notice how the consonant shifts between g and ż:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|
| ja | mogę |
| ty | możesz |
| on/ona/pan/pani | może |
| my | możemy |
| wy | możecie |
| oni/one | mogą |
Here is how it pairs with the infinitive pomóc (to help):
Musieć (To have to)
To express obligations, use musieć (to have to, must). Its conjugation shifts between sz and s:
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|
| ja | muszę |
| ty | musisz |
| on/ona/pan/pani | musi |
| my | musimy |
| wy | musicie |
| oni/one | muszą |
Combine musieć with verbs like zrobić (to do) and time expressions like zaraz (right away):
You can use this to talk about daily routines, like getting up (wstać) early (wcześnie) tomorrow (jutro):
Chcieć (To want) and Running Errands
The verb chcieć (to want) follows the exact same pattern.
Pay attention to how these conjugated modal verbs (musimy, chce, możemy) are always paired directly with an infinitive to talk about common activities, like doing the shopping (zakupy) or finding (znaleźć) something:
