Where are you from?
Skąd jesteś?
- Ask somebody where they are from
- Say your nationality
Learn to ask and answer the question "Skąd jesteś?" (Where are you from?) using essential vocabulary like "Polska" (Poland), "Niemiec" (German), and nationality words such as "Polak" (Pole). Practice common expressions to talk about origins and nationalities in everyday situations.
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: Divide the following words into two groups: "Places of origin" and "Nationalities" to help remember them.
Miejsca pochodzenia
Narodowości
Ćwiczenie 4: Conversation exercise
Instrukcja:
- Describe the nationality of each person. (Describe the nationality of each person.)
- Say where do they currently live. (Say where do they currently live.)
- Tell where you live. (Tell where you live.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Eero jest z Francji. Eero is from France. |
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Ola pochodzi z Polski i mieszka w Londynie. Ola comes from Poland and she lives in London. |
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Maria jest Hiszpanką. Maria is Spanish. |
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Jan pochodzi z Holandii. Jan is from the Netherlands. |
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Skąd jesteś? Where are you from? |
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Gdzie mieszkasz? Where do you live? |
| ... |
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. Cześć! ___ Anna.
(Hi! ___ Anna.)2. Skąd ___?
(Where ___?)3. ___ z Polski.
(___ from Poland.)4. On ___ moim przyjacielem.
(He ___ my friend.)Exercise 7: Where are you from?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Być - To be
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja jestem
- ty jesteś
- on/ona/ono jest
- my jesteśmy
- wy jesteście
- oni/one są
Mieszkać - To live
Czas teraźniejszy
- ja mieszkam
- ty mieszkasz
- on/ona/ono mieszka
- my mieszkamy
- wy mieszkacie
- oni/one mieszkają
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Introduction to Basic Polish Questions and Statements about Origin
This lesson is designed for A1-level learners of Polish focusing on how to ask and answer questions about personal origin and nationality. It provides essential vocabulary related to places and nationalities, useful sentence patterns, and simple dialogues you can use in everyday conversations.
Key Language Points
Asking About Origin
The central question in this lesson is „Skąd jesteś?”, which means "Where are you from?". This question uses the verb być (to be) in its second person singular form jesteś.
Answering about Origin
Typical answers include phrases like „Jestem z Polski.” (I am from Poland) or "My jesteśmy z Warszawy." (We are from Warsaw). Notice the use of z (from) before the country or city.
Nationalities
Words like Polak (a Polish man), Niemiec (a German man), and Francuz (a French man) are common nationalities you will learn. Asking politely about nationality is done by formulating questions such as „Czy jesteś Francuzem?” (Are you French?).
Vocabulary Groups
The lesson separates vocabulary into two main categories:
- Places of Origin: Polska (Poland), Niemcy (Germany), Francja (France), Włochy (Italy), Hiszpania (Spain)
- Nationalities: Polak, Niemiec, Francuz
Verb Focus: Present Tense of "Być" and "Mieszkać"
You will practice the present tense forms of the verbs być (to be) and mieszkać (to live). For example:
- ja jestem (I am)
- ty jesteś (you are)
- my jesteśmy (we are)
- ja mieszkam (I live)
- ty mieszkasz (you live)
Dialogue Practice
The lesson includes practical dialogues you might encounter in different social settings like a café, workplace, or university. Common phrases include:
- Cześć, skąd jesteś? (Hi, where are you from?)
- Jestem z Polski. A ty? (I am from Poland. And you?)
- Jestem Niemcem. (I am German.)
Useful Notes on Differences Between English and Polish
While English uses "Where are you from?", Polish literally translates to "From where are you?" (Skąd jesteś?). Additionally, nationalities in Polish inflect according to case and gender. For example, a male Polish person is Polak, while a female is Polka. The question Czy jesteś Francuzem? uses the instrumental case for "Francuz" to indicate nationality, which doesn't have a direct equivalent in English grammar but is very important in Polish.
Basic useful expressions you should remember include:
- Skąd jesteś? - Where are you from?
- Jestem z... - I am from...
- Czy jesteś...? - Are you...?
- Jestem (nationality). - I am (nationality).
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