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być — the Polish verb 'to be'
być is the first verb worth knowing completely. It is irregular, it is everywhere, and it carries a trap that speakers of Russian and Ukrainian fall into on day one: Polish does not drop it, and what follows it is not in the form you expect.
The present tense
Six forms, all irregular, all worth memorising as a block. Note that the endings -em, -eś, -eśmy, -eście are the same ones that mark the past tense of every other Polish verb, so learning them here pays twice.
| Person | Polish | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ja | jestem | I am |
| ty | jesteś | you are (informal) |
| on / ona / ono | jest | he / she / it is |
| my | jesteśmy | we are |
| wy | jesteście | you are (plural) |
| oni / one | są | they are |
Polish does not drop it
In Russian and Ukrainian the present tense of 'to be' is normally left out: «Я студент». Polish keeps it. 'Ja student' is not a clipped sentence in Polish, it is not a sentence at all. Say 'Jestem studentem'.
The pronoun, on the other hand, usually goes. The verb ending already says who is speaking, so 'Jestem z Ukrainy' is the normal way to say it; adding 'ja' puts a stress on it, as if answering someone who thought otherwise.
Jestem z Ukrainy.
I am from Ukraine.
Czy jesteś gotowy?
Are you ready?
Oni są w domu.
They are at home.
What comes after być: the instrumental
When you say what somebody *is* — a profession, a role, a nationality as a noun — the noun goes into the instrumental case, not the dictionary form. student becomes studentem, lekarka becomes lekarką. This is the single most common beginner error in Polish, and it is completely regular: -em for masculine and neuter, -ą for feminine.
Adjectives alone are different. 'I am tired' describes a state, not an identity, and takes the plain form: Jestem zmęczony. The rule of thumb: a noun after być goes instrumental, an adjective after być does not.
Jestem studentem.
I am a student. (said by a man)
Jestem studentką.
I am a student. (said by a woman)
Jestem zmęczony.
I am tired. — adjective, no case change
to jest — pointing at things
There is one place where the noun stays in its dictionary form: after 'to jest', which points at something rather than identifying a person. 'To jest student' is 'this is a student' — and here student does not change.
To jest mój dom.
This is my house.
To jest Anna. Ona jest lekarką.
This is Anna. She is a doctor.
Mistakes people make
Ja student. → Jestem studentem.
Two errors in three words: Polish never drops 'to be' in the present, and the profession takes the instrumental.
Jestem student. → Jestem studentem.
After być, a noun naming who you are goes into the instrumental: -em for masculine, -ą for feminine.
Jestem zmęczonym. → Jestem zmęczony.
An adjective on its own after być keeps its plain form. Only nouns take the instrumental here.
Check yourself
Complete: Ona ___ w domu.
Third person singular.
A woman says she is a teacher (nauczycielka). How?
Feminine instrumental: -a becomes -ą.
Complete: My ___ z Polski.
Turn this into something you can actually say.
Practise this in FreeTalk →Free to start. No card needed.
Questions people ask
Why is it 'jestem studentem' and not 'jestem student'?
Because Polish marks 'being something' with the instrumental case. The dictionary form names the thing; the instrumental says you are in that role. Ukrainian does the same in «він був студентом» — Polish simply extends it to the present tense as well.
Can I leave out 'ja' and 'ty'?
Yes, and usually you should. The ending already identifies the person, so 'Jestem z Polski' is the neutral version. Keeping the pronoun adds emphasis or contrast.