Podejmij

Podejmij is the second-person singular imperative form of the Polish verb podjąć, meaning “to undertake” or “to take up.” It is used to give a direct command to perform a task, take on a challenge, or make a decision. The form signals a completed or definite action, in contrast to the imperfective counterpart podejmować, which has imperatives such as podejmuj (you undertake, in a habitual sense).

The imperative has several related forms: podejmijcie (you all undertake) for the plural you, and podejmijmy (let us undertake) for the first-person plural. For the imperfective verb podejmować, the imperatives are podejmuj (you undertake), podejmujcie (you all undertake), and podejmujmy (let us undertake). These distinctions reflect aspect in Polish verbs: podjąć emphasizes a particular, finite act, while podejmować indicates ongoing or repeated action.

Common usage includes phrases like podejmij decyzję (make a decision), podejmij wyzwanie (take on the challenge), or podejmij działania (take action). The reflexive form podejmij się is also used informally to indicate taking responsibility or getting involved, as in podejmij się tego zadania (take on this task).

Etymology traces podejmij to podjąć, built from the prefix pod- (often implying a direction upward or toward a goal) and the root być/jąć related to taking or seizing, with the sense evolving to “undertake” or “take up.”

Podejmij is widely used in formal and informal Polish to encourage initiative, decision-making, and proactive engagement in tasks and challenges.