A2.32 - Family plans

Impersonal forms: brany → brano, mówiony → mówiono

Formy bezosobowe: brany → brano, mówiony → mówiono

Formy bezosobowe służą do mówienia o czynności bez podawania wykonawcy. Ważne jest samo działanie lub jego rezultat, a nie osoba, która je wykonała. często występują w języku oficjalnym, mediach i wiadomościach.

(Impersonal forms are used to talk about an action without naming the person who did it. What matters is the action itself or its result, not the person who did it. They often appear in official language, the media, and news.)

What these forms do (-ano/-ono/-to/-ęto)

They let you talk about a completed real action without saying who did it.

  • Meaning: “someone / people (a real group) did it”.
  • Often used in: news, office talk, formal notes, reports.
  • English equivalent is usually: “was/were + past participle” or “they + verb”.

Key difference: -ano/-ono/-to/-ęto vs. “się”

Form Typical meaning Example
Otwarto okno. A specific action happened (by people, unknown who). Otwarto okno w sali.
Otwiera się okno. General habit / instruction: “this is how one does it”. W tej sali otwiera się okno tylko rano.
  • If you mean one concrete event → choose -ano/-ono/-to/-ęto.
  • If you mean what people generally do → choose się.

How to choose the ending (the practical shortcut)

First decide the verb aspect:

  • Imperfective (process / repeated / “was happening”) → usually -ano / -ono
  • Perfective (one finished result) → usually -to / -ęto
Aspect Impersonal form Typical sense
Imperfective mówiono, brano people were talking / were taking (activity, duration)
Perfective otwarto, podjęto people opened / made (clear finished result)

How to build the sentence (and what happens to the object)

  1. Start with the impersonal verb: Sprawdzono… / Podjęto… / Mówiono…
  2. Add the object in the correct case:
  • With a transitive verb (you can “do it” to something) → object is usually Accusative (biernik).
    • Sprawdzono dokumenty. (documents = biernik, plural looks like nominative)
    • Podjęto decyzję. (decyzję = biernik)
  • With verbs that normally take o + Locative etc. → keep the same pattern.
    • Mówiono o zmianach.

Word order tip: place/time can go first for context: W firmie podjęto decyzję.

Common traps (quick self-check)

  • No subject. Don’t add oni/one/ludzie.
    • Ludzie otwarto okno. → Otwarto okno.
  • Don’t use a passive “by” phrase. This form is specifically for unknown/irrelevant doer.
    • If you want to name the doer, use a normal active sentence: Anna otworzyła okno.
  • Aspect matters. If the result is important, prefer perfective → -to/-ęto.
    • Podjęto decyzję. (decision is made)
    • Podejmowano decyzję. (the process of deciding was going on)
  • Be careful with “brano”. It often sounds like “people were taking” (ongoing / repeated), not “they took once”.
    • Brano moje rzeczy z szatni. = it was happening / repeatedly
    • For one finished event you often hear: Zabrano moje rzeczy z szatni. (perfective)

Mini checklist: do you understand it?

  1. Do I mean a real action by some people (not a general habit)?
  2. Is it more about process (→ -ano/-ono) or finished result (→ -to/-ęto)?
  3. Did I keep the right preposition/case after the verb? (e.g., o + locative)
  4. Did I avoid naming the doer?
  1. We most often form -ano, -ono forms from imperfective verbs.
  2. We most often form -to, -ęto forms from perfective verbs.
Imiesłów (Participle)Forma bezosobowa (Impersonal form)Znaczenie (Meaning)
brany (taken)brano (they took)ludzie brali (people were taking)
mówionymówiono (it was said)ludzie mówili (people were saying)
otwarty (opened)otwarto (they opened)ludzie otworzyli (people opened)
podjęty (undertaken)podjęto (they undertook)ludzie podjęli (people undertook)

Exceptions!

  1. Unlike impersonal forms with „się”, which refer to general habits, traditions, or what people usually do in a given situation, the -ano, -ono, -to, -ęto forms indicate an action carried out by an unspecified but real group of people.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. W urzędzie powiedziano, że wniosek o urlop rodzicielski _____ wczoraj.

At the office they said that the application for parental leave _____ yesterday.

2. Na spotkaniu z rodzicami _____ o planach na przyszłość dzieci.

At the meeting with parents, _____ about the children’s plans for the future.

3. Po zaręczynach _____ nową listę gości weselnych.

After the engagement, _____ a new list of wedding guests.

4. W firmie _____ decyzję, że w przyszłym roku będzie więcej pracy zdalnej dla rodziców.

In the company, _____ a decision that next year there will be more remote work for parents.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences using the impersonal form (-ano/-ono/-to/-ęto) so as not to mention the doer. Example: People opened the door. → The door was opened.

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Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Ludzie sprawdzili dokumenty w recepcji.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Sprawdzono dokumenty w recepcji.
    (The documents were checked at reception.)
  2. Ludzie otworzyli nowe biuro w centrum.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Otwarto nowe biuro w centrum.
    (A new office was opened in the city center.)
  3. Ludzie podjęli decyzję po spotkaniu.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Podjęto decyzję po spotkaniu.
    (A decision was made after the meeting.)
  4. Ludzie zabrali moje rzeczy z szatni.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Brano moje rzeczy z szatni.
    (My things were taken from the cloakroom.)

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Joanna Majchrowska

Master of Spanish Philology

University of Lodz

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Poland


Last Updated:

Thursday, 18/06/2026 00:56