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Questions & Answers about Nie mówię po niemiecku.
Why is there no word for "I" in this sentence?
In Polish, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. The verb mówię (I speak) ends in -ę, which is the "I" form. You don't need to use the pronoun ja (I) unless you want to emphasize it, like saying "Well, I don't speak German."
Why do we say po niemiecku instead of just niemiecki?
When talking about speaking, reading, or writing a language, Polish uses the word po followed by a special adverb form of the language name ending in -u. You can think of po niemiecku as meaning "in the German way."
Does nie always go right before the verb?
Yes! To make a sentence negative in Polish, you simply put nie directly in front of the verb you are negating. So, "I speak" is mówię, and "I do not speak" is nie mówię.