Breakdown of Skąd jesteś? Ja jestem tu nowy.
być
to be
tu
here
ja
I
nowy
new
skąd jesteś
where are you from (informal)
Questions & Answers about Skąd jesteś? Ja jestem tu nowy.
Why does the first sentence use skąd instead of gdzie for "where"?
In Polish, gdzie just means "where" (asking about a location). Skąd specifically means "where from" (asking about origin or direction). Since you're asking "where are you from", you must use skąd.
Why is there no Polish word for "you" in the first sentence, but the second sentence includes Ja (I)?
Polish verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action, so jesteś already means "you are". Normally, pronouns like ty (you) and ja (I) are dropped. Including Ja in the second sentence adds emphasis or contrast, similar to saying "As for me, I am new here."
How do we know if a man or a woman is saying "I am new here"?
We know a man is speaking because of the word nowy (new). Polish adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the person they describe. Nowy is the masculine form. A woman would use the feminine form and say nowa.
What is the difference between tu and tutaj?
There is no difference in meaning! Tu is simply a shorter version of tutaj (here). Both are completely interchangeable, but the shorter tu flows very naturally in a quick, conversational sentence like this one.
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