jednim

Jednim is a grammatical form found in several Slavic languages, most commonly as the instrumental singular of the numeral meaning “one.” In languages such as Polish, Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian, the word is used to express “with one” or to describe the manner in which something is done, often in combination with a masculine or neuter noun in the instrumental case. It is not a standalone noun, but a case form that accompanies nouns or adjectives to convey quantity or instrumentality.

In Polish, jednim appears as part of phrases like z jednim człowiekiem (with one person) or jednim ruchem (in one motion). In South Slavic varieties, the same form serves a related function, for example in expressions such as jednim korakom (in one step) or jednim potezom (in one move). The underlying stem j- is derived from the common Slavic word for “one,” and is inflected to agree with the gender and number of the associated noun in the instrumental case.

Usage notes and variation: while the basic meaning is consistent—denoting a single unit or performing an action by one means—the exact agreement and prepositional compatibility can vary by language and dialect. In written form, jednim is typically used in ordinary prose and is common in idiomatic phrases describing quantity or method. It is related to other forms of the numeral jeden, including different case endings for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns in respective languages.

See also: jedenaście (eleven), jedan (one in some South Slavic languages), jedan (one in Croatian/Serbian).