oznaczmy

Oznaczmy is a grammatical form from Polish, the first-person plural imperative of the verb oznaczać, meaning "to denote" or "to mark." In mathematical and scientific prose it functions to introduce a designation or a variable by inviting the reader to adopt a convention. The phrase is commonly translated into English as "Let us denote" or "Let us denote by." It is primarily used in formal expository writing rather than everyday speech.

In practice, oznaczmy appears at the beginning of a sentence or clause that sets up notation for the rest of a discussion, proof, or problem. It signals that a particular symbol or object will be assigned a specific meaning from this point forward. This helps establish a consistent shorthand for subsequent arguments. The construction is often followed by a symbol, term, or description, for example: "Oznaczmy przez x zmienną realną" or "Oznaczmy przez A zbiór wszystkich punktów spełniających..." In some mathematical texts, writers instead use Niech or Niech będzie, but oznaczmy remains a common alternative.

Comparison with related forms is helpful: oznaczenie is a noun meaning the designation itself, while oznaczać is the verb "to denote." Oznaczmy is thus a practical tool for introducing notation and guiding readers through formal reasoning. Outside mathematics and logic, the phrase appears less frequently but may still be used in technical or argumentative writing to propose conventions.

See also: notation, mathematical notation, formal language.