on

/ɔn/
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Refers to a male person or to a masculine noun already known from the sentence or context.

Examples

  • Dałem mu klucze.
    I gave him the keys.
  • Rozmawialiśmy o nim długo.
    We talked about him for a long time.
  • Idę z nim do kina.
    I am going to the cinema with him.
  • On mieszka w Warszawie.
    He lives in Warsaw.
  • Ten telefon jest stary, ale on nadal działa.
    This phone is old, but it still works.

Similar words

Meanings

Masculine third-person pronoun

pronoun
everyday
neutral
Refers to a male person, or to a masculine noun when Polish grammar treats that noun as the thing being discussed.

Examples

  • On mieszka w Warszawie.
    He lives in Warsaw.
  • Widziałem go wczoraj.
    I saw him yesterday.
  • Rozmawialiśmy o nim długo.
    We talked about him for a long time.
  • Dałem mu klucze.
    I gave him the keys.
  • Idę z nim do kina.
    I am going to the cinema with him.
  • Ten telefon jest stary, ale on nadal działa.
    This phone is old, but it still works.

Similar words

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish on, ultimately from Proto-Slavic onъ. Its oblique forms continue another Proto-Slavic pronoun stem, .

FAQ

What does on mean?

On means he for a male person and it for a masculine noun.

When does on mean it?

On means it when the thing referred to has masculine grammatical gender, such as telefon.

Why does on change to go, mu, or nim?

Polish pronouns change by case, so on is the subject form and go, mu, nim, and related forms appear in object or prepositional roles.

Can on be left out of a sentence?

On can be omitted when the verb ending and context already make the subject clear.

Is on used for feminine or neuter nouns?

On is not used for feminine or neuter nouns. Use ona for feminine nouns and ono for neuter nouns.

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