oczami

Oczami is the instrumental plural form of the Polish noun oko, meaning “eyes.” It is used to express the instrument with which something is done or, more often, a point of view or perception. In Polish grammar, instrumental plural forms indicate the means of an action or the perspective from which something is observed. Therefore, oczami can denote “with the eyes” literally or “through the eyes of” in a figurative sense.

Declension notes: the singular forms are oko (nominative) and okiem (instrumental). In the plural, oczny form is occhi in some languages, but in Polish the standard forms are oczami for instrumental plural and oczy for nominative plural; genitive plural is oczu.

Etymology: oko comes from the Old Polish root related to the Proto-Slavic word *oko, shared across many Slavic languages for “eye.”

Usage: oczami appears in literary, journalistic, and everyday language to describe perception or perspective. It can convey literal viewing with one’s eyes or figurative viewpoint. Common constructions include phrases like innymi oczami (with a different perspective) or patrzeć na świat oczami dziecka (to see the world through the eyes of a child).

See also: oko, oczy, oczu, oczami.