Perception clauses (widzieć jak)

Perception Clauses with jak

When people-watching at a café, you are observing ongoing actions. In English, you might say "I hear the hubbub growing" or "I see the pickpocket stealing," using an "-ing" verb.

Polish expresses this using a full dependent clause. After verbs of sensory perception—like widzieć (to see), słyszeć (to hear), or czuć (to feel)—you must use the complementizer jak instead of the usual że (that) to frame the ongoing action you are witnessing.

that (after a verb of perception)
jak

Here is how this looks when describing scenes in the present tense:

I sip wine from a glass and hear the hubbub growing.
Popijam wino z kieliszka i słyszę, jak rośnie gwar.
Even though there is a hubbub, I see the pickpocket stealing a wallet.
Mimo że jest gwar, widzę, jak kieszonkowiec kradnie portfel.
We sip coffee and see the passersby kissing.
Popijamy kawę i widzimy, jak przechodnie się całują.

This structure is just as common when recounting what you saw, heard, or felt in the past. The dependent clause with jak captures the action exactly as it was unfolding before your senses:

I saw a street musician drop a ticket into my wine glass.
Widziałem, jak uliczny muzyk wrzuca bilet do mojego kieliszka.
I heard the young people kissing in the park.
Słyszałem, jak młodzi ludzie całowali się w parku.
I felt someone discreetly stealing my wallet.
Czułem, jak ktoś dyskretnie kradnie mój portfel.
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