What do you need to know in Polish at the beginner level (A1)?

Starting to learn Polish is an exciting yet challenging journey. It becomes even more thrilling when you delve into the intricacies of grammar and sentence structure. If you’re thinking about starting your Polish language journey at the A1 level, it’s crucial to understand what this level signifies. A1 proficiency indicates a foundational understanding, allowing you to engage in basic conversations, express preferences, and comprehend essential written and spoken content. For those who have already completed the A1 level, understanding what you should have mastered is equally important. It helps you assess whether you’re ready to upskill to intermediate levels (A2/B1). Whether you’re starting fresh or reinforcing your skills, a solid grasp of fundamentals, including noun conjugation, cases, and pronouns, sets the stage for improved communication. Explore the basics and nuances of the A1 level in Polish in our article to make your language learning experience both enjoyable and effective.

What an A1 level Polish course should cover?

If you’ve started to learn with some popular Polish language-learning apps, you surely know some of the nouns. But, what exactly A1 level in Polish should cover? Let’s break it into categories. 

Nouns on A1 level in Polish:

• Conjugation of nouns in singular (Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative) and plural (Nominative: non-masculine, Instrumental, Locative)

1. Masculine nouns ended with a consonant like: student and those ended with -a, like kolega, tata, programista
2. Feminine nouns ended with -a, -i: studentka, mama, pani and those ended with a consonant like noc, rzecz (functional use only)
3. Neuter nouns ended with -o, -e, -um like: okno, piwo, zadanie, centrum
4. Irregular nouns like: dziecko, tydzień
5. Alternations in vowels and consonants in the subject: np. Pies-psa, śniadanie – po śniadaniu

Pronouns on A1 level in Polish:

• Personal pronouns by all cases (except: Dative Case – only functional uses): ja, ty, on, ona, ono, my, wy, oni, one, państwo, pan, pani
• Demonstrative pronouns in singular like ten, ta, to (Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative) and plural (Nominative non-masculine, Instrumental, Locative)
• Conjugation of the possessive pronouns in singular like: mój, moja, moje, twój, twoja, twoje, nasz, nasza, nasze, wasz, wasza, wasze and plural (Nominative non-masculine, Instrumental, Locative)
• Interrogative pronouns: Kto? Co? (Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative) as well as Jaki? Jaka? Jakie? in singular (Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative) and plural (Nominative non-masculine, Instrumental, Locative)
• The forms of interrogative pronouns Który? Która? Które? And Czyj? Czyja? Czyje? in Nominative singular and Nominative plural non-masculine.

Learn Polish Basics on Adjectives & Numerals:

• Conjugation of adjectives in singular (Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative) and plural (Nominative non-masculine, Instrumental, Locative):

1. Conjugation of masculine adjectives ending with -y like: piękny, zdrowy, mały, duży and those ending with -i like: tani, polski, głupi
2. Conjugation of feminine adjectives ending with -a like: zdrowa, piękna, mała
3. Conjugation of neuter adjectives ending with -e like: piękne, zdrowe, małe, duże

Conjugation of numerals by cases:

1. Main numerals in Nominative: jeden, jedna, jedno, dwa
2. Adjective conjugation of ordinal numbers: pierwszy, pierwsza, pierwsze

Cases you need to know at A1 level in Polish:

For many learners, grasping cases in Polish, especially at the A1 level, can be a challenge. Often, students struggle due to a lack of practical exposure. Mastering cases requires more than just theory; it demands extensive listening practice. In this section, we delve into the cases you need to know at the A1 level in Polish.

Nominative Case: 

Singular and Plural (non-masculine)

• When it has a functional subject like: Kucharz gotuje zupę.
• When it has a function of predication like: Mój tata to lekarz. 

Genitive Case:

Singular:

• Direct object after the negated verbs: Nie znam Maćka.
• Genitive as a direct object: Słucham muzyki, Szukam masła, Potrzebuję kopert
• Genitive as an indirect object: Uczę się języka polskiego
• Genitive as an affiliation: To jest samochód mamy.
• Genitive in measures and quantity: Piję kieliszek wina.  
• After the prepositions: u, z(e), dla, do, od(e), obok, bez(e) like: Poproszę pierogi bez cebuli. Jadę z Wrocławia do Gdańska. 
• Forms: Nie ma, nie było, nie będzie like: Nie ma mleka.
• Non-finite numerals: Mamy dużo czasu.

Plural:

• After main numerals: Mam 22 lata, Mam 36 lat.

Accusative Case:

On the Polish beginner level, we cover the singular form and non-masculine plural forms:

• As a direct object: Kupuję pomidory, Czytam książkę
• After the prepositions: na, po, w(e), za: like: Idę na zakupy, Jadę na lekcję polskiego

Instrumental Case: 

Both singular and plural.

• To describe a person after the verb “To Be” (Być): Ania jest studentką, Oni są rolnikami, On jest prawnikiem
• The function of the indirect object: Interesuję się tańczeniem, filmem.
• The function of the indirect object with means of transport: Jadę taksówką, a mama jedzie pociągiem. 
• After the prepositions: z(e), za, nad(e), pod(e), przed(e), między: Książka jest pod stołem, Lustro wisi nad zlewem.

Locative Case: 

Both singular and plural.

• After prepositions indicating a place like: na, w(e), przy: Talerz stoi na stole, Stół jest przy ścianie, Mieszkam we Władysławowie
• After prepositions indicating time of the activity: w, po, o: Będę we Wrocławiu w przyszłym tygodniu, Pociąg jest o osiemnastej
• After prepositions indicating month or year: Moje studia zaczynają się w październiku.
• After prepositions indicating an object: Myślę o szkole.

What verbs do you need to know to be A1 in Polish?

To navigate the Polish language at the A1 level, mastering essential verbs is key. You can’t express yourself effectively without them.

If you are curious about what verbs are crucial, see below:

• Infinitive verbs: like czytać, pisać, lubić, kupować, pić, jeść
• Rection of the verb: Słuchać muzyki, Czytać książkę, Pisać długopisem, Interesować się sztuką
• The Present, the Past, and the Future tenses & Imperative: Proszę czytać! (+functional imperatives like Jedz, Tańcz!)
• The conjugations: -ę, -esz like: piszę, piszesz / -ę, -sz/-ysz like: uczę się, uczysz się / and -am, -em like wiem, wiesz
• The perfective and imperfective verbs like: kupić/kupować, czytać/przeczytać
• Functional conditional: Chciałabym kupić to wino. Chciałbym zarezerwować pokój.
• The verbs of movement: iść/chodzić and pójść/jechać/jeździć like: Jadę samochodem, Chodzę do kina 2 razy w tygodniu. Mama jeździ na snowboardzie.

Let’s not forget about Polish adverbs!

On the A1 level in Polish, mastering adverbs is essential. To gain that “Beginner Level” badge you will need to know the:

• Creation of adverbs from nouns: ładny→ ładnie, dobry → dobrze
• Functional use of adjectives made of countries’ names: Polska → polski

Conclusion

To sum it up, reaching A1 proficiency in Polish is a big win in your language-learning journey. You’ve nailed the basics like noun conjugation, pronouns, adjectives, numerals, and cases, giving you the power to handle basic conversations, express preferences, and understand essential written and spoken content.

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