od + Genitive

Od with the Genitive

Level 2

Use od + genitive to say 'from' a person, 'since' a time, or 'than' in a comparison.

How It Works

The preposition od is a versatile tool in Polish that exclusively governs the genitive case. It has several primary functions:

1. Spatial Origin (From People/Points): Use od when moving away from a person or a specific point. Unlike z + genitive (which means 'out of' a place), od implies 'from the vicinity of' or 'from' a person.
Example: Wracam od lekarza (I'm coming back from the doctor's).

2. Source or Giver (From): It indicates the person who gave or sent something.
Example: To prezent od mamy (This is a gift from mom).

3. Temporal Starting Point (Since/From): It marks when an action began, often continuing into the present.
Example: Czekam od godziny (I've been waiting for/since an hour).

4. Separation and Distinction (From): It is used with verbs of differing or separating.
Example: Różnić się od innych (To differ from others).

5. Distance (Away From): It indicates how far something is from a reference point.
Example: Daleko od domu (Far from home).

6. Cause or Reaction (From/Due to): It describes a physical state resulting from a cause.
Example: Mokry od deszczu (Wet from the rain).

7. Comparisons (Than): In comparisons, od is used with a comparative adjective to indicate the person or thing being compared against.
Example: On jest starszy od brata (He is older than [his] brother).

Idiomatic Use:
Polish often uses od to link keys to the object they open, such as klucz od domu (the house key) or klucz od samochodu (the car key).

The 'Ode' Variation:
To avoid difficult consonant clusters, od becomes ode. This is mandatory before the pronoun mnie (ode mnie) and frequently occurs before wszystkiego (ode wszystkiego - from everything).

Examples (6)

  1. Dostałem list od mojego przyjaciela.

    I received a letter from my friend.

    Word by Word: I-received letter from my friend.

    Here 'od' indicates the person who sent the letter. 'Mój przyjaciel' changes to the genitive 'mojego przyjaciela'.

  2. Mieszkam tu od roku.

    I have been living here for (since) a year.

    Word by Word: I-live here from year.

    In a temporal sense, 'od' indicates the starting point of the duration.

  3. Ta kawa jest lepsza od tamtej.

    This coffee is better than that one.

    Word by Word: This coffee is better from that-one.

    In comparisons, 'od' is followed by the genitive form of the object being compared.

  4. To jest prezent ode mnie.

    This is a gift from me.

    Word by Word: This is gift from me.

    Notice the use of 'ode' instead of 'od' because it precedes the pronoun 'mnie'.

  5. Mieszkamy dziesięć kilometrów od Warszawy.

    We live ten kilometers from Warsaw.

    Word by Word: We-live ten kilometers from Warsaw.

    The preposition 'od' is used to express distance from a specific point or city.

  6. On jest czerwony od wstydu.

    He is red from shame.

    Word by Word: He is red from shame.

    'Od' can express a physical cause or reaction, such as blushing due to an emotion.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'od' for places instead of 'z'.

    Wracam od kina.
    Wracam z kina.

    Use 'z' for leaving buildings or locations. Use 'od' for people or specific points.

  • Using 'od' before 'mnie' in careful Polish.

    Different MeaningTo jest od mnie.
    To jest ode mnie.

    Before 'mnie', the standard form of 'od' is 'ode': 'To jest ode mnie.' 'Od mnie' is often heard in speech, but careful Polish uses 'ode mnie'.

  • Using the nominative case after 'od'.

    List od brat.
    List od brata.

    Prepositions in Polish always require a specific case. 'Od' always requires the genitive case.

How It Connects

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od + GenitiveLevel 2Od with the Genitive

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Learn Genitive Case before Od With The Genitive.

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