niedawno

Niedawno is a Polish adverb that means not long ago or recently. It is used to describe events or actions that occurred in the near past relative to the present moment. In typical sentences it accompanies a past-tense verb, for example: "Niedawno skończyłem projekt" (I recently finished the project).

Etymology and form: the word is formed from the negation prefix nie- attached to dawno, which means long ago. The combination conveys that something happened within a relatively short time before now. Niedawno is an invariable adverb and does not change for gender or number.

Usage notes: niedawno is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to indicate recency without specifying an exact time. It is often contrasted with more distant past markers or with words like w ostatnich dniach or ostatnio, which can have a broader sense of recent events. While largely interchangeable with ostatnio in many contexts, niedawno tends to emphasize a closer, more immediate past.

Related forms and collocations: the related adjective niedawny describes something of recent origin, such as a "niedawny sukces" (a recent success). The phrase niedawno temu is also used in colloquial Polish to reinforce the sense of a recent past event.

See also: ostatnio; w ostatnich dniach; niedawny. In usage, context and nuance determine whether niedawno or a near synonym is more appropriate.