Singular

In Polish, the Adjective (the word that describes a noun) must always "agree" with the Noun. It acts like a mirror—changing its ending to match the gender of the word it describes.

⚠️ Prerequisite:

You must know the gender of the noun before you can choose the correct adjective form. If you need to learn how to identify gender, please read: Polish Gender.

Here are the rules for Adjectives in the singular base form (Nominative).

1. Masculine Adjectives (Rodzaj Męski) 👨

The Ending: Usually -y (sometimes -i)

Most adjectives in the dictionary are listed in this Masculine form.

1. dobry (good)
2. nowy (new)
3. stary (old)
4. ładny (pretty)

Usage:

1. Ten nowy telefon. (This new phone.)
2. Tamten dobry student. (That good student.)

The "K/G" Rule (Important!)

If the stem of the adjective ends in k or g, you cannot use "y". You must use -i.

1. Polski (Polish)
2. Wysoki (Tall)
3. Długi (Long)

2. Feminine Adjectives (Rodzaj Żeński) 👩

The Ending: Always -a

This is the easiest form to remember. Since most feminine nouns end in -a, the adjective also ends in -a. They rhyme!

1. dobra
2. nowa
3. stara
4. polska

Usage:

1. Ta nowa lampa. (This new lamp.)
2. Tamta dobra kawa. (That good coffee.)
3. To jest polska muzyka. (This is Polish music.)

3. Neuter Adjectives (Rodzaj Nijaki) 👶

The Ending: Always -e

Use this form for nouns ending in -o, -e, -ę, or -um.

1. dobre
2. nowe
3. stare
4. polskie (Note: even here, we keep the 'i' before the 'e' for k/g words).

Usage:

1. To nowe auto. (This new car.)
2. Tamto dobre dziecko. (That good child.)
3. To jest polskie miasto. (This is a Polish city.)

Summary Table

Plural

When describing groups (Plural), Polish simplifies this into two categories:

1. Virile (Męskoosobowy): Groups containing at least one man.
2. Non-Virile (Niemęskoosobowy): Everything else (Women, children, animals, objects).

Here is how to form them.

1. The "Non-Virile" Form (Niemęskoosobowy) 👩🐈🚗

The Ending: Always -e

This is the easiest form. It covers the vast majority of nouns: women, animals, objects, children, and mixed groups without men.

The Rule: Just replace the singular ending with -e.

2. The "Virile" Form (Męskoosobowy) 👨+

The Ending: -i or -y (with sound changes)

You ONLY use this form if the group includes a male human (e.g., "Men," "Male Doctors," "Brothers," or "A man and a woman").

This form triggers Sound Changes (Mutations) in the adjective stem.

A. The Softening Rule (Hard Consonants)

If the adjective stem ends in a hard consonant (like r, ł, w, m, n), the sound "softens" and takes -i.

Read More about: Polish Gender, Polish Demonstrative & Possessive