wziąć

The Verb Wziąć

Level 4

Wziąć is the perfective partner of brać. It is used for completed actions of taking, grabbing, or starting something. It is highly irregular, changing its stem in the future and its vowels in the past.

How It Works

The verb wziąć is essential for daily Polish but requires attention to its three distinct stem groups:

1. The Future Stems (wezm- / weźm-)
Unlike most verbs, the future stem looks nothing like the infinitive. It alternates between a hard wezm- (1st person singular and 3rd person plural) and a soft weźm- (all other forms):

  • Ja wezmę (I will take)
  • Ty weźmiesz (You will take)
  • On/ona/ono weźmie (He/she/it will take)
  • My weźmiemy (We will take)
  • Wy weźmiecie (You all will take)
  • Oni/one wezmą (They will take)

2. The Past Tense Stems (wzią- / wzię-)
This verb follows the ą/ę alternation in the past tense. The stem wzią- is used only for the masculine singular, while wzię- is used for all other genders and plurals:

3. The Infinitive Stem (wzią-)
The infinitive wziąć uses the same nasal ą stem as the masculine past form.

4. Common Collocations and Idioms
Wziąć is often used as a 'light verb' where the noun carries the meaning:

  • wziąć prysznic – to take a shower
  • wziąć ślub – to get married
  • wziąć pod uwagę – to take into account
  • wziąć się za coś – to get down to/start doing something

5. The Imperative 'Weź'
The command form weź (singular) or weźcie (plural) is frequently used in casual speech as a filler or intensifier, similar to 'Come on!' or 'Just...' (e.g., Weź przestań! - 'Come on, stop it!').

Examples (5)

  1. Wezmę ten czerwony parasol.

    I will take this red umbrella.

    Word by Word: I-will-take this red umbrella.

    Demonstrates the irregular future stem 'wezm-' and the use of the accusative case for the object.

  2. Czy wzięłaś już swoje leki?

    Did you already take your medicine?

    Word by Word: Whether you-took already your medicines?

    Shows the feminine singular past tense form 'wzięłaś', highlighting the shift from 'ą' to 'ę'.

  3. Musimy wziąć pod uwagę wszystkie koszty.

    We must take all costs into account.

    Word by Word: We-must to-take under consideration all costs.

    An example of a common fixed expression 'wziąć pod uwagę'.

  4. Oni wzięli ślub w zeszłym roku.

    They got married last year.

    Word by Word: They took wedding in last year.

    Uses the masculine-personal plural past form 'wzięli' in the common collocation for getting married.

  5. Weź mi pomóż z tymi torbami!

    Come on, help me with these bags!

    Word by Word: Take to-me help with these bags!

    Demonstrates the use of 'weź' as a casual discourse marker/intensifier.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the incorrect infinitive 'wziąść'.

    Muszę wziąść klucze.
    Muszę wziąć klucze.

    This is a very common error even among natives. People add an 's' by false analogy with verbs like 'nieść'. The only correct form is 'wziąć'.

  • Failing to change the vowel in the feminine past tense.

    Ona wziąła prysznic.
    Ona wzięła prysznic.

    In the past tense, 'ą' only remains in the masculine singular (wziął). All other forms must use 'ę' (wzięła, wzięli, etc.).

  • Using the perfective future for a routine.

    Different MeaningZawsze wezmę prysznic rano.
    Zawsze biorę prysznic rano.

    'Zawsze wezmę prysznic rano' is correct, but it is a promise or plan about the future. To describe a routine, use the imperfective: 'Zawsze biorę prysznic rano.'

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wziąćLevel 4The Verb Wziąć

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