szkodzi

Szkodzi is a Polish verb meaning to harm or damage. It is the present tense, third-person singular form of the imperfective verb szkodzić, whose infinitive is szkodzić. The related perfective form is zaszkodzić, used when describing causing harm in a single act. In everyday language, szkodzić refers to actions that negatively affect someone or something, such as health, property, or the environment.

Etymology and cognates: szkodzić comes from the Polish root associated with harm (szkoda, damage) and shares common ancestry with related Slavic verbs such as Czech škodit, Russian шкодить (shkodit), and Ukrainian нашкодити (nashkodyty). The term’s core meaning centers on causing damage or being detrimental.

Usage and examples: Szkodzić is used with direct objects in various domains, for example: Zbyt długie narażenie na słońce szkodzi skórze. Niewłaściwe odżywianie szkodzi zdrowiu. The perfective zaszkodzić indicates that the harm occurs as a result of a particular action, as in: Ten incydent zaszkodził reputacji firmy. In the idiomatic sense, nie szkodzi can mean “it doesn’t matter” or “no harm done,” a common expression in Polish.

Related terms: szkodliwość (harmfulness), szkodliwy (harmful), and the noun szkoda meaning damage or pity. The verb and its forms are widely used in health, environmental, legal, and everyday contexts.

See also: Polish verbs of harm and related Slavic cognates.