Multiplicative adjectives
When specifying how many copies you need or the structure of a document, you will use multiplicative adjectives. These behave exactly like standard adjectives, meaning their endings change to agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe.
| English | Polish Adjective |
|---|---|
| single | pojedynczy |
| double | podwójny |
| triple | potrójny |
Here is how you might use them when discussing copies and formats:
| I need a single copy of this document. | Potrzebuję pojedynczej kopii tego dokumentu. |
| The double format is the most expensive. | Podwójny format jest najdroższy. |
| We ordered a triple copy of the document. | Zamówiliśmy potrójną kopię dokumentu. |
Multiplicative adverbs
If you need to describe how many times an action occurs—such as double-checking a file or printing a flyer—Polish uses multiplicative adverbs. Because they are adverbs, these words are invariable and never change their form.
| English | Polish Adverb |
|---|---|
| twice | dwukrotnie |
| three times / thrice | trzykrotnie |
| repeatedly / many times | wielokrotnie |
| I checked this flyer twice. | Dwukrotnie sprawdziłem tę ulotkę. |
| We will not print this until you check the format three times. | Nie wydrukujemy tego, dopóki nie sprawdzisz formatu trzykrotnie. |
| We printed this flyer repeatedly. | Wielokrotnie drukowaliśmy tę ulotkę. |
Putting it together at the print shop
When dealing with a printing house (drukarnia), you will often combine these adjectives and adverbs to precisely describe what you want to scan (skanować) or print. Another highly useful adjective in this context is dwustronny (double-sided).
| This printing house prints double-sided flyers and single business cards. | Ta drukarnia drukuje dwustronne ulotki i pojedyncze wizytówki. |
| I have already scanned this double document twice. | Już dwukrotnie skanowałem ten podwójny dokument. |