Polish Cases And Their Functions

Polish belongs to the group of inflected languages, which means that words change their forms and endings depend on their position in a sentence. The cases describe the position of nouns, pronouns and adjectives, and signalize the meaning. In English the word order in a sentence has a similar function to the Polish cases. In the sentence: Tom has a cat we know that Tom is the subject and cat is the direct object. We know it because in English the subject goes before a verb and the object after. The same sentence in Polish can have few variants:
Tom ma kota./ Kota ma Tom/ Ma Tom kota./ Ma kota Tom./ Kota Tom ma./ Tom kota ma.

They all mean the same. In Polish word order doesn`t determinate the meaning the way it doeas in English. It`s the a added to the word that shows kot is the object of the sentence.
Polish use cases to express many functions. Some of these roles are crucial for everyday situations, so learning Polish you should familiarize yourself with the cases and their functions as soon as it is possible.

Polish cases and their functions

MIANOWNIK (nominative)

- subject of a sentence e.g. Ania je obiad., Ona ma psa.
- after `to` (categorisation) e.g. Kasia to nowa studentka., Filip to przystojny m czyzna.
- to express a comparison (after the word `jak`) e.g. On jest g odny jak wilk.

BIERNIK (accusative)

- object in affirmative sentences e.g Mam brata. Czytam ksi k .
- with the following prepositions: przez, po (as `to pick up`), na (with verbs of motion) e.g. przej przez ulic , i po kaw , i na kolacj
- expressing the time: with days of the week (w poniedzia ek, w rod ) and in certain phrases (ca y dzie , ca dob , za godzin )

DOPE NIACZ (genitive)

- to express negation e.g. Nie mam ksi ki., Nie lubi sera tego.
- to express an ownership e.g. samoch d mojego brata, kole anka mojej dziewczyny, ciana domu
- with specified and unspecified quantity e.g. kubek herbaty, kawa ek ciasta, du o pracy
- with the following prepositions: niedaleko (near), bez (without), dla (for), do (to, into), od (from), ko o/obok (near, by), podczas (during), wzd u (along), z/ze (from) e.g. bez mleka, dla mojej mamy, niedaleko parku, do pracy, ko o samochodu, podczas wyk adu, z Polski
- with certain verbs, expressing describing defect, absence or lack of something: szuka (to look for, to search), potrzebowa (to need), uczy si (to learn), zapomnie (to forget), yczy (to wish), oczekiwa (to expect), s ucha (to listen) and few more e.g. ucz si j zyka polskiego, szukam mojej ksi ki, ycz Ci mi ego dnia, s ucham muzyki, potrzebuj nowego samochodu, zapomnia em portfela

NARZ DNIK (instrumental)

- to express professions, relationships or nationalities (combined with the verb `by `) e.g. On jest studentem.
- combined with the preposition `z` (with) e.g. kawa z mlekiem
- to express the tool or instrument you use e.g. pisz d ugopisem, jad autobusem
- in combination with several verbs e.g. interesuj si sportem
- with the following prepositions: nad, przed, pod, za, mi dzy e.g. nad morzem, pod sto em

MIEJSCOWNIK (locative)

- after following prepositions: w (in), na (on), po (after, on), o (about), przy (next to) e.g. w Polsce, na uniwersytecie, po obiedzie, o pracy, przy domu
- to express location, time, purpose

CELOWNIK (dative)

- in impersonal phrases like: mi o mi, zimno mi, gor co Ci, dziecku jest niedobrze
- to express a recipient e.g. Pomog ci., Daj dziecku zabawk .

- with certain verbs: przeszkadza (to disturb), pomaga (to help), zazdro ci (to envy), wierzy (to believe) e.g. Nie przeszkadzaj ojcu., Pomagam mamie., Zazdroszcz jej., Wierz ci!
- after following prepositions: dzi ki (thanks to), przeciwko (against), wbrew (against, despite, in spite of)

WO ACZ (vocative)

- to address someone