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Questions & Answers about Jest pierwsza.
Why does this use pierwsza (first) instead of jeden (one)?
In Polish, you tell the time using ordinal numbers like first, second, and third, rather than counting numbers like one, two, and three. You are literally saying "It is the first."
Why does pierwsza end in -a instead of using the masculine form pierwszy?
The -a ending makes the word feminine. This happens because the Polish word for hour, godzina, is a feminine noun. Even though the word godzina is left out of this sentence, the number still has to match its gender.
Where is the word for "o'clock" or "hour"?
You usually don't need it! While you could technically say Jest pierwsza godzina (It is the first hour), Polish speakers almost always drop the word godzina in everyday conversation when telling the time.
Why is there no word for "It" at the beginning of the sentence?
Polish frequently leaves out subject pronouns like "it", "he", or "she" because the verb already shows who or what is doing the action. For telling the time, you just use the verb jest (is) all by itself to mean "It is".