Free exercises · Cases
Polish cases exercises
Polish cases exercises for all the cases at once: real sentences where you put the noun in the right case and see the English and the rule after every answer. Pick the cases, singular or plural, your level and how to answer, then fill in the gap.
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The seven cases at a glance
Each case has its own page of exercises; the vocative is in the guide.
| Case | Question | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeMianownik | kto? co? | The dictionary form. It names the subject, the one who does the action, and it is also the form after “this is”. |
| GenitiveDopełniacz | kogo? czego? | The busiest case after the nominative: possession (“of”), negation (a direct object turns genitive after a negated verb), amounts and quantities, and many common prepositions and verbs. |
| DativeCelownik | komu? czemu? | The receiver: who something is given, sent or said to, and who it is done for. A handful of everyday verbs (help, trust, thank) always take it. |
| AccusativeBiernik | kogo? co? | The direct object of most verbs: what you see, have, buy or like. A few prepositions take it when they mean movement towards something or a purpose. |
| InstrumentalNarzędnik | kim? czym? | “With” and “by means of”: company, transport, a profession after “to be” or “to become”, and the position prepositions (above, under, in front of) when nothing moves. |
| LocativeMiejscownik | o kim? o czym? | Only ever after a preposition: “in”, “on”, “at”, “about”, “next to”. It marks where something is (not where it is going) and what you talk or think about. |
| VocativeWołacz | o! | Calling or addressing someone directly: names, family members, titles. In everyday speech many people use the nominative for first names; letters and formal address keep the vocative. |
Case endings: five model nouns
Polish has three genders, but the masculine splits three ways in the endings: people, animals and things. The accusative is where it shows most: in the singular a masculine person or animal copies the genitive and a masculine thing the nominative; in the plural only people copy the genitive.
| Case | studentstudent · masculine personal | kotcat · masculine animate | domhouse · masculine inanimate | kobietawoman · feminine | oknowindow · neuter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | student | kot | dom | kobieta | okno |
| Genitive | studenta | kota | domu | kobiety | okna |
| Dative | studentowi | kotu | domowi | kobiecie | oknu |
| Accusative | studenta | kota | dom | kobietę | okno |
| Instrumental | studentem | kotem | domem | kobietą | oknem |
| Locative | studencie | kocie | domu | kobiecie | oknie |
| Vocative | studencie | kocie | domu | kobieto | okno |
| Case | studentstudent · masculine personal | kotcat · masculine animate | domhouse · masculine inanimate | kobietawoman · feminine | oknowindow · neuter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | studenci | koty | domy | kobiety | okna |
| Genitive | studentów | kotów | domów | kobiet | okien |
| Dative | studentom | kotom | domom | kobietom | oknom |
| Accusative | studentów | koty | domy | kobiety | okna |
| Instrumental | studentami | kotami | domami | kobietami | oknami |
| Locative | studentach | kotach | domach | kobietach | oknach |
| Vocative | studenci | koty | domy | kobiety | okna |
Examples
An adjective takes the case, number and gender of its noun, so both change together.
Interesuje mnie polska historia.
I'm interested in Polish history.
With 'interesować' the thing that interests you is the subject — nominative.
Myślę o szarych królikach.
I'm thinking about the grey rabbits.
'o' meaning 'about' takes the locative.
Lubię polskie seriale.
I like Polish TV series.
The direct object of a positive verb takes the accusative.
Powiedz to młodszym siostrom.
Tell that to my younger sisters.
The receiver of the message takes the dative.
Nie lubię dużych ryb.
I don't like big fish.
A negated verb turns its accusative object into the genitive.
Rozmawiam z ulubionymi wujkami.
I'm talking with my favourite uncles.
'z' meaning 'together with' takes the instrumental.
How these exercises work
- Each question is a real Polish sentence with a gap, and its English meaning above it.
- Choose the answer, or switch to Type to write it yourself (the Polish letters are on buttons under the gap).
- After every answer you see the right form, the full sentence and the rule behind it.
- Rounds of ten, as many as you like, with new sentences each time. Free, with no sign-up.
Remember it next week, too
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