czytelnikiem

Czytelnikiem istny Polish noun form meaning “a reader.” It is the instrumental singular of czytelnik, a person who reads, whether books, newspapers, or online texts. The word is built from the verb czytać (to read) with the agentive suffix -nik, indicating a person associated with the activity of reading. In usage, czytelnikiem appears in constructions that require the instrumental case, typically after the verb być (to be) or in phrases describing a role or identity: J jestem czytelnikiem tej gazety; Zostałem czytelnikiem tej biblioteki.

The feminine counterpart is czytelniczka, with instrumental form czytelnicą. Other cases decline as follows: czytelnika (genitive or accusative masculine animate), czytelnikowi (dative), czytelnikem (instrumental masculine). The plural forms are czytelnikowie (nominative) and czytelnikami (instrumental).

In Polish, czytelnikiem should not be confused with czytnik, which denotes a device such as an e-reader or a barcode reader. While czytelnikiem refers to a human reader, czytnik is an instrument or appliance used to read or scan.

Common contexts for the term include literary criticism, media analysis, and everyday language when referencing the audience or a person who reads. It can appear in discussions of readership, engagement with texts, and cultural or educational contexts. Related terms include czytelnik (reader), czytelnia (reading room or library), czytelnictwo (readership, the practice of reading), and czytnik (reader device).