W języku polskim główne zaimki osobowe to: ja, ty, on, ona, ono, my, wy, oni, one.

(In Polish, the main personal pronouns are: ja, ty, on, ona, ono, my, wy, oni, one.)

What these pronouns really mean (and when to choose which)

  • ja = I
  • ty = you (singular, informal)
  • on = he (masculine person/thing)
  • ona = she (feminine person/thing)
  • ono = it (neuter; most often dziecko “child”)
  • my = we
  • wy = you (plural, informal)
  • oni = they (at least one male person in the group)
  • one = they (all women, or non-masculine things/people)

Key idea: Polish “they” splits into oni vs one. This is one of the most important early choices to get right.

Polish often drops the pronoun (because the verb already shows the subject)

In English you usually say I am, you are. In Polish, the verb ending often makes the subject clear.

With pronoun Natural Polish (often) Why you might keep the pronoun
Ja jestem Anna. Jestem Anna. To stress “I” (not someone else)
Ty jesteś z Warszawy? Jesteś z Warszawy? To contrast: “And you?”
My jesteśmy gotowi. Jesteśmy gotowi. To highlight the group: “We are ready”
  • Default: you can omit the pronoun.
  • Keep it when you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity (e.g., many people in the situation).

Choosing “oni” vs “one”: a quick decision rule

  1. If the group includes at least one male person → use oni.
  2. If the group is all women (or no male persons) → use one.
Group Correct Example
Piotr + Maria oni Piotr i Maria? Oni są w pracy.
Maria + Anna one Maria i Anna? One piją kawę.
Two male colleagues oni To moi koledzy. Oni mówią po polsku.

Common mistake: choosing one for a mixed group.

Piotr i Maria? One są w pracy. → Piotr i Maria? Oni są w pracy.

“Ono” (it) is rare: when it sounds natural

  • ono is used when the noun is neuter, especially dziecko (child).
  • In many real-life situations, adults avoid “it” for people and just use the noun or the name.

Natural example: Ono (dziecko) śpi spokojnie.

Also natural: Dziecko śpi spokojnie. (no pronoun)

Formal “you”: Pan / Pani / Państwo (very important in professional contexts)

  • Pan = formal “you” to a man
  • Pani = formal “you” to a woman
  • Państwo = formal “you” to a group

Good habit: in business contexts, start with Pan/Pani unless invited to use ty.

Situation Natural Avoid
Client / new contact Dzień dobry, Pan jest z Warszawy? Dzień dobry, ty jesteś z Warszawy?
Female client Dzień dobry, Pani jest z Warszawy? Dzień dobry, ty jesteś z Warszawy?

Note: Pan/Pani usually go with 3rd person singular verb forms (e.g., Pan jest, Pani ma).

Self-check: what to pay attention to when speaking

  1. Can I omit the pronoun and still be clear? (Often yes.)
  2. Am I speaking informally (ty/wy) or formally (Pan/Pani/Państwo)?
  3. For “they”: is there any male person in the group? If yes → oni.
  4. If I use a pronoun, is it for a reason (emphasis/contrast)? If not, dropping it may sound more natural.
  1. Pronouns are not always needed in Polish, because verbs show the subject.
Osoba (Person)Liczba pojedyncza (Singular)Liczba mnoga (Plural)
1. osoba (1st person)ja  (I)my (we)
2. osoba (2nd person)ty  (you)wy (you (plural))
3. osoba męski (3rd person masculine)on  (he)oni (they (masculine personal))
3. osoba żeński (3rd person feminine)ona  (she)one  (they (non-masculine personal))
3. osoba nijaki (3rd person neuter)ono (it)—

Exceptions!

  1. „Ono” is rarely used and most often refers to the word dziecko, e.g. Ono (dziecko) śpi spokojnie.
  2. Formal “you” forms – Pan / Pani / Państwo are used instead of ty/wy in polite or formal situations.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. Dzień dobry, ___ jestem Anna.

Good morning, ___ I'm Anna.)

2. Cześć! Jak się masz? A ___?

Hi! How are you? And ___?)

3. Dzień dobry, ___ jest z Warszawy?

Good morning, ___ are you from Warsaw?)

4. To są moi koledzy. ___ mówią po polsku.

These are my colleagues. ___ speak Polish.)

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Replace the subject (name/noun) with the appropriate personal pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they) and rewrite the sentence.

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Anna jest w biurze.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Ona jest w biurze.
    (She’s in the office.)
  2. Tomek ma nowy telefon.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    On ma nowy telefon.
    (He has a new phone.)
  3. Dziecko śpi.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Ono śpi.
    (The child is sleeping.)
  4. Maria i Anna piją kawę.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    One piją kawę.
    (They’re drinking coffee.)
  5. Piotr i Marek są w pracy.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Oni są w pracy.
    (They’re at work.)
  6. Ja i ty jesteśmy w domu.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    My jesteśmy w domu.
    (We’re at home.)

Exercise 3: Grammar in action

Instruction: Play a short conversation: greeting, introduction, farewell.

Show/Hide translation
Situation
W biurze spotykasz nowy zespół i witasz się przed rozpoczęciem projektu.
(At the office you meet a new team and greet each other before starting the project.)
Discuss
  • Jak się nazywasz i czym się zajmujesz w firmie? (What is your name and what do you do at the company?)
  • Przedstaw jedną osobę w pokoju: on, ona, oni lub one. Kim są? (Introduce one person in the room: he, she, or they. Who are they?)
Useful words and phrases
  • Dzień dobry! Ja jestem... A Pan/Pani? (Good morning! I’m... And you?)
  • Jak się masz? Dobrze. A ty? (How are you? Fine, thanks. And you?)
  • Dziękuję! Do zobaczenia! (Thank you! See you later!)
Use in conversation
  • ja / my (I / we)
  • ty / wy (you (singular) / you (plural))
  • Pan / Pani / Państwo (Mr. / Ms. / Ladies and Gentlemen)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Urszula Jablonska

Faculty of Modern Languages

University of Warsaw

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Spain


Last Updated:

Saturday, 07/03/2026 04:38