Asking things
Pytanie o rzeczy
- Ask and answer questions.
- Learn the question words.
This lesson focuses on asking and answering questions in Polish using useful question words like 'Co' (What), 'Gdzie' (Where), and expressions with 'masz' (you have). You'll learn phrases for everyday situations such as shopping or meeting friends, including "Co masz w torbie?" (What do you have in the bag?) and "Czy masz czas na kawę?" (Do you have time for coffee?).
Vocabulary (1) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Assign the given words to the appropriate category to reinforce the difference between questions and answers.
Słowa pytające
Słowa odpowiadające
Ćwiczenie 4: Conversation exercise
Instrukcja:
- Make a phrase that matches the picture, using a question. (Make a phrase that matches the picture, using a question.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Ile wynosi rachunek? How much is the bill? |
|
Co powiesz? What do you say? |
|
Który chcesz? Which one do you want? |
|
Dokąd musimy iść? Where do we have to go? |
|
Jaki jest twój zawód? What is your job? |
|
Jakim językiem mówisz? What language do you speak? |
| ... |
Exercise 5: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 6: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Czy ___ czas dzisiaj wieczorem na kawę z przyjacielem?
(Do you ___ time tonight for coffee with a friend?)2. ___ dużo pracy, ale potem mam spotkanie z rodziną.
(___ a lot of work, but then I have a meeting with family.)3. Twoja koleżanka ___ nowe mieszkanie blisko centrum.
(Your friend ___ a new apartment close to the center.)4. ___ na liście zakupy, idziemy do sklepu o 17.
(___ shopping on the list, we go to the store at 5 pm.)Exercise 7: Question about things
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Mieć - To have
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja mam
- ty masz
- on/ona/ono ma
- my mamy
- wy macie
- oni/one mają
Iść - To go
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja idę
- ty idziesz
- on/ona/ono idzie
- my idziemy
- wy idziecie
- oni/one idą
Musieć - To must
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja muszę
- ty musisz
- on/ona/ono musi
- my musimy
- wy musicie
- oni/one muszą
Potrzebować - To need
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja potrzebuję
- ty potrzebujesz
- on/ona/ono potrzebuje
- my potrzebujemy
- wy potrzebujecie
- oni/one potrzebują
Powiedzieć - To say
Czas przeszły
- ja powiedziałem/powiedziałam
- ty powiedziałeś/powiedziałaś
- on powiedział/ona powiedziała/ono powiedziało
- my powiedzieliśmy/powiedziałyśmy
- wy powiedzieliście/powiedziałyście
- oni powiedzieli/one powiedziały
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice Polish today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Lesson Overview: Asking Things in Polish
This lesson focuses on common ways to ask questions in Polish. It provides practical phrases to inquire about objects, quantities, locations, and preferences, all essential for everyday conversations. You'll explore question words, useful expressions, and practice dialogs centered around common scenarios such as shopping, university, and cafés.
Key Question Words and Useful Vocabulary
Polish question words introduce inquiries and are crucial when forming questions. Important examples include:
- kto – who
- co – what
- gdzie – where
- kiedy – when
- dlaczego – why
Responses often include simple affirmations or nouns, for example: tak (yes), nie (no), mama (mom), dom (house).
Common Questions and Expressions
Here are essential example questions introduced in the lesson:
- Co masz w torbie? (What do you have in the bag?)
- Ile masz jabłek? (How many apples do you have?)
- Czy masz książkę do nauki polskiego? (Do you have a Polish learning book?)
- Co to jest? (What is this?)
- Gdzie są twoje klucze? (Where are your keys?)
- Czy masz czas na kawę? (Do you have time for coffee?)
Dialog Practice in Everyday Contexts
The lesson provides dialogues for real-life situations:
- In the grocery store: Asking about products and their locations.
- At university: Questions about classes and schedules.
- In a café: Asking about drinks and prices.
Verb Conjugation Highlights
Understanding how to conjugate verbs properly is critical for asking and answering questions. Key verbs include:
- mieć (to have) – ja mam, ty masz, on/ona/ono ma, etc.
- iść (to go) – ja idę, ty idziesz, on/ona/ono idzie, etc.
- musieć (to have to) – ja muszę, ty musisz, on/ona/ono musi, etc.
- potrzebować (to need) – ja potrzebuję, ty potrzebujesz, on/ona/ono potrzebuje, etc.
- powiedzieć (to say, past tense) – ja powiedziałem/powiedziałam, ty powiedziałeś/powiedziałaś, etc.
Contextualized Mini-Story
The lesson includes a short story to see vocabulary and verbs in use, focused on someone managing duties and shopping lists while interacting with a friend using questions like:
"Co masz na liście zakupów?" (What do you have on the shopping list?)
This story helps reinforce vocabulary, verb use, and practical question forms.
Differences and Useful Notes for English Speakers
Unlike English, Polish forms questions by placing the question word at the beginning without auxiliary verbs like "do" or "does." For instance, "Do you have time?" becomes simply Czy masz czas? The particle czy is often used to signal a yes/no question but is not always mandatory.
Useful phrases include:
- Czy masz…? – Do you have…?
- Co to jest? – What is this?
- Gdzie są…? – Where are…?
Mastering these basic question forms helps in daily communication and builds a foundation for more complex sentence structures.
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
