The Preposition "Bez"
To say "without" an ingredient or item, use the preposition bez followed by the Genitive case.
Feminine nouns change their -a ending to -y or -i:
- laktoza (lactose) → laktozy
- śmietana (cream) → śmietany
- cytryna (lemon) → cytryny
- cebula (onion) → cebuli
| A coffee without lactose and a soup without cream, please. | Poproszę kawę bez laktozy i zupę bez śmietany. |
Masculine Endings and Spelling Changes
Most masculine inanimate nouns (like ingredients or objects) take the ending -u (alkohol → alkoholu, sos → sosu).
Watch out for vowel changes in the root before adding -u:
- ó changes to o (lód → lodu)
- A "mobile" e drops out (czosnek → czosnku)
| I'll have water without ice and lemon, please. | Poproszę wodę bez lodu i cytryny. |
| I am ordering a pizza without onion and garlic. | Zamawiam pizzę bez cebuli i czosnku. |
| I am ordering a beer without alcohol. | Zamawiam piwo bez alkoholu. |
Expressing Lack and Absence
The Genitive case is the core case of absence in Polish. Use it after bez and negative phrases like nie ma (there is no / does not have). For instance, smak (taste) changes to smaku.
| This pizza without sauce has no taste. | Ta pizza bez sosu nie ma smaku. |
The same rules apply outside the restaurant. Everyday masculine objects like bilet (ticket) and paszport (passport) also take the -u ending (biletu, paszportu).
| You are not allowed to enter the airplane without a ticket and a passport. | Nie wolno wejść do samolotu bez biletu i paszportu. |
Plural nouns have their own Genitive endings. A common one is pieniądze (money), which becomes pieniędzy.
| I left my wallet at home and I am without money. | Zostawiłem portfel w domu i jestem bez pieniędzy. |