Zaufano

Zaufano is a Polish verbal form derived from the verb zaufać, meaning to trust or to have confidence in someone. It represents the past tense in a passive or impersonal construction, used when the actor performing the trust is unspecified or unimportant. In this use, the emphasis is on the act of trusting rather than who performed it, and the person who is trusted is expressed in the dative case (zaufano mu, zaufano jej, zaufano im). The phrase can be translated as “it was trusted” or “they trusted [someone],” depending on context.

Etymology and related forms: Zaufano comes from zaufać, with the typical agentive or passive suffixes in Polish. The related adjective zaufany means trusted or reliable, and the noun ufność denotes trust or confidence.

Usage and syntax: The form requires a dative noun or pronoun to indicate the recipient of the trust. It can appear with plural or singular trusted parties, and is common in formal writing, journalism, and historical or official statements to indicate that trust was placed in a person or entity. The subject performing the trusting may be omitted, making zaufano a useful impersonal construction.

Examples:

- Zaufano mu w tej decyzji. (They trusted him in this decision.)

- Zaufano ekspertom w ocenie projektu. (Trust was placed in the experts in assessing the project.)

- W tej sprawie zaufano firmie. (In this matter, the company was trusted.)

See also: zaufać, zaufany, ufność.