Breakdown of Wypożyczyłem dwie książki z biblioteki.
książka
book
biblioteka
library
z
from (+ Genitive)
dwie
two (f)
wypożyczyć
to borrow (from a library); to hire (a car)
Questions & Answers about Wypożyczyłem dwie książki z biblioteki.
Why use wypożyczyłem instead of pożyczyłem?
Pożyczyć is the general word for borrowing or lending, usually between people. However, when you borrow or rent something from an official institution (like a library, a car rental, or a ski shop), you add the prefix wy- to make wypożyczyć.
Why is the number two written as dwie here?
In Polish, numbers change based on the gender of the noun they describe. Because książka (book) is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine form for two, which is dwie. If you were borrowing masculine or neuter objects, you would use dwa.
Why do we say z biblioteki instead of od biblioteki to mean 'from the library'?
When you get something from a person, you use od (for example, od brata - from a brother). But when you take something out of a physical place, building, or institution, you use z (meaning 'out of'). Both prepositions require the Genitive case, but the physical nature of a library means we say z biblioteki.
What does the ending of wypożyczyłem tell us about the speaker?
The -łem ending shows that the speaker is a man talking about himself in the past tense. If a woman were saying this sentence, she would use the feminine past tense ending -łam, making the word wypożyczyłam.
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