Passive Adjectival Participles — Polish Grammar

Passive adjectival participles are words derived from verbs that function as adjectives. They describe a noun by indicating an action that has been performed on it. In English, these correspond to past participles, which typically end in "-ed" or "-en" (e.g., "the closed door," "the stolen car").

These forms bridge the gap between actions and descriptions. They allow you to talk about the state of an object resulting from an action.

To jest naprawiony zegarek.
This is a repaired watch.
Widzę zapisane strony.
I see written pages.

Agreement with Nouns

Because these participles function grammatically as adjectives, they must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. They take the same endings as standard adjectives.

(masculine) - the lost key
(feminine) - the lost purse
(neuter) - the lost child
(plural) - the lost glasses

Twoja kawa jest wypita.
Your coffee is drunk.
Znalazłem ukryty skarb.
I found a hidden treasure.

Formation: The -ny and -ty Endings

There are two primary suffixes used to form passive participles: and . The choice depends on the stem of the original verb.

1. Ending in -ny

This is the most common ending. It is typically used for verbs whose infinitives end in , , or /.

For verbs ending in , replace with (e.g., becomes ).
For verbs ending in /, the ending often changes to , and the preceding consonant may undergo a softening or shift (e.g., becomes ).

Ten dom jest sprzedany.
This house is sold.
Obiad jest już ugotowany.
Dinner is already cooked.

2. Ending in -ty

This ending is less common and is generally used with verbs ending in , , or monosyllabic verbs ending in /.

(to close) becomes .
(to wash) becomes .
(to sew) becomes .

Sklep jest zamknięty.
The shop is closed.
Podłoga jest umyta.
The floor is washed.

Usage in Passive Voice

These participles are essential for constructing the passive voice. When combined with the auxiliary verbs (to be) or (to become/get), they shift the focus from the "doer" to the object receiving the action.

With : Describes a state or a continuous process.
With : Emphasizes the completion of the event (perfective aspect).

Drzwi są otwarte.
The door is open. (State)
Drzwi zostały otwarte przez wiatr.
The door was opened by the wind. (Event)

Aspect: Process vs. Result

The meaning of the participle changes depending on whether it is formed from an imperfective or perfective verb.

Imperfective Participles: Describe an action in progress or a repeated state (equivalent to "being done").
Perfective Participles: Describe a completed action or a final result (equivalent to "done").

To jest często czytana książka.
This is a frequently read book. (Imperfective: happens often)
Książka została przeczytana.
The book has been read. (Perfective: finished)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Polish course

15 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 62. A few of them, with the words “Passive Adjectival Participles” is about in bold:

Jestem na rynku. Jest bardzo zatłoczony.
I am at the market. It is very busy.
Lesson 249
Jestem tak podekscytowany podróżą do innego kraju.
I'm so excited to travel to another country.
Lesson 449

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