Umiem

Umiem is the first-person singular present tense form of the Polish verb umieć, meaning to know how to or to be able to do something. It expresses ability or skill and is used with an infinitive to indicate what one can do.

In use, umiemy how to form phrases with the infinitive, for example: Umiem mówić po angielsku (I can speak English), Umiem tańczyć (I know how to dance), Umiem gotować (I can cook). The negative form is Nie umiem (I can’t / I don’t know how to), and questions are formed similarly, as in Czy umiem to zrobić? (Can I do this?).

Grammatically, umiemy is a single present-tense form among a full paradigm for umieć. The present tense forms are: ja umiem, ty umiesz, on/ona/ono umie, my umiemy, wy umiecie, oni/one umieją. The verb is imperfective, used to express general ability rather than completed actions. The imperfect past forms include umiałem/umiałam (I knew how to) and umiałeś/umiałaś (you knew how to), with gender variations in the past tense.

Etymology and relation: umieć is cognate with related Slavic verbs such as Czech umět and Russian уметь, all stemming from a common Proto-Slavic root meaning knowledge or skill. In contemporary Polish, umieć is often contrasted with potrafić; umieć emphasizes knowledge or inherent ability, while potrafić can imply practical competence in a particular situation.

Common collocations include umiemy, umieć dobrze/głośno, and phrases like nie umiem, which are widespread in everyday speech.