Adjectives

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. In Polish, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. For the nouns in singular, the adjective agrees to gender (masculine, feminine or neuter), number (singular), and case. For the nouns in plural, the adjective will agree in gender (virile or non-virile), number (plural) and case. Adjectives, which are part of a predicate, like in the sentence "Ona jest chora" (She is ill) appear in nominative case and agree with the subject in number and gender. There is a small group of uninflected adjectives, also called predicate adjectives because they function as predicate in a sentence, for example: "Byl rad ze spotkania". (He was pleased with the meeting).

Remember the masculine noun distinction between persons, animals and things. If a singular noun is masculine and denoting a person or an animal and is in the accusative, which takes the genitive ending, all the modifying adjectives should be as well. If a singular noun is masculine and denotes a thing and is in the accusative case which takes the nominative endings, all the modifying adjectives should be as well.

In the plural, if the noun is masculine and denotes an animal or a thing and is in the accusative case which takes the nominative endings, the modifying adjectives will be in the nominative case as well.

In the plural, if the noun is masculine and denotes a person and is in the accusative case which takes the genitive endings, the modifying adjectives will be in the genitive case as well.

Case

Adjective declension

Polish adjectives form their own pattern of declension, called adjective declension. It is much simpler than the declension of Polish nouns. The main endings of the adjective declension are:

Presented below are the declensions for the two most common types of adjective declension:

1. ending -y in nominative, masculine, singular for adjectives whose stem ends in a hard consonant, and
   
2. ending in -i in nominative, masculine, singular for adjective whose stem ends in soft consonant

We can mention here few irregularities in adjective declension: adjectives with stem ending in -k or -g have "-i" in plural which is alternative form of "-y"; adjectives ending in "-ł" change it into "-l", e.g. wesoly, weseli (joyful). "Duzy" means large and "polski" means Polish. Note that in Polish the names of languages decline as adjectives and are not capitalized. On the other hand the names of nationalities are capitalized just like in English.

Not only adjectives are declined by adjective declension - also participles, majority of pronouns, ordinal numerals and family names.

Placement of adjectives

Polish adjectives can be placed either before the noun or after the noun they modify. Adjectives, which refer to some incidental or individual properties of the object denoted by the noun always precede the noun, e.g. "mala Kasia" (little Kate), "dluga ulica" (a long street). However, adjectives, which refer to some intrinsic properties of the object, distinguishing it from other objects, always follow the noun, e.g. "jezyk polski" (literarily: language Polish, translated into English is: Polish language), "malarstwo wspólczesne" (literarily: painting contemporary, in correct English we have to say: contemporary painting).

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree of most common adjectives is formed in Polish with the addition of the suffix -szy for masculine adjectives, -sza for feminine adjectives, -sze for neuter adjectives and the suffix -sze for plural adjectives. Adding the comparative suffix often causes alterations of consonants or vowels in the stem.

The comparative can also be formed by adding the adverb "bardziej" (more) or "mniej" (less) before the adjective. The adverbs "bardziej" and "mniej" do not decline or change according to number, case or gender.

Adjectives ending in -ki, -oki, and -eki drop these endings before adding the comparative suffix.

szeroki + szy > szerszy (masc.)

(wide > wider)

gleboka + sza > glebsza (fem.)

deep > deeper

daleki + sze > dalsze (neut.)

far > farther

As in English, there are some common adjectives, which form the comparative degree from different roots, e.g. "dobry" - "lepszy" (good - better); "zly" - "gorszy" (bad - worse); "maly" - "mniejszy" (small - smaller).

Superlative Degree

The superlative degree is formed by adding the prefix -naj- to the front of the comparative form of the adjective. Remember that adjectives ending in -ki, -oki, and -eki drop these endings before adding the comparative suffix.

naj+starszy > najstarszy = prefix + older > oldest (masculine)

naj+starsza > najstarsza = prefix + older > oldest (feminine)

naj+starsze > najstarsze = prefix + older > oldest (neuter)

naj+starsze > najstarsze = prefix + older > oldest (plural: fem., inanimate masc. and neuter)

naj+starsi > najstarsi = prefix + older > oldest (plural: masc. persons)

The superlative degree can also be formed by adding the adverb "najbardziej" (most) or the adverb "najmniej" (least) to the adjective.