niebu

Niebu is a Polish noun form derived from niebo, which means sky or heaven. In standard Polish, niebu is the dative singular form of niebo. The base noun niebo is neuter and has several inflected forms used in different grammatical cases.

Etymology and related forms

Niebo comes from the Old Polish and further traces to Proto-Slavic *nebъ, sharing cognates with other Slavic languages (for example, Russian nebo, Czech nebe, Ukrainian neba). The word embodies both the physical sky and the religious concept of heaven in Polish.

Grammatical forms

Nominative: niebo

Genitive: nieba

Dative: niebu

Accusative: niebo

Instrumental: niebem

Locative: niebie

Vocative: niebie

Niebu specifically appears as the dative singular form. The genitive singular is nieba (as in od nieba, from heaven), while the locative is niebie (in heaven, in the sky). These forms reflect the standard inflection pattern of neuter Polish nouns ending in -o.

Usage and context

Niebu is most often encountered in older or literary Polish contexts, religious writing, poetry, or fixed expressions. In everyday speech, speakers typically use niebo in the nominative or other familiar cases, with nieba appearing in genitive constructions (for example after od or bez). The form niebu is correct in contexts requiring the dative singular, such as with verbs or constructs that govern the dative case, though its appearance is less common in contemporary informal language.

See also

Niebo, heaven (religious and cosmological concepts in Polish)

Notes

Niebu illustrates how Polish preserves distinct case forms for neuter nouns, linking modern usage to broader Slavic grammatical patterns.