Question 1

Why is the word for Polish in the genitive case (polskiego) instead of the accusative?

Accepted Answer

The verb nauczyć się (and its imperfective partner uczyć się) always takes the genitive case for the thing being learned. Even though the language is the direct object of the action, you must use polskiego instead of polski.

Question 2

Does w ten sposób literally mean "this is how"?

Accepted Answer

Literally, it means "in this way" or "in this manner." The word sposób means way, method, or manner. Polish doesn't usually construct literal phrases like "to jest jak" for this context, so w ten sposób is the standard, natural way to express "this is how."

Question 3

What is the difference between nauczyłem się and uczyłem się in this context?

Accepted Answer

Nauczyłem się is a perfective verb, which focuses on the completed result. It implies you successfully learned the language and now know it. If you used the imperfective uczyłem się, it would mean "I was learning" or "I studied," which focuses on the process and doesn't necessarily mean you reached your goal.

Question 4

Could I just say nauczyłem polskiego without the word się?

Accepted Answer

No, the word się is required here. Without it, the base verb nauczyć means "to teach" someone else. When you add the reflexive pronoun się (which literally gives the feeling of teaching yourself), the meaning changes to "to learn."

W ten sposób nauczyłem się polskiego.

Breakdown of W ten sposób nauczyłem się polskiego.

Questions & Answers about W ten sposób nauczyłem się polskiego.

Learn W ten sposób nauczyłem się polskiego and more in Polish