polski · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Personal pronoun cases
Use short and stressed forms according to case, emphasis, and preposition.
Understand the choice
Pronouns preserve case distinctions while adding positional choices. A preposition triggers n- forms, and stressed long forms contrast or stand independently.
Core rule: Third-person pronouns gain n- after prepositions: jego/go→niego, mu→niemu, jej→niej; short forms avoid clause-initial/emphatic position.
Notice it in context
Daję mu klucz, ale rozmawiam o nim z nią.
I give him the key, but I talk about him with her.
Mu is short dative without preposition; o nim locative after o; z nią instrumental after z.
Ona mnie widzi, a ja jej pomagam.
She sees me, and I help her.
Mnie is accusative/genitive form; jej dative after pomagać.
Bez nich nie możemy zacząć.
Without them we cannot begin.
Bez takes genitive and preposition triggers nich.
What to remember
- Go is short genitive/accusative; jego is longer/stressed.
- Dative im becomes nim after a preposition, though prepositional dative is less frequent.
Common trap: Do not use bare go after a preposition: bez niego.