Nominative singular of nouns and adjectives

Gramatyka: Mianownik liczby pojedynczej rzeczowników i przymiotników

The singular nominative case answers the questions who? what? (for the noun) and which? what kind of? (for the adjective).

The noun in the nominative is the basic form of the word, which is given in the dictionary. It is used to name people, things, and phenomena, e.g. student, woman, child.

The adjective in the nominative describes the noun and agrees with it in gender and number. It answers the questions which? what kind of?

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson teaches the singular nominative case for Polish nouns and adjectives, highlighting agreement in gender: miły (nice, masc.), miła (fem.), and miłe (neut.). Learn basic forms like chłopak, dziewczyna, and dziecko to form correct, gender-matching noun-adjective pairs.

Nominative (who? what?) is the basic form of nouns and adjectives.
We use it to name people, things, and in simple sentences with the verb to be.
Adjectives in the nominative agree with nouns in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter).

Przymiotnik (Adjective)	r. męski -y/ i (masculine gender -y/ i)	r. żeński -a (feminine gender -a)	r. nijaki -e/ ie (neuter gender -e/ ie)
miły (nice), -y, -a, -e	miły chłopak (nice boy)	miła dziewczyna (nice girl)	miłe dziecko (nice child)
wysoki (tall), -i, -a, -e	wysoki mężczyzna (tall man)	wysoka pani (tall lady)	wysokie drzewo (tall tree)
nowy (new), -y, -a, -e	nowy słownik (new dictionary)	nowa książka (new book)	nowe zdjęcie (new photograph)
stary (old), -y, -a, -e	stary kubek (old cup)	stara komórka (old cell)	stare muzeum (old museum)

Exceptions!

Some masculine nouns end with -a (e.g., kolega, dentysta) — they are still masculine.
Some feminine nouns end with a consonant (e.g. noc, jesień).

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. On jest _____ mężczyzną.

2. Ona jest _____ Polkà.

3. To jest _____ dziecko.

4. Mężczyźni są _____ .

5. Kobiety są _____ .

6. Jestem Polakiem, on jest _____ .

Nominative Singular of Nouns and Adjectives

This lesson focuses on the nominative singular case in Polish for nouns and adjectives, which is the base form of these words. It answers the questions who? what? for nouns, and which? what kind of? for adjectives.

Understanding the Noun in Nominative

The nominative form of a noun is the basic dictionary form. It is used to name people, objects, and phenomena, for example: student, kobieta, dziecko. This form is essential because it serves as the foundation for learning Polish vocabulary and grammar.

Adjectives Agreement

Adjectives in the nominative singular describe nouns and must agree with them in gender. Polish distinguishes three genders:

Masculine (ends usually with -y or -i), e.g., miły chłopak (nice boy)

Feminine (ends with -a), e.g., miła dziewczyna (nice girl)

Neuter (ends with -e or -ie), e.g., miłe dziecko (nice child)

Examples of adjectives and their forms:

Adjective	Masculine -y/-i	Feminine -a	Neuter -e/-ie
miły	miły chłopak	miła dziewczyna	miłe dziecko
wysoki	wysoki mężczyzna	wysoka pani	wysokie drzewo
nowy	nowy słownik	nowa książka	nowe zdjęcie
stary	stary kubek	stara komórka	stare muzeum

Adjective

Masculine -y/-i

Feminine -a

Neuter -e/-ie

miły

miły chłopak

miła dziewczyna

miłe dziecko

wysoki

wysoki mężczyzna

wysoka pani

wysokie drzewo

nowy

nowy słownik

nowa książka

nowe zdjęcie

stary

stary kubek

stara komórka

stare muzeum

Key Points to Remember

The nominative case is the fundamental form of nouns and adjectives, typically used when naming or describing.

Use it to answer kto? co? (who? what?) for nouns.

For adjectives, ask jaki? jaka? jakie? (which kind? masculine, feminine, neuter).

Adjectives must always agree with the noun in gender and number.

Some masculine nouns end with -a (e.g., kolega, dentysta), but they remain masculine.

Some feminine nouns end with a consonant (e.g., noc, jesień), which is different from many other languages.

Notes on Differences from English

Unlike English, Polish nouns and adjectives change forms to express gender and case. In English, the base form of the noun rarely changes except for pluralization. Polish requires paying attention to gender endings to make correct agreements.

Useful Polish phrases showing nominative use include:

On jest miły mężczyzną. (He is a nice man.)

Ona jest miła Polką. (She is a nice Polish woman.)

To jest miłe dziecko. (That is a nice child.)

Remember, mastering the nominative singular forms is essential for building simple sentences and effective communication in Polish.

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice