Present First-Person Plural

Level 1

In Polish, the 'we' form of a verb always ends in -my. Because this ending is unique, you usually don't need to say the word 'my' (we) unless you want to be extra emphatic.

How It Works

The first-person plural is one of the most consistent forms in Polish. While the vowel before the ending changes based on the conjugation class, the -my itself is universal.

1. Conjugation Groups:

  • -am/-asz group: Becomes -amy. Example: czytać (to read) → czytamy.
  • -em/-esz group: Becomes -emy. Example: rozumieć (to understand) → rozumiemy.
  • -ę/-isz (ysz) group: Becomes -imy or -ymy. Example: robić (to do) → robimy; słyszeć (to hear) → słyszymy.
  • -ę/-esz group: Becomes -emy. Example: pisać (to write) → piszemy.

2. Pronoun Omission:
Polish is a 'pro-drop' language. Since -my only ever means 'we', saying the pronoun my is redundant. Use it only for contrast (e.g., 'We are going, but they are staying').

3. Stress:
Polish stress is almost always on the second-to-last syllable. Adding -my shifts the stress to the new penultimate syllable: CZY-tam (I read) becomes czy-TA-my (we read).

Examples (5)

  1. Mieszkamy w Krakowie.

    We live in Krakow.

    Word by Word: Live-we in Krakow.

    The verb 'mieszkać' (to live) belongs to the -am/-asz group, so it takes the -amy ending.

  2. Pijemy kawę.

    We are drinking coffee.

    Word by Word: Drink-we coffee.

    The verb 'pić' (to drink) uses the -emy ending in the present tense.

  3. Robimy zakupy.

    We are doing the shopping.

    Word by Word: Do-we shopping.

    The verb 'robić' (to do/make) uses the -imy ending.

  4. Jesteśmy tutaj.

    We are here.

    Word by Word: Are-we here.

    Even the irregular verb 'być' (to be) follows the -my rule for the 'we' form.

  5. My idziemy do kina, a oni do teatru.

    We are going to the cinema, and they are going to the theater.

    Word by Word: We go-we to cinema, and they to theater.

    Here, the pronoun 'my' is used because we are contrasting what 'we' are doing versus what 'they' are doing.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'my' when no contrast is meant.

    Different MeaningMy pracujemy w biurze.
    Pracujemy w biurze.

    'My pracujemy w biurze' is correct, and 'my' adds contrast with other people ('we work in an office, they work at home'). Without contrast, the verb ending already says 'we', so 'Pracujemy w biurze' is the neutral choice.

  • Confusing the present tense -my with the past tense -śmy.

    Czytaliśmy teraz książkę.
    Czytamy teraz książkę.

    The ending -my is for the present ('we read'), while -śmy is for the past ('we read/were reading').

  • Using the wrong vowel before the -my ending.

    My robiamy.
    Robimy.

    Learners often try to apply the -amy ending to all verbs, but verbs like 'robić' must use -imy.

How It Connects

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Present First-Person PluralLevel 1

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