zostawili

Zostawili is a Polish verb form, specifically the third person plural past tense of the perfective verb zostawić. It expresses a completed action of leaving something or someone somewhere, or of abandoning them. The form is used when referring to a group of people (masculine personal or mixed gender).

Morphology and usage: In Polish, past tense forms reflect gender and number. Zostawili corresponds to masculine personal or mixed-gender groups. The feminine plural past tense is zostawiły, while the neuter singular past tense is zostawiło. The base verb zostawić means “to leave behind” or “to abandon,” and zostawili carries the sense that the leaving was completed in the past.

Meaning and nuance: Zostawili can describe literal acts of leaving an object in a place, such as leaving keys on a table, or leaving a situation, such as abandoning someone or withdrawing from a commitment. It can also convey leaving behind a trace or signal, depending on context. The nuance depends on the object and adverbs used with it, for example: zostawili klucz na stole (they left the key on the table) or zostawili mnie w trudnej sytuacji (they left me in a difficult situation).

Examples:

- Zostawili klucz na stole i wyszli. (They left the key on the table and left.)

- Zostawili drzwi otwarte. (They left the door open.)

- Zostawili mnie samego w domu. (They left me alone at home.)

See also: zostawić (to leave, to leave behind) and ostawić (less common; related imperfective forms).