Breakdown of Kiedy wrócisz z pracy?
praca
work
kiedy
when
z
from (+ Genitive)
wrócić
to return, to come back (perfective)
Questions & Answers about Kiedy wrócisz z pracy?
Why is wrócisz translated as "will return" when there is no future tense helper word like będziesz?
The verb wrócić (to return) is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed action. In Polish, when you conjugate a perfective verb using present tense endings, it automatically creates the future tense! So wrócisz means "you will return" as a finished action.
Could I use the imperfective future and say Kiedy będziesz wracać z pracy?
Yes, but the meaning changes slightly. Będziesz wracać focuses on the process of traveling, meaning "When will you be on your way back from work?" The sentence above uses wrócisz to focus on the completed result: "When will you actually be back?"
Why do we use the preposition z here instead of od for "from"?
We use z (out of/from) when leaving an institution, activity, or place you were "inside" of, like work (praca) or school. You would use od if you were coming back from visiting a person, for example, od lekarza (from the doctor).
What noun case is the word pracy in this sentence?
It is in the genitive case. The preposition z meaning "from" always requires the noun to be in the genitive case. The basic dictionary form is praca (feminine), and its ending changes from -a to -y.