Moving Away with the Prefix "od-"
Polish uses prefixes to change the direction of motion verbs. To describe moving away from a place, object, or person, use the prefix od- (which becomes ode- before certain consonant clusters for easier pronunciation).
Adding this prefix to a base motion verb creates a perfective verb, which focuses on the completed action of departing or separating.
To state exactly what someone or something is moving away from, pair these verbs with the preposition od (from), followed by a noun in the Genitive case.
Let's look at this pattern with walking away (odejść):
| Please step away from the platform edge. | Proszę odejść od krawędzi peronu. |
| The child walked away from the edge and returned to the mother. | Dziecko odeszło od krawędzi i wróciło do matki. |
Departures by Vehicle and Air
The same rule applies to all modes of transport. You can attach the prefix to verbs for driving (odjechać) and flying (odlecieć).
If you are taking public transport, you will often need to check the rozkład jazdy (timetable) to see when your ride departs.
| According to the timetable, the bus has already driven away from the stop. | Według rozkładu jazdy autobus już odjechał od przystanku. |
| The helicopter flew away from the hospital very quickly. | Helikopter odleciał od szpitala bardzo szybko. |
Sailing and Running Away
This pattern is highly regular across all motion verbs. You will also use it with sailing (odpłynąć) and running (odbiec).
Notice how the preposition od and the Genitive case are used consistently, no matter how the subject is moving.
| Our ship sailed away from the shore on time. | Nasz statek odpłynął od brzegu punktualnie. |
| The tourist ran away from the ticket office and drove away by taxi. | Turysta odbiegł od kasy i odjechał taksówką. |
