Endings
Nouns
| Gender | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (animate) | no change | pies, brat, kolega, tataDictionary form. Typically ends in a consonant (or -a for male roles like kolega) |
| Masculine (inanimate) | no change | stół, dom, samochódDictionary form. Typically ends in a consonant |
| Neuter | no change | dziecko, morze, imię, muzeumDictionary form. Typically ends in -o, -e, -ę, or -um |
| Feminine | no change | kobieta, pani, nocDictionary form. Typically ends in -a, -i, or a consonant |
Adjectives
| Gender | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (animate) | no change | dobry pies (good dog), wysoki mężczyzna (tall man) |
| Masculine (inanimate) | no change | ładny dom (nice house), długi stół (long table) |
| Neuter | no change | dobre mleko (good milk), wysokie okno (tall window) |
| Feminine | no change | dobra kawa (good coffee), wysoka kobieta (tall woman) |
When to use it
Subject of sentence
The person or thing performing the action.
Moja dobra mama gotuje obiad.
My good mom is cooking dinner.
After "to jest" / "to"
"To jest" (this is) takes nominative — not instrumental.
To jest czarny kot.
This is a black cat.
Predicate adjective (not noun)
Adjective after "być" stays nominative when no noun follows.
Ta młoda dziewczyna jest sympatyczna.
This young girl is nice.
Affirmative existential
"Jest" (there is) with affirmative subject → nominative.
Na stole leży ciekawa książka.
An interesting book is lying on the table.
Dictionary / base form
All words are listed in nominative in dictionaries.
pies, kobieta, dziecko
dog, woman, child
Watch out — overlaps with other cases
Predicate adjective → nominative; predicate noun phrase → instrumental
Nominative (adjective)
Ona jest mądra.
She is wise.
Instrumental (noun)
Ona jest mądrą kobietą.
She is a wise woman.
Affirmative existential → nominative; negative existential → genitive
Nominative (affirmative)
Na stole jest książka.
There is a book on the table.
Genitive (negative)
Na stole nie ma książki.
There is no book on the table.