Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Zaczynamy od zera.
Why does the word for zero change to zera here?
The preposition od (from) always forces the noun that follows it into the genitive case. The base word is zero (a neuter noun), and to make it genitive, the final -o changes to -a, giving us zera.
I know that z also means "from". Could I say z zera instead?
No, you need to use od here. In Polish, od is used to show a starting point in time, a limit, or a starting point on a scale (like counting from zero). The preposition z is used more for physical movement out of a place or to say what city or country someone comes from.
Is zaczynamy an imperfective or perfective verb?
It is imperfective, coming from the infinitive zaczynać. It translates to "we are starting" or "we start." If you wanted to use the perfective aspect to say "we will start" (focusing on a completed future action), you would use the verb zaczniemy.
Can I use this phrase to mean "starting from scratch" like we do in English?
Yes! In Polish, zaczynać od zera is the exact idiomatic equivalent to the English phrase "to start from scratch."