oczekiwaniem

Oczekiwaniem is the instrumental singular form of the Polish noun oczekiwanie, which denotes the act or state of awaiting something or anticipating a future event. The term stems from the verb oczekiwać (to expect, to wait) and functions as a noun describing the experience or process of waiting.

Usage and meaning

Oczekiwanie can refer to both a concrete period of waiting for an event and a psychological stance of anticipation. It may describe quiet patience, suspense, or the hope associated with what is awaited. The noun appears in different syntactic contexts with prepositions that govern instrumental or locative cases. For example, z oczekiwaniem means “with anticipation” (instrumental), while w oczekiwaniu na ... means “in waiting for/anticipation of ...” (locative). The base form oczekiwanie is used in neutral references such as “to oczekiwanie na odpowiedź,” and the phrase cierpliwe/pełne oczekiwanie describes the attitude during the period of waiting.

Relation to other concepts

Oczekiwanie is closely related to, but distinct from, nadzieja (hope). Nadzieja conveys a belief that a favorable outcome will occur, whereas oczekiwanie emphasizes the process and experience of waiting, which may or may not be accompanied by optimism. In literature and everyday language, oczekiwanie can convey tension, suspense, or the passage of time before a result or decision.

Variants and forms

The noun is declined as oczekiwanie (nominative), oczekiwania (genitive), oczekiwaniu (dative or locative singular), and oczekiwaniem (instrumental singular), with the exact form chosen to match the grammatical role in a sentence. The instrumental form oczekiwaniem appears after prepositions that require instrumental case.