All About Me: Grammar (AQA GCSE Polish): Revision Note
Exam code: 8688
Introducing yourself in Polish requires two key verbs: być (to be) and mieć (to have)
In the first person, these are ja jestem (I am) and mam (I have)
Adjectives are used to describe yourself and their form depends on where they appear in the sentence
The verbs być and mieć
Use the verbs być and mieć to describe yourself
Use nazywam się/ mam na imię to give your name mam … lat to give your age
Use ja jestem to give your physical appearance and personal qualities
Polish | English |
|---|---|
Nazywam się.... Mam na imię... | I am called ... / My name is ... |
Mam 15 lat | I am 15 years old |
Use mam to describe physical features
Polish | English |
|---|---|
Mam niebieskie oczy | I have blue eyes |
Mam krótkie, brązowe włosy | I have short, brown hair |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Negation is a simple yet effective way to add variety
Examiners reward students who can say what they are not, not just what they are - nie jestem leniwa/y (I am not lazy), nie jestem zabawny/a (I am not funny)
Adjective agreement (nominative)
In Polish, adjectives change their ending depending on:
the gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter)
the number (singular or plural)
the type of plural (masculine‑personal vs non‑masculine‑personal)
the case (nominative, accusative, etc.)
Polish has three genders in the singular:
Gender | Polish | English |
|---|---|---|
rodzaj męski- masculine (used for male people and many objects) |
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rodzaj żeński- feminine (used for female people and many objects) |
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rodzaj nijaki- neuter (used for neuter nouns, e.g., dziecko — child, zwierzę — animal) |
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Polish has two different plural forms for adjectives:
Gender | Polish | English |
|---|---|---|
rodzaj męskoosobowy - masculine personal plural. Used when the group includes at least one male person |
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rodzaj niemęskoosobowy- non-masculine personal plural. Used for groups of only women, groups of objects, and animals |
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Examiner Tips and Tricks
Adjectives change so much because Polish is a highly inflected language
This means:Words change their endings to show their role in the sentence
Adjectives must “agree” with the nouns they describe
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