Breakdown of Jest druga. Jem obiad.
być
to be
jeść
to eat
obiad
dinner / lunch (midday meal)
drugi
second / the other (in 'one another')
Questions & Answers about Jest druga. Jem obiad.
Why does it say druga instead of dwa for 'two'?
When telling time in Polish, we use ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) instead of regular numbers. So druga literally means 'the second'. We are saying 'It is the second hour'.
Where is the word for 'o'clock' or 'hour'?
The word for hour is godzina, and you could say Jest druga godzina. However, in everyday Polish, people usually drop the word godzina because it is already obvious from the context.
Why is there no word for 'It' in Jest druga?
In English, we use a placeholder subject in sentences like 'It is raining' or 'It is two o'clock'. Polish does not need this extra word. You just use the verb jest (is) all by itself.
Does jem mean 'I eat' or 'I am eating'?
It means both! Polish does not have a separate continuous tense like English does. Jem translates to both 'I eat' (regularly) and 'I am eating' (right now).
Since obiad (lunch) is the thing being eaten, shouldn't its ending change?
It is indeed the direct object (the Accusative case), but obiad is a masculine inanimate noun. For these types of nouns, the Accusative form looks exactly the same as the dictionary form. So, it stays obiad.
Learn Jest druga. Jem obiad 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