Determiners: Declension — Polish Grammar

Determiners are words placed before a noun to specify which object is being referred to (this, that) or to indicate quantity (some, every, no). In Polish, most determiners function grammatically exactly like adjectives. This means they are not static; they must agree with the noun they modify in three categories:

Gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter)
Number (singular or plural)
Case (nominative, genitive, etc.)

Because they follow the adjective declension patterns, if you know how to decline an adjective, you generally know how to decline a determiner.

Demonstrative Determiners

The most common determiners are demonstratives, used to point out specific items. The base forms correspond to the three genders: (masculine), (feminine), and (neuter). When the case changes, the ending changes to match the noun.

Ten samochód jest szybki.
This car is fast.
Nie widzę tego mężczyzny.
I do not see this man.
Mieszkam w tym domu.
I live in this house.

Descriptive and Indefinite Determiners

Other determiners describe the "kind" of object or refer to nonspecific items. These also follow standard adjective declension.

(such a / like this)
(each / every)
(some / a certain / any)
(no / none)

Note that is used with a negative verb (double negation is standard in Polish).

Każdy student musi to przeczytać.
Every student must read this.
Nie mam żadnego pomysłu.
I have no idea.
Szukam jakiejś książki.
I am looking for some (kind of) book.
Taka pogoda jest idealna.
Such weather is ideal.

Quantifiers and Case Governance

While words like or agree with the noun, specific quantity determiners like (a few/some) and (many) behave differently.

When these quantifiers are in the nominative or accusative position (subject or direct object), they do not make the noun agree with them. Instead, they force the noun into the Genitive plural.

Tu stoi kilka samochodów.
A few cars are standing here.
Znam wiele osób.
I know many people.

However, in oblique cases (like the Dative or Instrumental), these quantifiers behave like normal adjectives and agree with the noun.

Rozmawiam z kilkoma przyjaciółmi.
I am talking with a few friends.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Polish course

71 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 25. A few of them, with the words “Determiners: Declension” is about in bold:

Ta woda jest zimna. Ta woda jest gorąca.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68
Jaka jest dziś pogoda?
What's the weather like today?
Lesson 291
Idźcie sprawdzić kuchnię. Jest taka mała.
Go and check out (pl.) the kitchen. It is so small.
Lesson 322

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