przez + Accusative

Przez with the Accusative

Level 2

The preposition przez (or przeze) is a core Polish word that always requires the accusative case. It translates to 'through', 'across', 'for' (duration), 'because of', or 'via'.

How It Works

The preposition przez is one of the most frequent in Polish. Its usage is strictly tied to the accusative case.

1. Spatial Movement (Through/Across)
It indicates movement from one side to another or through the interior of something. Unlike po, which suggests wandering around, przez implies a crossing or piercing movement.
Example: Idę przez park (I am walking through the park).

2. Temporal Duration (For/Throughout)
It describes how long an action lasts, emphasizing the entire duration. While Polish often uses a bare accusative for time, adding przez makes it more emphatic.
Example: Czekałem przez godzinę (I waited for an hour).

3. Causality (Because of)
It identifies the reason for an event, usually for neutral or negative outcomes. For positive outcomes, dzięki is preferred.
Example: Spóźniłem się przez deszcz (I was late because of the rain).

4. Agency (By)
In passive voice constructions, przez introduces the person or thing performing the action.
Example: List został napisany przez Jana (The letter was written by Jan).

5. Means of Communication / Medium / Intermediary (Over/On/Via/Through)
It is used to express doing something over a device, network, or through a human intermediary.
Examples: Rozmawiam przez telefon (I am talking on the phone) and Załatwiłem to przez znajomego (I arranged it through a friend).

6. Mathematical Operations (By)
It is essential for multiplication and division.
Example: Osiem podzielone przez dwa to cztery (Eight divided by two is four) or mnożyć przez trzy (to multiply by three).

7. Fixed States and Idioms
It appears in common lexicalized chunks like przez przypadek (by accident / by chance), przez pomyłkę (by mistake), and przez sen (in one's sleep / while sleeping).
Example: On mówi przez sen (He talks in his sleep).

Morphology Note: The form przeze is used before mnie (przeze mnie - through/because of me) and in fixed idioms like przeze łzy (through tears).

Route and Line of Sight: Przez can name an intermediate stop: Jedziemy do Warszawy przez Łódź (We are going to Warsaw via Łódź). It also marks the opening or medium you look through: Patrzę przez okno (I am looking through the window). Both phrases take accusative; they need not describe crossing an entire enclosed area.

Examples (5)

  1. Przeszliśmy przez las.

    We walked through the forest.

    Word by Word: We-walked through forest.

    Here, 'przez' shows spatial movement through an area. 'Las' is in the masculine inanimate accusative (same as nominative).

  2. Pracowałem przez całą noc.

    I worked throughout the whole night.

    Word by Word: I-worked through whole night.

    This shows duration. 'Całą noc' is in the feminine accusative.

  3. To wszystko przez ciebie!

    This is all because of you!

    Word by Word: This all through you!

    Used here to indicate cause (often blame). 'Ciebie' is the accusative form of ty.

  4. Zrobiłem to przez przypadek.

    I did it by accident.

    Word by Word: I-did it through accident.

    A common neutral causal expression meaning 'by chance' or 'by accident'.

  5. On nie widzi nic przeze mnie.

    He can't see anything because of me.

    Word by Word: He not sees nothing through-e me.

    Note the use of 'przeze' before the pronoun 'mnie'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the instrumental after przez.

    Idziemy przez lasem.
    Idziemy przez las.

    Przez takes accusative, including spatial uses.

  • Using the subject form after the preposition.

    To przez ty.
    To przez ciebie.

    Przez requires the full accusative ciebie, not nominative ty.

  • Leaving the time phrase in nominative.

    Pracowałem przez cała noc.
    Pracowałem przez całą noc.

    The whole duration phrase is accusative; feminine cała becomes całą.

How It Connects

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przez + AccusativeLevel 2Przez with the Accusative

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