Breakdown of Jak się czujesz? Nie bardzo dobrze.
nie
no / not
bardzo
very
dobrze
well
jak się czujesz
how are you feeling?
Questions & Answers about Jak się czujesz? Nie bardzo dobrze.
Why do we need the word się in this sentence?
In Polish, the verb czuć on its own means to smell or to physically feel an object outside of yourself. When you want to talk about your own health, emotions, or mood, you must use it with the reflexive pronoun się to form the verb czuć się.
How does the verb czuć change to become czujesz?
The verb czuć (to feel) adds a -j- before its present tense endings. So for the 'you' form, it becomes czujesz. If you wanted to say 'I feel', it would be czuję.
Could I say bardzo niedobrze instead of nie bardzo dobrze?
You could, but it has a different meaning. Nie bardzo dobrze translates to 'not very well', which is a mild way of saying you feel a bit sick or down. Bardzo niedobrze means 'very poorly' or 'very badly', which sounds much more serious!
Can I use nie bardzo as a set phrase in other situations?
Absolutely. Nie bardzo is a very common phrase meaning 'not really' or 'not very much'. If someone asks if you like a certain food or want to go out, and you aren't a fan of the idea, you can simply answer nie bardzo.