biernik

Biernik, or the accusative case, is one of the Polish grammatical cases. It marks the direct object of transitive verbs and appears in a range of constructions that involve receiving or targeting an action. The term biernik is used in linguistic descriptions to designate this particular inflection. It answers questions such as kogo? (whom) and co? (what) in simple sentences, and it often follows the verb.

In ordinary declarative sentences, the biernik highlights the entity that is affected by an action. Examples: Widzę kota (I see a cat), Lubię książkę (I like the book). The form of the noun in biernik depends on gender, number, and animacy. For masculine animate singular, the form typically takes the genitive singular (e.g., kota from kot). For masculine inanimate singular, the form is usually the same as the nominative (e.g., samochód). Feminine singular often ends with -ę (kobietę). Neuter singular commonly remains the same as the nominative (dziecko). Plural forms vary by animacy: for many non-personal nouns and feminine and neuter nouns, the accusative plural coincides with the nominative plural (kota? no, koty in this case). For masculine personal nouns, the accusative plural often aligns with the genitive plural (braci from bracia).

Biernik also appears in phrases with certain prepositions and in expressions indicating direction or goal, particularly with motion or targeting a destination. It interacts with numerals and adjectives to describe the object, and its correct use is essential for grammatical sentence structure and natural Polish.

In relation to other cases, biernik contrasts with mianownik, which marks the subject. Mastery of biernik is a fundamental part of Polish grammar for accurate syntax, inflection, and fluent expression.