Polish · Everyday Verbs
"to look / to watch" in Polish: patrzeć
patrzeć
To look / to watch in Polish is patrzeć. The useful forms are patrzę (I), patrzysz (you, singular) and patrzy (he, she or it). Patrzeć describes looking; patrzeć na takes accusative, while widzieć describes actually seeing.
Your own action
Patrzę na mapę.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce patrzeć
Say it
patzhetsh
/patʂɛtɕ/
In patrzeć, rz and ż normally share a zh-like sound, with devoicing in some positions; ć/ci has a soft ch-like sound. The content words in patrzeć normally use penultimate stress when they have multiple syllables.
"to look / to watch" in Polish: quick reference
| Polish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| patrzeć | to look / to watch Infinitive or dictionary expression. | Infinitive or dictionary expression. |
| patrzę | I look / to watch First-person singular present. | First-person singular present. |
| patrzysz | you look / to watch Informal second-person singular. | Informal second-person singular. |
| patrzy | he or she looks / to watch Third-person singular. | Third-person singular. |
How to use patrzeć in real life
- 1Your own action
Patrzę na mapę.
I look at the map.
Patrzę is the form shown for your action in this example.
- 2Speaking to one person
Na co patrzysz?
What are you looking at?
Use patrzysz when addressing one person informally; polite address uses third-person grammar.
- 3Another person or situation
On patrzy przez okno.
He looks through the window.
Patrzeć describes looking; patrzeć na takes accusative, while widzieć describes actually seeing.
Mistakes English speakers make with patrzeć
Incorrect: Ja patrzeć.
Correct: Ja patrzę.
Conjugate patrzeć with ja: patrzę. A bare infinitive cannot express this statement.
Incorrect: Ty patrzę.
Correct: Ty patrzysz.
For informal singular ty, the matching form of patrzeć is patrzysz, rather than the first-person form.
Good to know
Patrzeć describes looking; patrzeć na takes accusative, while widzieć describes actually seeing.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Talk about look / to watch
Partner
Podaj przykład użycia tego czasownika.
Give an example using this verb.
You
Patrzę na mapę.
I look at the map.
Partner
A jak zapytasz drugą osobę?
And how will you ask another person?
You
Na co patrzysz?
What are you looking at?
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"to look / to watch" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to look / to watch" in Polish
What does patrzeć mean?
Patrzeć describes looking; patrzeć na takes accusative, while widzieć describes actually seeing.
How do I use patrzeć with “I”?
The first-person form is patrzę. For example: Patrzę na mapę. — I look at the map.
How do I ask one person using patrzeć?
Use patrzysz for informal singular you. Na co patrzysz? — What are you looking at?
What is the third-person form of patrzeć?
Use patrzy with a singular subject. On patrzy przez okno. — He looks through the window.
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