Lesson 13

Understanding Polish verbs is a crucial step in mastering the language. One of the key challenges learners face is distinguishing between perfective and imperfective verbs. Additionally, learning how to form conditional sentences and use reported speech will greatly improve your ability to communicate complex ideas. Let’s break these topics down step by step.

1. Perfective vs. Imperfective Verbs

Polish verbs come in two aspects:

• Imperfective (niedokonane) – describes ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions.
• Perfective (dokonane) – describes completed actions or actions with a clear result.

Key Differences & Examples

Usage in Sentences

• Imperfective: Czytałem książkę przez godzinę. (I was reading a book for an hour.)
• Perfective: Przeczytałem książkę. (I finished reading the book.)
• Imperfective: Ona robi obiad. (She is making dinner.)
• Perfective: Ona zrobiła obiad. (She has made dinner.)

🔹 Key Tip: If an action is ongoing, repeated, or has no clear completion, use the imperfective. If it’s a one-time completed action, use the perfective!

2. Conditional Sentences in Polish

Conditional sentences (tryb przypuszczający) express possibilities, hypothetical situations, or polite requests.

Formation

Conditional sentences in Polish are formed using the conditional particle “by” attached to the past tense form of the verb.

Examples in Sentences

• Gdybym miał czas, pojechałbym do Krakowa. (If I had time, I would go to Kraków.)
• Gdyby ona wiedziała, powiedziałaby ci. (If she knew, she would tell you.)
• Czy mógłbyś mi pomóc? (Could you help me?) → polite request

🔹 Key Tip: The conditional is often used in “if” statements (gdyby…) and polite requests!

3. Reported Speech in Polish

Reported speech (mowa zależna) is used to report what someone said without quoting them directly.

Converting Direct to Reported Speech

When changing direct speech to reported speech, remember these rules:

1. Change the verb tense appropriately
2. Adjust pronouns and time expressions
3. Use “że” (that) or “czy” (if) to introduce reported speech

Examples

Direct Speech → “Idę do kina.” (I am going to the cinema.)

Reported Speech → Powiedział, że idzie do kina. (He said that he is going to the cinema.)

Direct Speech → “Czy masz czas?” (Do you have time?)

Reported Speech → Zapytał, czy mam czas. (He asked if I have time.)

🔹 Key Tip: When reporting past actions, shift the verb tense accordingly:

• Present → Past
  • “Czytam książkę.” → Powiedział, że czytał książkę. (I am reading → He said he was reading.)
• Future → Past conditional
  • “Pojadę do Warszawy.” → Powiedział, że pojechałby do Warszawy. (I will go → He said he would go.)

🎧 Practice Exercises

1. Aspect Practice: Choose five common verbs and list their perfective and imperfective forms. Use them in sentences.
2. Conditional Sentences: Create three “gdyby” sentences about hypothetical situations.
3. Reported Speech: Transform three direct speech sentences into reported speech.

Summary

✅ Perfective vs. Imperfective Verbs: Know when to use ongoing vs. completed action. ✅ Conditional Sentences: Use “by” for hypothetical situations and polite requests. ✅ Reported Speech: Adjust verb tenses and pronouns when reporting someone’s words.

By mastering these grammar points, your Polish will sound much more natural and sophisticated. Keep practicing, and soon, these concepts will feel intuitive! 🇵🇱💪