oni
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they, those, these
/ˈɔɲi/
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A Polish third-person plural form for masculine-personal groups, with a separate archaic demonstrative use meaning those people.
Examples
Czy oni będą jutro pracować?
Will they work tomorrow?
Znam ich, ale oni mnie nie znają.
I know them, but they do not know me.
Jeśli Marek dołączy do sióstr, oni pojadą razem.
If Marek joins his sisters, they will travel together.
Z onymi panami zawarto ugodę.
An agreement was made with those gentlemen.
Oni dwaj mieszkają w Krakowie.
The two of them live in Kraków.
Meanings
Examples
Oni są już w domu.
They are already home.
Oni przyszli pierwsi na spotkanie.
They came first to the meeting.
Znam ich, ale oni mnie nie znają.
I know them, but they do not know me.
Czy oni będą jutro pracować?
Will they work tomorrow?
Oni dwaj mieszkają w Krakowie.
The two of them live in Kraków.
Jeśli Marek dołączy do sióstr, oni pojadą razem.
If Marek joins his sisters, they will travel together.
Examples
Oni rycerze wrócili z wyprawy.
Those knights returned from the expedition.
Nie ufano już onym doradcom.
Those advisers were no longer trusted.
Kronikarz wspomniał onych posłów.
The chronicler mentioned those envoys.
Z onymi panami zawarto ugodę.
An agreement was made with those gentlemen.
O onych świadkach pisano w aktach.
Those witnesses were written about in the records.
Oni książęta mieli własne chorągwie.
Those princes had their own banners.
FAQ
oni usually means they for a male or mixed group of people in Polish.
When is oni used instead of one?
oni is used when the group is masculine-personal, including any mixed group with at least one male person.
Can oni refer to women only?
No. A group made only of women normally takes one, not oni.
What forms belong to oni?
The main personal forms are oni, ich or nich, im or nim, nimi, and nich.
Does oni have an archaic meaning?
Yes. Older Polish also used oni as a demonstrative meaning ci or owi, that is those people.
Is oni used for animals or objects?
No. Polish normally uses one for animals, objects, and non-masculine-personal groups.
What verb form follows oni?
oni takes plural agreement, and past-tense forms usually use masculine-personal endings such as przyszli.
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