Zwracaj

Zwracaj is a form of the Polish verb zwracać, used as the second person singular imperative in the imperfective aspect. The base verb zwracać means primarily to return something to its owner, to give back, or to return to a previous state. In a broader sense it can also imply repayment or restitution, for example in contexts such as returning a borrowed item or returning what is due. A separate, idiomatic meaning is found in the phrase zwracać uwagę, meaning to pay attention or to draw attention to something.

Morphology and usage notes: zwracać is imperfective, with a perfective counterpart zwrócić. The present tense forms are ja zwracam, ty zwracasz, on/ona zwraca, my zwracamy, wy zwracacie, oni zwracają. The imperative forms include zwracaj (singular) and zwracajcie (plural) for ongoing, non-completed action; the perfective imperative is zwróć (singular) and zwróćcie (plural), used for a completed return or restitution. Common collocations include zwracać uwagę na (to pay attention to), zwracać dług (to repay a debt), and zwrócić komuś coś (to return something to someone).

Examples: Zwracaj pieniądze w terminie, jeśli masz dług. Zwróć uwagę na detale w umowie. Zwróć mi książkę, gdy skończysz.

Etymology and related forms: zwracać derives from a prefix z- added to wracać (to return, to come back). Related forms include zwrócić (perfective), zwracanie (the act of returning or returning of attention), and zwracający (present participle) in various constructions.

In summary, zwracaj functions as an imperative of a versatile Polish verb with primary senses related to returning something and, in fixed expressions, to paying attention.

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