mierz

Mierz is the second-person singular imperative form of the Polish verb mierzyć, meaning to measure or gauge. In contemporary Polish, mierzyć is a versatile verb used in scientific, technical, and everyday contexts. Its imperative forms are mierz for singular and mierzcie for plural. The negative imperative is nie mierz.

The verb mierzyć belongs to a common family of Slavic verbs related to measurement, with its etymology linked to the noun miara, meaning “a measure.” It is cognate with Russian мерить (merit’, to measure) and Ukrainian міряти (miryaty, to measure), reflecting a shared Slavic root for gauging quantities, lengths, and weights.

Usage and meaning extend beyond simple length measurement. Mierzyć can refer to determining numerical value, volume, or mass, as well as to estimating or judging something in a broader sense. It appears in technical instructions, scientific writing, construction, cooking, and everyday tasks. For example, Mierz odległość między tymi dwoma punktami (Measure the distance between these two points). In more abstract contexts, it can be used metaphorically, such as mierz swoją siłę przed wyzwaniem (assess your strength before the challenge).

Related forms include the infinitive mierzyć, the noun miara (a measure), and related verbs such as zmierzyć (to measure, to measure up, to finish measuring). Mierz is primarily a practical command form, encountered in manuals, training, and direct instruction.