polegaj

Polegaj is the second-person singular imperative form of the Polish verb polegać. Polegać is an imperfective verb with two broad senses: to rely on or depend on something, and to consist of or involve something. The core idea is that a situation or action rests on another factor or elements.

The imperative form polegaj is used to instruct someone to rely on something or someone, or to indicate what a task consists of. It is typically followed by a prepositional phrase with na or by a clause specifying the basis or components. For example, "Polegaj na swoim doświadczeniu" means you should rely on your own experience, and "Polegaj na opinii eksperta" means rely on the expert’s opinion. A common use in describing tasks is "Projekt polega na dwóch etapach," meaning the project consists of two stages.

Grammatical notes: polegaj is used to address a single person; the corresponding plural form is polegajcie. The verb is imperfective, so it refers to ongoing or general action rather than a completed event. When expressing the idea that something rests on or involves various elements, the preposition na with the locative case is often employed (e.g., na swoim doświadczeniu, na opinii eksperta).

Etymology: polegać derives from the core root leg- (to lie) with the prefix po-, conveying the sense of leaning on or resting upon. In modern Polish, polegająca uses reflect the metaphor of support or basis.