Predicative Short-Form Adjectives
In Polish, a few adjectives have a special "short form" used strictly as a predicate. This means they always follow a verb (usually the verb "to be") to describe a temporary state, rather than attaching directly to a noun.
Gotów (Ready)
Instead of the standard full adjective gotowy, you will often hear the short form gotów to describe someone who is currently ready or prepared to act.
| Is the captain ready? | Czy kapitan jest gotów? |
| I am ready to throw the rope. | Jestem gotów rzucić linę. |
Ciekaw (Curious) & Pewien (Sure)
To express your thoughts about a coming storm or the condition of the ship, use the short forms ciekaw (curious) and pewien (sure).
| I am curious if there will be a storm tomorrow. | Jestem ciekaw, czy jutro będzie sztorm. |
| I am not sure if we have a good sail. | Nie jestem pewien, czy mamy dobry żagiel. |
Winien (To blame) & Zdrów (Healthy)
If equipment breaks, use winien to say someone is "to blame" or guilty.
| Who is to blame that the rope broke? | Kto jest winien, że lina pękła? |
Finally, zdrów is the short form for healthy or well. It is frequently used to express the desire to survive a journey and return "safe and sound."
| When a storm is coming, everyone wants to return safe and sound. | Gdy nadchodzi sztorm, każdy chce wrócić zdrów. |
| Is the captain well already? | Czy kapitan jest już zdrów? |
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