Word
Czekamy tu już dziesięć minut.
Meaning
We have been waiting here for ten minutes already.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Czekamy tu już dziesięć minut.
tu
here
dziesięć
ten
czekać
to wait
już
already / anymore (with negation)
Questions & Answers about Czekamy tu już dziesięć minut.
Why is minut used instead of minuty?
Because of the rule for numbers 5 and up! In Polish, numbers from 5 upwards (like dziesięć) require the following noun to be in the Genitive plural case. The base word is minuta, and its Genitive plural is minut.
Why does the Polish sentence use the present tense czekamy when the English translation says 'have been waiting'?
In Polish, if an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you just use the present tense. You are literally saying 'We are waiting here already ten minutes.' Polish does not have a continuous perfect tense like English does.
Is there a Polish word for 'for' in 'for ten minutes'?
No, Polish does not use a preposition to express how long something has been happening. You just state the amount of time directly: dziesięć minut. The word już (already) is often added to emphasize the time that has passed.