tematowi

Tematowi is the dative singular form of the Polish noun temat, which means topic or subject. The noun temat is masculine inanimate and is used to refer to the subject of discussion, study, or inquiry, among other senses. In Polish, temat has a standard set of inflections, with tematowi serving as the dative form in the singular.

Declension (singular and plural, abbreviated)

- Singular: Nom temat; Gen tematu; Dat tematowi; Acc temat; Instr tematem; Loc temacie.

- Plural: Nom tematy; Gen tematów; Dat tematom; Acc tematy; Instr tematami; Loc tematach.

Usage

tematowi is used to mark the indirect object or the beneficiary/recipient of actions in sentences when the verb governs the dative case. It can appear in contexts where one talks about directing something to the topic, addressing the topic, or engaging with the topic as a focal point of discussion. In everyday language, however, the phrase na temat is commonly used to indicate “about” or “concerning,” and that construction takes a different case pattern (often genitive after na temat).

Relation to other forms

The form tematowi should not be confused with the dative-like form of the related adjective tematowy, whose standard masculine singular dative is tematowemu. The noun temat has distinct inflection in all cases, separate from the adjectival forms that describe topic-related attributes.

Etymology and context

The noun temat comes from historical usage in Polish to denote the subject of discourse. It is widely used across domains such as linguistics, journalism, education, and academia to designate the matter under consideration. See also temat (the base noun) and tematy (plural form).