To be or to have?
Mar 28
These are probably the most important verbs in any language: to be and to have, or, in Polish: być and mieć. It’s good to memorize their conjugation in the very beginning of your studies, especially since być is an irregular verb! Here they are, conjugated in the present tense:
| być to be |
mieć to have |
|
| ja I |
jestem | mam |
| Jestem tutaj. I’m here. |
Mam trzydzieści lat. I’m thirty years old. |
|
| ty you, singular |
jesteś | masz |
| Gdzie jesteś? Where are you? |
Ile masz lat? How old are you? |
|
| on / ona / ono he / she / it |
jest | ma |
| Kim ona jest? Who is she? |
On ma duży dom. He has a big house. |
|
| my we |
jesteśmy | mamy |
| Jesteśmy z Polski. We are from Poland |
Mamy dużo do zrobienia. We have a lot to do. |
|
| wy you, plural |
jesteście | macie |
| Skąd jesteście? Where are you from? |
Co macie w tej torbie? What do you have in that bag? |
|
| oni / one they |
są | mają |
| Gdzie oni są? Where are they? |
One mają dużo planów. They have a lot of plans. |