co

pl
en
Change language
Translating...
what, that, which
Find language
Magyar
Hungarian
Polski
Polish
Svenska
Swedish
Français
French
Español
Spanish
/t͡sɔ/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
A versatile interrogative and relative pronoun used to ask about or refer to things, often translated as “what” or “that”.

Examples

  • Obraz, co wisi na ścianie, przyciąga uwagę.
    The picture that hangs on the wall catches attention.
  • Co masz na myśli?
    What do you mean?
  • Książka, co leży na stole, jest nowa.
    The book that lies on the table is new.
  • Piosenka, co słyszę, jest piękna.
    The song that I hear is beautiful.
  • Film, co oglądaliśmy wczoraj, był nudny.
    The film that we watched yesterday was boring.

Similar words

co to
czym
który
coś tam
coś inny
co to
jaki
coś
który
coś

Meanings

What? (question word)

pronoun
everyday
neutral
Used to ask for information about something, asking which thing or what kind.

Examples

  • Co lubisz jeść?
    What do you like to eat?
  • Co się stało?
    What happened?
  • Co chcesz zrobić?
    What do you want to do?
  • Co widzisz?
    What do you see?
  • Co jest twoim ulubionym kolorem?
    What is your favourite colour?
  • Co powiesz na film?
    What do you think about the movie?
  • Co masz na myśli?
    What do you mean?

Similar words

That/which (relative pronoun)

pronoun
everyday
neutral
Introduces a clause that refers to a thing previously mentioned, equivalent to “that” or “which”.

Examples

  • Książka, co leży na stole, jest nowa.
    The book that lies on the table is new.
  • Dom, co widzisz, został zbudowany w 1990 roku.
    The house that you see was built in 1990.
  • Zadanie, co rozwiązałeś, było trudne.
    The task that you solved was difficult.
  • Piosenka, co słyszę, jest piękna.
    The song that I hear is beautiful.
  • Film, co oglądaliśmy wczoraj, był nudny.
    The film that we watched yesterday was boring.
  • Droga, co prowadzi do miasta, jest zamknięta.
    The road that leads to the city is closed.
  • Obraz, co wisi na ścianie, przyciąga uwagę.
    The picture that hangs on the wall catches attention.

Similar words

Etymology

From Proto‑Slavic *čь, *čьto, cognate with Russian что and Czech co.

FAQ

What does co mean in Polish?

Co is the basic question word meaning “what”, used to ask about the identity or nature of something.

How is co used in a question?

Place co at the beginning of a clause, e.g., “Co robisz?” (“What are you doing?”).

When should I use co instead of jaki?

Use co for general “what” questions; jaki asks about quality or type, as in “Jaki samochód?” (“What kind of car?”).

What are the different cases of co?

Co declines as: nominative/accusative co, genitive czego, dative czemu, instrumental/locative czym.

Can co be used as a relative pronoun?

Yes, co can introduce a relative clause referring to a thing, equivalent to English “that” or “which”.

What is the origin of the Polish word co?

It derives from Proto‑Slavic *čь, *čьto, sharing roots with Russian “что” and Czech “co”.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...