Breakdown of Popłynęli na drugą stronę rzeki.
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
rzeka
river
drugi
second / the other (in 'one another')
strona
side; page
Questions & Answers about Popłynęli na drugą stronę rzeki.
Why use the perfective verb popłynęli instead of the imperfective płynęli?
Because the action was completed. Popłynęli means they successfully finished swimming to their destination. If you used the imperfective płynęli, it would mean they were in the process of swimming towards the other side, focusing on the journey rather than the final result.
Could popłynęli also mean they took a boat?
Yes! The verbs płynąć and popłynąć describe any movement on or through water. Without more context, this sentence could just as easily mean "They sailed" or "They went by boat" to the other side of the river.
Why does the verb end in -li instead of -ły?
The -li ending shows that the subject is masculine-personal, meaning there was at least one man in the group of people crossing the river. If the group consisted only of women, children, or animals, you would use the non-masculine-personal form: popłynęły.
Why do we use na drugą stronę (with the Accusative) instead of the preposition do?
In Polish, we use na plus the Accusative case for motion directed onto a surface, an open space, or a side (strona). While do means "into" or "towards a destination", the standard phrase for moving to another side or crossing over is always na drugą stronę.