Breakdown of Odradzam ci tę podróż zimą.
ten
this (m)
ci
to you (sg)
podróż
journey
zima
winter
odradzać
to advise against (+ Dative of the person)
Questions & Answers about Odradzam ci tę podróż zimą.
Why is "you" translated as ci here instead of cię?
The verb odradzać (to advise against) requires the dative case for the person receiving the advice. Ci is the short dative form of ty (you). The thing you are advising against (tę podróż) takes the accusative case.
Why does it say tę podróż instead of tą podróż? I hear Polish people say tą all the time.
In standard, grammatically correct Polish, tę is the accusative feminine form of ten (this), while tą is the instrumental form. However, in casual spoken Polish, native speakers very often use tą for the accusative case too. Since podróż is the direct object here, standard Polish requires tę.
Wait, is podróż feminine? Why doesn't its ending change in the accusative case?
Yes, podróż (trip/journey) is a feminine noun. Because it ends in a consonant rather than the typical -a, it belongs to a group of feminine nouns that includes words like noc or rzecz. For these nouns, the accusative form is exactly the same as the nominative (dictionary) form, so it doesn't change.
Why is "in winter" translated simply as zimą?
Zimą is the instrumental case of the noun zima (winter). Polish often uses the instrumental case all by itself, without any prepositions, to express when a habitual or ongoing action happens. You will see this pattern with other seasons and times of day, like wiosną (in spring) or nocą (at night).
Learn Odradzam ci tę podróż zimą and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free