Breakdown of Nie pamiętam, czy termin jest jutro.
być
to be
czy
[question particle]
nie
no / not
jutro
tomorrow
pamiętać
to remember
termin
deadline
Questions & Answers about Nie pamiętam, czy termin jest jutro.
Why do we use czy for 'if' here instead of jeśli?
In English, 'if' is used for both conditions (If it rains...) and expressing uncertainty (I don't remember if...). In Polish, you must use czy (which means 'whether') for indirect questions like this one. The word jeśli is strictly used for conditions.
I learned that czy is used to start yes/no questions. Is it the same word here?
Exactly! When placed at the start of a sentence, czy acts like a spoken question mark for a yes/no question. When placed in the middle of a sentence like this, it connects the two clauses and translates to 'whether' or 'if' to introduce an indirect question.
Why is there a comma before czy?
Polish punctuation rules are very strict about separating parts of a sentence. You must almost always place a comma before a subordinate clause. Whenever you introduce an indirect question with words like czy, co, or gdzie, a comma before it is required.
Does termin only mean 'deadline'?
No, termin is a very common and versatile word. Aside from 'deadline', it is widely used to mean a scheduled 'appointment' (like with a doctor or hairdresser) or a set 'date' for a meeting.
Learn Nie pamiętam, czy termin jest jutro 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