Breakdown of Czym jedziesz? — Samochodem.
samochód
car
jechać
to travel
czym
with what, in what, by what (Instrumental of co)
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Czym jedziesz? — Samochodem.
Why is it samochodem instead of just samochód?
Polish uses a special form called the Instrumental case to show the means or tool used to do something. The base word samochód (car) takes the -em ending to become samochodem, which translates to "by car".
Where is the Polish word for "by" in this sentence?
There isn't one! While English uses the preposition "by" to talk about transport, Polish relies entirely on changing the noun's ending. The -em ending on samochodem already contains the meaning of "by" or "using".
Why does the question start with czym instead of co (what)?
Because the answer uses the Instrumental case (to show means of transport), the question word must match it. Czym is the Instrumental form of co. You are literally asking "By means of what are you going?"
Could I ask "Czym idziesz?" instead?
No, that would sound very strange. Polish makes a strict distinction between walking and riding. You must use a form of jechać (jedziesz) when traveling by a vehicle. The verb iść (idziesz) is strictly for going on foot.