my / nas / nam / nami

First-Person Plural Cases

Level 2

Polish uses four distinct forms for 'we/us' depending on the grammatical case: my (subject), nas (object/negation), nam (to us), and nami (with us).

How It Works

The pronoun my (we) follows the seven case system of Polish. Here is how the forms break down:

  • Nominative (my): Used for the subject. However, because of subject pronoun omission, it is often dropped unless you want to emphasize 'WE' specifically.
  • Genitive (nas): Used after negation, with quantities, and after prepositions like do or dla.
  • Dative (nam): Used for the indirect object (the recipient), such as with the verb pomagać or when giving something.
  • Accusative (nas): Used for the direct object of most verbs (e.g., 'They see us').
  • Instrumental (nami): Used for accompaniment with z (with us), but also with prepositions of location like przed (in front of us) or między (between us).
  • Locative (nas): Used after specific prepositions like o (about us) or przy (near us).
  • Vocative (my!): Used when calling out to a group you are part of; it is identical in form to the Nominative.

Important Note: Unlike third-person pronouns, these forms never add an 'n-' prefix after prepositions. It is always do nas, never do nnas.

Examples (5)

  1. (My) idziemy do parku.

    We are going to the park.

    Word by Word: (We) are going to park.

    The nominative 'my' is optional here because the verb ending '-my' already indicates the subject is 'we'.

  2. Oni nas widzą.

    They see us.

    Word by Word: They us see.

    'Nas' is used here as the accusative direct object.

  3. Daj nam to, proszę.

    Give it to us, please.

    Word by Word: Give to-us that, please.

    'Nam' is the dative form used for the recipient of the action.

  4. Czy chcesz iść z nami?

    Do you want to go with us?

    Word by Word: Whether you-want to-go with us?

    'Nami' is the instrumental form used after the preposition 'z' (with).

  5. Oni często o nas mówią.

    They often talk about us.

    Word by Word: They often about us talk.

    'Nas' is the locative form used after the preposition 'o' (about).

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the pronoun 'nas' (us) with the possessive 'nasz' (our).

    To jest nas dom.
    To jest nasz dom.

    'Nas' means 'us' (a pronoun), while 'nasz' means 'our' (an adjective). Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe.

  • Overusing the subject pronoun 'my'.

    Different MeaningMy mieszkamy w Krakowie.
    Mieszkamy w Krakowie.

    Including 'my' is grammatically correct but sounds redundant unless you are contrasting 'we' with another group. The verb ending already tells the listener who the subject is.

  • Using 'do nas' for the indirect object 'to us'.

    Powiedz do nas prawdę.
    Powiedz nam prawdę.

    In English we say 'tell to us', but in Polish, verbs like 'powiedzieć' (tell) or 'dać' (give) take the Dative case (nam) without a preposition.

How It Connects

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my / nas / nam / namiLevel 2First-Person Plural Cases

Learn This First

Learn The Seven Cases before First-Person Plural Cases.

Words in This Pattern