Breakdown of Przyjdę później, to znaczy około ósmej.
później
later
przyjść
to come, to arrive
ósmy
eighth
około
about, around (+ Genitive)
Questions & Answers about Przyjdę później, to znaczy około ósmej.
Why is the time written as ósmej instead of ósma?
The preposition około (around/approximately) always requires the genitive case. Ósmej is the genitive form of the feminine ordinal number ósma (eighth). When telling time in Polish, we use ordinal numbers to mean 'the eighth hour', so this literally translates to 'around the eighth'.
Is to znaczy a fixed phrase?
Yes, to znaczy is a very common everyday phrase used to clarify something you just said. It translates to 'that is', 'which means', or 'I mean'. In written Polish, you will often see it abbreviated as tzn.
Why use przyjdę rather than an imperfective future tense like będę przychodzić?
You use the perfective verb przyjdę (from przyjść) because you are talking about a single, completed action in the future: the exact moment you arrive. An imperfective future would imply a continuous or repeated action, which does not fit the context of showing up at eight o'clock.
How is później formed?
Później is the comparative form of the adverb późno (late). By changing the ending, it becomes 'later'.