Oddychaj

oddychaj is the Polish second-person singular imperative form of the verb oddychać, meaning "breathe." It is used to tell one person to take a breath or to begin breathing, and you may encounter it in instructions, meditation guidance, or everyday speech.

Etymology and meaning: oddychać is the base verb meaning to breathe, with oddychać signaling breathing in general or catching one’s breath after exertion. The imperative oddychaj directly motivates the addressee to perform the action of breathing, often with a sense of starting a breathing exercise or regaining calm.

Morphology andUsage: As an imperative, oddychaj is used with informal singular address (ty). Related forms include oddychajcie (plural) and oddychajmy (let us breathe). Common collocations include oddychaj głęboko (breathe deeply) and oddychaj spokojnie (breathe calmly). The form appears across contexts such as medical instructions, fitness coaching, mindfulness practices, and routine conversation.

Examples: Oddychaj głęboko i powoli wydychaj. Translation: Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Oddychaj spokojnie podczas ćwiczeń. Translation: Breathe calmly during the exercise.

See also: oddech (breath), oddychanie (breathing), oddechowy (relating to breath). The term oddychaj is closely linked to these nouns and adjectives that describe the act and state of breathing in Polish.