{"id":1503,"date":"2011-02-15T21:53:44","date_gmt":"2011-02-15T21:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/?p=1503"},"modified":"2011-02-15T21:53:44","modified_gmt":"2011-02-15T21:53:44","slug":"feminine-noun-declension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/feminine-noun-declension\/","title":{"rendered":"Feminine noun declension"},"content":{"rendered":"

The declension of nouns in Polish is less regular than of adjectives, but follows a pattern that is in many ways similar to adjective declension.<\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at a few typical feminine declension nouns in singular and are equal to nominative in plural):<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Girl (also means Girlfriend)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyna<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyny<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyny<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczynie<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczynom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyn\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyny<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyn\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczynami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczynie<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczynach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyno<\/strong><\/td>\ndziewczyny<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Woman<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nkobieta<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiety<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiety<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiecie<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nkobietom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiet\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiety<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiet\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nkobietami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nK<\/span>obiecie<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nkobietach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\nkobieto<\/strong><\/td>\nkobiety<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ant<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wka<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wki<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wki<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wek<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wce<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wkom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wk\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wki<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wk\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wkami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wce<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wkach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wko<\/strong><\/td>\nmr\u00f3wki<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coffee<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nkawa<\/strong><\/td>\nkawy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nkawy<\/strong><\/td>\nkaw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nkawie<\/strong><\/td>\nkawom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nkaw\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nkawy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nkaw\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nkawami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nkawie<\/strong><\/td>\nkawach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cow<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowa<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowy<\/strong><\/td>\nkr\u00f3w<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowie<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nkrow\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nkrow\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowie<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowo<\/strong><\/td>\nkrowy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kasia (Katie)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nKasia<\/strong><\/td>\nKasie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nKasi<\/strong><\/td>\nKa\u015b<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nKasi<\/strong><\/td>\nKasiom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nKasi\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nKasie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nKasi\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nKasiami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nKasi<\/strong><\/td>\nKasiach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\nKasiu<\/strong><\/td>\nKasie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As you can see it’s quite regular. Possible changes are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • softening of final consonant group in the singular dative and locative (which have the same form)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • change of “o” to “\u00f3” (pronounced “u”) in the plural genitive<\/span><\/li>\n
  • insertion of “e” between the two final consonants in the plural genitive.<\/span> You may think of this “e” as a kind of aid to pronunciation. “mr\u00f3wk” would be pretty hard to say without this “e”. The Polish language allows quite complicated consonant groups at the beginning of a syllable, but it tries to avoid complex syllable endings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These changes aren’t specific to the feminine noun declension – they happen throughout the Polish language, so you’d better get used to them.<\/p>\n

    A bit less typical are feminine nouns that end in “-ia”:<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Comedy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nSingular<\/strong><\/td>\nPlural<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Nominative<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedia<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Genitive<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedii<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedii<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Dative<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedii<\/strong><\/td>\nkomediom<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Accusative<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedi\u0119<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Instrumental<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedi\u0105<\/strong><\/td>\nkomediami<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Locative<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedii<\/strong><\/td>\nkomediach<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Vocative<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedio<\/strong><\/td>\nkomedie<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Notice that in the genitive and the accusative the pronunciation is the same. This is not usual in Polish, and may cause some problems if number is not obvious from context. One solution is to overemphasize difference between “e” and “\u0119” in speech (which are usually pronounced the same at word endings). A better solution is to use some adjective or pronoun, for example:<\/p>\n