odmawia

Odmawia is a Polish verb in the present tense form meaning “he/she refuses” or, more broadly, “to refuse.” It is the third-person singular form of the imperfective verb odmawiać. The related perfective counterpart is odmówić, which is used for a completed act of declining or denying.

Grammatical notes and forms: odmawiać is imperfective, conveying ongoing or repeated refusals, while odmówić conveys a single, completed act. The present tense forms of odmawiać include: ja odmawiam, ty odmawiasz, on/ona odmawia, my odmawiamy, wy odmawiacie, oni odmawiają. The imperfective form can be used to describe a current decision or habitual behavior; the perfective odmówić is used when emphasizing a definite moment of refusal in the past or future.

Usage and nuance: odmawia is used to state that someone declines or rejects a proposal, request, invitation, or offer. It carries a neutral to firm tone, depending on context and intonation. In comparison, odmówić is often used for a decisive, one-off refusal. Phrases commonly associated with odmawia include statements about declining invitations or options, such as “On odmawia przyjęcia oferty” (He refuses to accept the offer) or “Ona odmawia udziału w spotkaniu” (She declines to participate in the meeting).

See also: odmówić, odmawiać (imperfective vs perfective). In Polish, choosing between odmawiać and odmówić reflects aspect and the speaker’s view of the action as ongoing or completed.