Polish genitive exercises

When to use the genitive (Dopełniacz)

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.

Question: kogo? czego?

• A negated verb turns its accusative object into the genitive.

  Nie mam domu.

  I don't have a house.

• 'szukać' always takes the genitive.

  Szukam telefonu.

  I'm looking for a phone.

• 'do' (to) always takes the genitive.

  Idę do szkoły.

  I'm going to the school.

• 'do' (to) always takes the genitive — with a person it means 'to their place'.

  Jadę do ojca.

  I'm going to see my father.

• 'bać się' always takes the genitive.

  Boję się lekarza.

  I'm afraid of a doctor.

• 'używać' always takes the genitive.

  Używam samochodu.

  I'm using the car.

• 'słuchać' always takes the genitive.

  Słucham mamy.

  I'm listening to my mum.

• Possession is expressed with the genitive.

  To jest samochód matki.

  This is my mother's car.

• A partitive amount ('some of') takes the genitive.

  Napiję się wody.

  I'll have some water.

• 'u' (at someone's) always takes the genitive.

  Jestem u brata.

  I'm at my brother's.

• 'nie ma' (there isn't) always takes the genitive.

  Nie ma czasu.

  There is no time.

• 'potrzebować' always takes the genitive.

  Potrzebuję pracy.

  I need work.

• 'od' (from/on) always takes the genitive.

  To zależy od męża.

  It depends on my husband.

• 'z' meaning 'out of / from' takes the genitive.

  Wracam z miasta.

  I'm coming back from the city.

• 'dzwonić do' (to call someone) takes the genitive.

  Dzwonię do nauczyciela.

  I'm calling the teacher.

• 'dla' (for) always takes the genitive.

  Kupuję prezent dla dziecka.

  I'm buying a present for my child.

• 'dużo' (a lot of) takes the genitive plural.

  Mam dużo kotów.

  I have a lot of cats.

• After a quantity ('a glass of') the noun takes the genitive.

  Poproszę szklankę herbaty.

  A glass of tea, please.

• After a quantity ('a bottle of') the noun takes the genitive.

  Poproszę butelkę piwa.

  A bottle of beer, please.

• After a quantity ('a kilo of') the noun takes the genitive.

  Poproszę kilogram mięsa.

  A kilo of meat, please.

• After a quantity ('a kilo of') a countable noun takes the genitive plural.

  Poproszę kilogram warzyw.

  A kilo of vegetables, please.

• 'bez' (without) always takes the genitive.

  Poproszę herbatę bez mleka.

  Tea without milk, please.

• 'od' (from someone's place) always takes the genitive.

  Wracam od syna.

  I'm coming back from my son's.

• 'niedaleko' (not far from) always takes the genitive.

  Mieszkam niedaleko sklepu.

  I live not far from the shop.

• 'obok' (next to) always takes the genitive.

  Szkoła jest obok szpitala.

  The school is next to the hospital.

• 'koło' (near) always takes the genitive.

  Spotkajmy się koło parku.

  Let's meet near the park.

• 'do' (into) always takes the genitive.

  Wkładam to do torby.

  I'm putting it in the bag.

• 'mało' (few) takes the genitive plural.

  Mam mało kolegów.

  I don't have many friends.

• 'mało' (little) takes the genitive.

  Mam mało chleba.

  I don't have much bread.

• 'ile' (how many) takes the genitive plural.

  Ile masz psów?

  How many dogs do you have?

• 'uczyć się' (to learn) takes the genitive.

  Uczę się muzyki.

  I'm learning music.

• 'do' (until) always takes the genitive.

  Zostaję do weekendu.

  I'm staying until the weekend.

• 'od' (for / since) always takes the genitive.

  Mieszkam tu od tygodnia.

  I've been living here for a week.

• 'unikać' always takes the genitive.

  Unikam kawy.

  I avoid coffee.

• With 'brakować' what you miss takes the genitive.

  Brakuje mi rodziny.

  I miss my family.

• 'życzyć' takes the dative of the person and the genitive of what you wish them.

  Życzę ci zdrowia.

  I wish you health.

• 'mieć dość' (to have had enough of) takes the genitive.

  Mam dość zimy.

  I've had enough of winter.

• 'podczas' (during) always takes the genitive.

  Podczas filmu wyłączam telefon.

  I switch my phone off during the film.

• 'zamiast' (instead of) always takes the genitive.

  Zamiast wina piję herbatę.

  Instead of wine, I drink tea.

• 'według' (according to) always takes the genitive.

  Według przyjaciela to dobry pomysł.

  According to my close friend, it's a good idea.

• 'wśród' (among) always takes the genitive.

  Czuję się dobrze wśród ludzi.

  I feel at ease among people.

• 'z powodu' (because of) always takes the genitive.

  Z powodu pogody zostaję w domu.

  Because of the weather, I'm staying at home.

• 'w trakcie' (during) always takes the genitive.

  W trakcie koncertu nie wolno rozmawiać.

  Talking isn't allowed during the concert.

• 'pozbyć się' (to get rid of) takes the genitive.

  Chcę się pozbyć łóżka.

  I want to get rid of the bed.

• 'dotyczyć' (to concern) takes the genitive.

  To pytanie dotyczy sportu.

  This question is about sport.

• 'wymagać' (to require) takes the genitive.

  To wymaga pomocy.

  That requires help.

• With 'nie brakuje' (there's no lack of) the noun takes the genitive.

  Nie brakuje tu hoteli.

  There's no shortage of hotels here.

Genitive endings

The genitive next to the nominative for five model nouns, one for each set of endings: masculine personal, masculine animate, masculine inanimate, feminine and neuter.

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.
• The full rules for every case are in the cases guide.