In English, we use the verb "to go" for almost everything. In Polish, you must choose your verb based on how you are traveling. This lesson introduces two verbs for unidirectional motion—meaning you are currently on your way to a specific destination in a single direction.
- iść – to go on foot, to walk
- jechać – to go by a vehicle, to drive, to ride
Here is how they conjugate in the present tense:
| Pronoun | iść (on foot) | jechać (by vehicle) |
|---|
| ja | idę | jadę |
| ty | idziesz | jedziesz |
| on/ona/ono | idzie | jedzie |
| my | idziemy | jedziemy |
| wy | idziecie | jedziecie |
| oni/one | idą | jadą |
To say you are going to a destination (like a station, university, or meeting), you will often use the preposition na.
Use iść whenever you are walking. You can add the adverb pieszo (on foot) for emphasis or clarification, but the verb iść itself already implies you are not using a vehicle.
You also use iść for activities that inherently involve walking, like going for a walk (spacer).
Going by Vehicle: jechać
Use jechać when you are traveling by any form of transport (a car, a bus, a train, etc.).
Describing Your Journey
You can describe the speed of your travel using adverbs like szybko (quickly) and wolno (slowly). Let's see how both iść and jechać contrast in everyday situations.
