wielu

Wielu is a Polish determiner meaning "many" or "a large number of," used before a plural noun in the genitive case. It signals a sizable but indefinite quantity and is most common with people or countable objects. In practice, wielu is followed by a noun in genitive plural, for example: wielu ludzi zna to miejsce (many people know this place) or wielu z nas ma podobne doświadczenia (many of us have similar experiences).

The construction often appears at the start of a sentence or clause, as in Wielu z nas pamięta ten dzień. The noun that follows Wielu is typically in genitive plural (ludzi, członków, studentów, etc.). This form is well established in both spoken and written Polish and can appear in formal journalism, academic prose, as well as everyday conversation.

Wielu is commonly contrasted with other Polish quantifiers such as dużo and wiele, which also express large quantity but differ in nuance and usage with certain nouns. While dużo is a more general, versatile measure of quantity, wielu emphasizes a larger, countable group of individuals and is especially natural when referring to people.

Etymologically, wielu is part of a family of Polish expressions that denote plurality and indefiniteness, with usage that spans standard language varieties. It remains a stable and recognizable element in modern Polish grammar, capable of introducing clauses or serving as a fronted subject-like element in sentences without changing its form.

See also: Polish grammar, Quantifiers in Polish, Dużo and Wiele.