Breakdown of Odpowiedziałam na ogłoszenie o pracę.
praca
work
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
odpowiedzieć
to answer
o
about
ogłoszenie
advertisement, notice (n)
Questions & Answers about Odpowiedziałam na ogłoszenie o pracę.
Why do we need the preposition na here instead of just saying odpowiedziałam ogłoszenie?
In Polish, the verb odpowiedzieć (to answer or reply) cannot take a direct object on its own. When you state what you are replying to, you must always use the preposition na followed by the accusative case, just like in odpowiedzieć na pytanie (to answer a question).
The phrase is ogłoszenie o pracę. Why is praca in the accusative case (pracę) instead of the locative case (pracy)?
The preposition o takes the locative when discussing a general topic (talking about work). However, it takes the accusative when it indicates seeking, requesting, or competing for something. Just like prosić o pomoc (to ask for help), a job ad is seeking to fill a role, so it forms the fixed accusative phrase ogłoszenie o pracę.
Could I use the imperfective verb odpowiadałam instead of the perfective odpowiedziałam in this context?
You could, but it changes the focus. The perfective odpowiedziałam means the action is fully completed and successful: you finished your application and submitted it. The imperfective odpowiadałam would mean you were in the middle of replying to it (but maybe didn't finish), or that you used to answer job ads repeatedly.
If I wanted to say I answered the phone during this job hunt, would I also use odpowiedziałam na?
No, you would use a completely different verb. In Polish, you odpowiedzieć na (reply to) things that contain messages, like questions, emails, and advertisements. To answer a ringing phone, you are physically picking it up or receiving the call, so you must use the verb odebrać, as in odebrałam telefon.
Learn Odpowiedziałam na ogłoszenie o pracę 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