przymiotnika

Przymiotnika is the genitive singular form of the Polish noun przymiotnik, which means “adjective.” In Polish grammar, przymiotnik denotes a word class that expresses a property or characteristic of a noun or pronoun. The term przymiotnika is used when discussing the category itself in linguistic descriptions or grammars.

Role and usage. Adjectives in Polish modify nouns and pronouns, providing qualities such as color, size, origin, or other attributes. They can appear in two main positions: as attributive modifiers directly before the noun (atydawka) and as predicates after linking verbs (orzecznik), for example in sentences like “jabłko czerwone” or “jabłko jest czerwone.” Adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.

Morphology and declension. Adjectives in Polish decline across seven cases and two numbers, with three genders. They follow one of several standard declension patterns, and their endings change according to the noun they describe. The exact forms depend on the adjective and its stem, so endings vary between hard and soft stems and among different declension classes. In use, adjectives harmonize in all relevant grammatical categories with the nouns they modify.

Degrees of comparison. Polish adjectives form degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. Common patterns include regular suffixes (for example, ładny → ładniejszy → najładniejszy) and irregular forms (dobry → lepszy → najlepszy; zły → gorszy → najgorszy). These forms also agree with the noun in gender, number, and case when used in sentences.

Related terms. The concept of an adjective also extends to adjectival derivatives (przymiotnikowy) and to the broader study of agreement and inflection within Polish grammar.