Breakdown of Kiedy będziesz mył podłogę? Zaraz ją umyję!
być
to be
ona
she / it (f)
zaraz
right away
kiedy
when
myć
to wash
umyć
to wash (perfective)
podłoga
floor
Questions & Answers about Kiedy będziesz mył podłogę? Zaraz ją umyję!
Why does the first sentence use będziesz mył for the future, but the second sentence just uses one word, umyję?
This is the exact difference between imperfective and perfective verbs in the future tense! Myć is imperfective, focusing on the process. To make its future tense, you need a form of być (will be) plus the past tense form mył. Umyć is perfective, focusing on the finished result. Because perfective verbs already imply completion, their standard present tense conjugations automatically refer to the future. No być is needed!
Could the person answering have said Zaraz będę ją mył instead?
Grammatically, yes, but the meaning changes slightly. Zaraz będę ją mył (imperfective) means "I will be washing it right away" or "I will start washing it." By choosing the perfective umyję, the speaker is promising "I will get it washed and finished right away." It sounds much more reassuring that the chore will actually get done!
Why does the second sentence use the word ją?
Ją is the Accusative (direct object) form of ona (she/it). In Polish, podłoga (floor) is a feminine noun. So, instead of repeating the word for floor, the speaker uses ją to mean "it".
How can we tell the gender of the person being asked the question?
Because this form of the imperfective future uses the past tense form of the main verb, it changes based on gender. Mył is the masculine form, so we know the speaker is asking a man. If they were asking a woman, it would be Kiedy będziesz myła podłogę?
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