Grammar Cases / Mianownik

MIANOWNIK – The Nominative Case

1. Core Rule

The Nominative case (Mianownik) is the base form of all Polish nouns and adjectives — the form you find in the dictionary. It marks the subject of the sentence: the noun that performs or experiences the action. It answers the questions Kto? Co? (Who? What?). Every Polish sentence has a nominative subject, making this the most fundamental case to master.

Important: After to jest (this is), both sides of the sentence use the Nominative: To jest dobry student. However, after jest/są in descriptive sentences, Polish uses the Instrumental case: Ona jest dobrą studentką.
Key Usages
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Subject of a Sentence
The noun that performs or experiences the action of the verb.
Mały chłopiec śpi.
label
Identification (to jest)
After "to jest / to są" to identify what something is.
To jest polska książka.
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Dictionary & Label Form
All nouns and adjectives are listed in their nominative form.
student, nauczyciel, dom

2. Declension Table

Singular (liczba pojedyncza)

Masculine (rodzaj męski)Feminine (rodzaj żeński)Neuter (rodzaj nijaki)
Adjective ending
(przymiotnik)		-y (after k, g → -i)-a-e
Noun ending
(rzeczownik)		-∅ (consonant)
-a (m-a nouns: tata, mężczyzna)		-a (most)
-i / -∅ (soft: noc, pani)		-o / -e / -ę / -um
Examples
Dobry student czyta.
Stary pies śpi.
Wysoki płot stoi.
Dobra studentka uczy się.
Ciekawa książka leży tu.
Długa noc mija.
Małe dziecko śpi.
Duże okno jest otwarte.
Nowe muzeum jest tu.

Plural (liczba mnoga)

Masculine Personal (męskoosobowy / virile)Non-virile (niemęskoosobowy)
Adjective ending
(przymiotnik)		-y / -i with consonant mutation
dobry → dobrzy, stary → starzy, wysoki → wysocy		-e
nowe, dobre, ciekawe
Noun ending
(rzeczownik)		-i / -y / -owie / -e-y / -i / -e / -a
Examples
Dobrzy studentci uczą się.
Starzy panowie przyszli.
Wysocy chłopcy grają.
Nowe domy stoją tu.
Dobre studentki pracują.
Duże okna są otwarte.
⚠️ Masculine personal plural (virile) groups require at least one male person — and trigger consonant mutations in adjectives (dobry → dobrzy, stary → starzy). All other groups use the non-virile form with adjective ending -e.

3. Adjective Questions: Jaki? Jaka? Jakie? Jacy?

Each gender in the Nominative has its own interrogative adjective, the "what kind of?" question word. These question words use the same endings as the adjectives they represent.

Jaki?person
Masculine / rodzaj męski
Adjective ending: -y / -i

Used to ask about a masculine noun as the subject. The adjective takes -y after most consonants, or -i after k or g. This is the dictionary form for masculine adjectives.

Q Jaki student tu jest?
A Dobry student tu jest. "A good student is here."
Q Jaki dom jest nowy?
A Ten nowy dom jest tu. "This new house is here."
Jaka?face_3
Feminine / rodzaj żeński
Adjective ending: -a

Used for all feminine nouns in the nominative. The adjective takes the ending -a. This is the base form for feminine adjectives in the dictionary.

Q Jaka studentka tu jest?
A Dobra studentka tu jest. "A good student (f) is here."
Q Jaka książka leży na stole?
A Ciekawa książka leży na stole. "An interesting book is on the table."
Jakie?child_care
Neuter / rodzaj nijaki
Adjective ending: -e

Used for neuter nouns. The adjective takes the ending -e. Neuter nouns typically end in -o, -e, or -ę in the nominative.

Q Jakie dziecko śpi?
A Małe dziecko śpi. "A small child is sleeping."
Q Jakie okno jest otwarte?
A Duże okno jest otwarte. "The large window is open."
Jacy?group
Masculine Personal Plural / rodzaj męskoosobowy
Adjective ending: -y / -i (with mutation)

Used for groups including at least one male person. The adjective undergoes consonant mutation: dobry → dobrzy, stary → starzy, wysoki → wysocy. This virile plural is unique to Polish.

Q Jacy studenci tu są?
A Dobrzy studenci tu są. "Good students are here."
Q Jacy panowie przyszli?
A Starzy panowie przyszli. "Old gentlemen came."

4. Practical Usage Examples

personMasculine Subject

Dobry student czyta książkę w bibliotece.

"A good student reads a book in the library."

The masculine noun student is the subject of the sentence and takes the nominative: it stays in its base form. The adjective dobry keeps its -y ending. Mianownik is always the case of the doer.
labelIdentification with "to jest"

To jest duże okno w salonie.

"This is a large window in the living room."

After to jest (this is / that is), both the subject to and the identified noun use the Nominative. The neuter adjective duże keeps its -e ending, and the noun okno stays unchanged.
face_3Feminine Subject

Mała dziewczynka śpi spokojnie.

"A little girl sleeps peacefully."

The feminine noun dziewczynka is the sentence subject in its nominative form (ending in -a). The adjective mała agrees in gender and case, also taking -a. This is the base, dictionary form for feminine nouns.
groupVirile Plural Subject

Dobrzy studenci uczą się pilnie.

"Good students study diligently."

In the masculine personal plural (virile), the adjective dobry mutates to dobrzy (consonant softening: r → rz). The noun student becomes studenci. This virile plural form is unique to groups containing at least one male person.