on / jego / mu / nim

Masculine Third-Person Cases

Level 2

Polish uses different forms for 'him/it' depending on the case, whether it follows a preposition, and how much emphasis you want to give.

How It Works

In Polish, pronouns must match the grammatical case required by the verb or preposition. For the masculine pronoun on, there are three main variations to consider:

1. Short vs. Long Forms (Clitics)
Polish has short forms (go, mu) and long forms (jego, jemu).

  • Short forms (go, mu): These are the default 'workhorses.' They are unstressed and usually placed in the middle of a sentence. They cannot start a sentence.
  • Long forms (jego, jemu): These are used for emphasis, contrast, or at the very beginning of a sentence.

2. The 'n-' Prefix after Prepositions
Whenever a pronoun follows a preposition, you must use the form starting with 'n-'. This is a strict rule in prepositional usage.

  • bez + niego (without him)
  • dzięki + niemu (thanks to him)
  • z + nim (with him)

3. Masculine 'It'
Because Polish has grammatical gender, these forms are used not just for men ('him'), but for any masculine noun ('it'), such as a table (stół) or a phone (telefon).

Case Summary:

  • Genitive/Accusative: go (short), jego (long), niego (after prep)
  • Dative: mu (short), jemu (long), niemu (after prep)
  • Instrumental/Locative: nim (always has 'n', used both with and without prepositions)

Examples (5)

  1. Widzę go.

    I see him/it.

    Word by Word: I-see him.

    Uses the short form 'go' in a neutral, mid-sentence position.

  2. Czekam na niego.

    I am waiting for him.

    Word by Word: I-wait for him.

    The preposition 'na' forces the use of the 'n-' form 'niego'.

  3. Jego widzę, ale jej nie.

    HIM I see, but not her.

    Word by Word: Him I-see, but her not.

    The long form 'jego' is used at the start of the sentence for emphasis and contrast.

  4. Daj mu ten klucz.

    Give him this key.

    Word by Word: Give to-him this key.

    Uses the short dative form 'mu' as the indirect object.

  5. Rozmawiam z nim.

    I am talking with him.

    Word by Word: I-talk with him.

    The instrumental form 'nim' is used after the preposition 'z'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a short form after a preposition.

    Czekam na go.
    Czekam na niego.

    Short forms like 'go' or 'mu' can never follow a preposition; the 'n-' form is mandatory.

  • Starting a sentence with a short form.

    Go widzę.
    Widzę go. / Jego widzę.

    Short clitic pronouns cannot carry sentence stress and therefore cannot appear in the first position.

  • Adding 'n-' to a possessive pronoun.

    Idę do niego domu.
    Idę do jego domu.

    When 'jego' means 'his' (possessive), it never takes the 'n-' prefix, even after a preposition. The 'n-' only applies to the object pronoun.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

on / jego / mu / nimLevel 2Masculine Third-Person Cases

Learn This First

Learn The Seven Cases before Masculine Third-Person Cases.

Words in This Pattern

onnimjego