Breakdown of Trzeba pójść na stację.
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
trzeba
one must, it is necessary (+ infinitive)
pójść
to go (on foot)
stacja
station
Questions & Answers about Trzeba pójść na stację.
Why do we use pójść here instead of the basic verb iść?
pójść is the perfective form of iść (to go by foot). Adding the prefix po- changes the focus from the ongoing process of walking to the completion of a single, specific trip. Because the goal is to successfully complete the trip to the station, the perfective form is used here.
The translation says "We need to go", but there is no word for "we" in the Polish sentence. Why?
The word trzeba is an impersonal expression that means "it is necessary" or "one must." It doesn't change based on who is doing the action. Polish speakers use it very often when the person who needs to do the action is obvious from the context.
Why use the preposition na instead of do for going "to" the station?
While do generally means "to," Polish uses na (which often means "on") for certain types of places, like open spaces, events, and transit hubs. Stacja (station) is a classic example where you must use na for your destination.
Why does the word for station end in -ę (stację)?
The dictionary form is stacja. When you express motion towards a destination using the preposition na, the noun that follows must take the Accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in -a, that means changing the ending to -ę.