Opuszczaj

Opuszczaj is the second-person singular imperative form of the Polish imperfective verb opuszczać, meaning to abandon, leave behind, or forsake. It is used to give a direct command to one person to perform the act of leaving or giving up something, often in a general or repeated sense as implied by the imperfective aspect.

Grammatically, opuszczaj is the present-imperative form of opuszczać. The imperfective aspect contrasts with the perfective counterpart opuścić, whose imperative form is opuść (second-person singular) for a single, completed action. The corresponding plural imperative of opuszczać is opuszczajcie, and the negative form is nie opuszczaj (singular) or nie opuszczajcie (plural). Verbal phrases with opuszczaj can appear with a variety of complements, such as places, people, or habits.

Usage and nuances: opuszczaj is commonly used when advising or commanding someone to leave a place, to abandon a practice, or to let go of something recurrent or habitual. Because it is imperfective, it can carry a sense of ongoing or repeated action, though in everyday speech it often communicates a straightforward instruction to leave or give up something in the moment. The choice between opuszczaj (imperfective) and opuść (perfective) depends on whether the speaker emphasizes the process/repetition or the completion of the action.

Examples:

- Opuszczaj ten budynek natychmiast. (Leave this building immediately.)

- Nie opuszczaj mnie. (Do not abandon me.)

- Opuszczaj stare nawyki, wprowadzaj nowe. (Let go of old habits; adopt new ones.)

See also: opuszczać, opuścić.