Personal Pronouns

01

Singular Pronouns

Polish distinguishes three genders in the third person singular: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

• ja I
• ty you (informal, singular)
• on he (masculine)
• ona she (feminine)
• ono it (neuter)

The pronoun ono is used for nouns that are grammatically neuter, which can include young humans (like "child"), young animals, and many inanimate objects.

• Ona jest nauczycielką.

  She is a teacher.

• Ono jest małe.

  It is small.

02

Plural Pronouns

In the plural, Polish makes a specific distinction based on whether a group includes men or not.

• my we
• wy you (informal, plural)
• oni they (masculine personal)
• one they (non-masculine personal)

03

Understanding 'Oni' vs. 'One'

The translation for "they" depends entirely on the composition of the group being discussed.

Oni (Masculine Personal)

Use oni when referring to a group of men or a mixed group containing at least one male person. Even if there are ninety-nine women and one man, the pronoun is oni.

• Oni grają w piłkę.

  They are playing football. (A group of men or a mixed group)

One (Non-Masculine Personal)

Use one for groups consisting entirely of women, children, animals, or inanimate objects.

• One są w domu.

  They are at home. (A group of women or girls)

• Gdzie są klucze? One leżą na stole.

  Where are the keys? They are lying on the table.

04

Dropping the Pronoun

Polish is a "pro-drop" language. This means the personal pronoun is frequently omitted because the verb ending usually indicates the person and number. Using the pronoun explicitly often adds emphasis or clarifies contrast.

If the subject is clear from the context or the verb conjugation, it is natural to drop the pronoun.

• Kocham cię.

  I love you. (Natural usage)

• Ja cię kocham.

  I love you. (Emphasizing that I am the one who loves you)

• Jesteśmy gotowi.

  We are ready.

05

Formal vs. Informal Address

The pronouns ty (singular) and wy (plural) are strictly informal. They are used with family, friends, children, and peers.

To address someone formally (like a stranger, an elder, or a superior), Polish does not use a specific pronoun like "you". Instead, it uses the nouns Pan (Sir/Mr.) for men and Pani (Madam/Mrs.) for women, paired with the third-person verb form.

• Co ty robisz?

  What are you doing? (Informal, to a friend)

• Co Pan robi?

  What are you doing? (Formal, to a man)

• Czy Pani jest głodna?

  Are you hungry? (Formal, to a woman)