Singular past tense (-łem, -łam...)

Regular Past Tense Verbs

Just like the verb być (to be), regular Polish verbs in the past tense change based on the subject's gender.

To form the singular past tense, drop the final from the dictionary form and add the appropriate ending:

PronounMasculineFeminineNeuter
I-łem-łam
You (informal)-łeś-łaś
He / She / It-ła-ło

First Person: What I Did

When talking about yourself, add -łem if you are masculine, or -łam if you are feminine.

Yesterday evening I made supper.
Wczoraj wieczorem zrobiłem kolację.
Yesterday I listened to music.
Wczoraj słuchałam muzyki.

Remember that Polish uses double negatives. To say you did "nothing" (nic), use nie before the verb.

Yesterday I did nothing.
Wczoraj nic nie robiłem.

Second Person: What You Did

When asking someone what they did, add -łeś for a masculine listener and -łaś for a feminine listener.

Why did you ask yesterday?
Dlaczego wczoraj pytałeś?
Did you cook soup yesterday?
Czy gotowałaś wczoraj zupę?
Why did you get up late yesterday?
Dlaczego wczoraj późno wstałaś?

Third Person: What He, She, or It Did

When talking about someone or something else, use (masculine), -ła (feminine), or -ło (neuter).

My brother recently saw this movie.
Mój brat niedawno widział ten film.
She recently worked in a cafe.
Niedawno pracowała w kawiarni.
The child slept for a long time.
Dziecko długo spało.

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