Polish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Old" in Polish: stary
stary
Note: Stary/stara can be impolite for people; starszy/starsza is often gentler.
Old in Polish is stary. Use stary for a masculine singular noun, stara for feminine and stare for neuter. Stary describes age; osoba starsza is a more respectful expression for an elderly person.
Masculine subject
Ten dom jest stary.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce stary
Say it
starih
/starɨ/
In stary, y is distinct from the vowel i. The content words in stary normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"Old" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| stary | old Masculine nominative singular. | Masculine nominative singular. |
| stara | old Feminine nominative singular. | Feminine nominative singular. |
| stare | old Neuter nominative singular. | Neuter nominative singular. |
How to use stary in real life
- 1Masculine subject
Ten dom jest stary.
This house is old.
Stary agrees with the masculine subject in this sentence.
- 2Feminine subject
Ta książka jest stara.
This book is old.
Use stara with this feminine subject.
- 3Neuter subject
To drzewo jest stare.
This tree is old.
The ending in stare agrees with this neuter subject.
Mistakes English speakers make with stary
Incorrect: Ta książka jest stary.
Correct: Ta książka jest stara.
The feminine subject needs stara, rather than masculine stary.
Incorrect: To drzewo jest stary.
Correct: To drzewo jest stare.
The neuter subject needs stare, rather than masculine stary.
Good to know
Stary describes age; osoba starsza is a more respectful expression for an elderly person.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Describe old in context
Partner
Jak to opiszesz?
How would you describe it?
You
Ten dom jest stary.
This house is old.
Partner
A drugi przykład?
And another example?
You
Ta książka jest stara.
This book is old.
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"Old" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Old" in Polish
When do I use stary?
Stary describes age; osoba starsza is a more respectful expression for an elderly person.
What is the feminine form of stary?
Use stara. For example: Ta książka jest stara. — This book is old.
What is the neuter form of stary?
Use stare. For example: To drzewo jest stare. — This tree is old.
Can I use stary unchanged with every noun?
No. stary, stara and stare show nominative singular agreement. Other cases of stary may require further changes.
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