Jednym

Jednym is the instrumental singular form of the Polish numeral and determiner jeden, meaning one. It is used with masculine and neuter nouns in the instrumental case and appears in expressions that denote means, manner, or quantity. The feminine instrumental form of the same base word is jedną, not jednym, so gender agreement is important in Polish.

Morphology and usage

In singular, jednym is used with masculine or neuter nouns, for example: z jednym pociągiem (with one train), jednym ruchem (in one motion), jednym tchem (in one breath). The feminine form jedną is used with feminine nouns, as in jedną książką (with one book). In the plural, the corresponding instrumental form is jednymi.

Common constructions

Jednym is frequently found after prepositions that require the instrumental case, such as z (with) and po (per, each). Phrases like po jednym, meaning one apiece, are widely used to express distribution: po jednym cukierku dla każdego. The set phrase jedným słowem means “in a word” or “in short,” and jednym kliknięciem conveys “in one click.”

Etymology and context

Jednym derives from the Proto-Slavic root for jeden, cognate with forms in other Slavic languages. In Polish, it functions both as a numeral and as part of fixed expressions describing manner, instrument, or quantity.

See also

jeden, jedną, jednymi, jednymi ruchami, jednym słowem.