Learn Polish: Helikopter leci bardzo wysoko. - The helicopter is flying very high.

Leci comes from lecieć, which is the unidirectional verb for flying. It means the helicopter is currently flying in a specific direction on a single trip. If it were flying around aimlessly, patrolling in circles, or making a regular daily flight, we would use the multidirectional verb lata.

Why is the word wysoko used here instead of wysoki?

Wysoko is an adverb meaning high, which describes how the helicopter is flying (the verb leci). If you wanted to describe the helicopter itself as being a tall object, you would use the adjective wysoki. Many Polish adverbs are formed by replacing the adjective ending with -o.

The translation says is flying. Does Polish have a present continuous tense?

No, Polish uses the same present tense for both flies and is flying. However, because leci is a unidirectional verb, it strongly implies an ongoing action happening right now in a specific direction. That makes is flying the most accurate English translation for this specific sentence.

Could I change the word order to Bardzo wysoko leci helikopter?

Yes! Polish word order is very flexible. The original sentence Helikopter leci bardzo wysoko is a neutral statement. Changing it to Bardzo wysoko leci helikopter is completely correct, but it puts the emphasis on the helicopter, as if you are answering the question What is flying so high?