Infinitive Constructions in Polish

In Brief

The Polish infinitive—the basic verb form ending most often in -ć, as in robić “to do”—can name an activity, complete an impersonal expression, or state the purpose of an action. Polish often uses a bare infinitive where English uses an -ing form or a to-infinitive: Pływać jest zdrowo (“Swimming is healthy”), Trudno to zrozumieć (“It is hard to understand”), and Przyszedłem pomóc (“I came to help”). Other patterns require a linking word, especially do in łatwy do zrobienia and co in nie ma co robić.

Overview

An infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb: czytać (“to read”), zrobić (“to do, complete”), pomóc (“to help”). It does not itself show person or number. At B2, the main challenge is no longer recognizing this form, but understanding the different jobs it can do inside a sentence.

Polish infinitives can function much like an English verbal noun in -ing, especially when an activity is treated as a general idea: Palić jest niezdrowo (“Smoking is unhealthy”). They also follow impersonal words such as trudno (“it is difficult”) and warto (“it is worth [doing]”), or directly express why somebody goes, comes, or stops somewhere: Wpadłem porozmawiać (“I dropped by to talk”).

English uses “to” in most infinitive constructions, but Polish has no single equivalent of infinitival “to.” Sometimes nothing is added; sometimes Polish needs do, żeby, or co. Learning each construction as a whole is therefore more reliable than translating “to” word by word.

How It Works

Recognizing the infinitive

Most Polish infinitives end in -ć:

Pattern	Examples	Meaning
-ać / -iać	czytać, odpowiadać	to read, to answer
-ić / -yć	robić, uczyć	to do, to teach
-eć	rozumieć, widzieć	to understand, to see
-nąć	zamknąć, odpocząć	to close, to rest
irregular-looking forms	iść, móc, wziąć	to go on foot, to be able, to take

The infinitive has no personal ending, but it can still carry other information. Most importantly, Polish distinguishes aspect—whether an action is viewed as an ongoing/repeated process or as a bounded, completed event. Compare robić (imperfective: “to do, be doing”) with zrobić (perfective: “to do and finish”). This distinction remains active inside every construction in this article.

1. An activity as the subject

A subject is what the sentence is about. An infinitive can fill that role when the speaker comments on an activity in general:

• Pływać jest zdrowo. — “Swimming is healthy.”
• Tak postępować było nierozsądnie. — “Acting that way was unwise.”
• Czekać dłużej nie ma sensu. — “Waiting any longer makes no sense.”

When the infinitive is combined with być (“to be”), the evaluation commonly appears as an impersonal adverb ending in -o, such as zdrowo, miło, trudno, or niebezpiecznie. There is no ordinary noun for an adjective to agree with, so say Pływać jest zdrowo, not pływać jest zdrowe.

Polish can instead use a verbal noun (a noun naming an action), such as pływanie (“swimming”) or czytanie (“reading”). Because this is a grammatical noun, an adjective agrees with it:

Infinitive construction	Verbal-noun construction	Difference
Pływać jest zdrowo.	Pływanie jest zdrowe.	Both are correct; the second treats swimming more explicitly as an activity or practice.
Czytać po polsku jest trudno.	Czytanie po polsku jest trudne.	Infinitive + adverb versus neuter noun + agreeing adjective.
Palić tutaj nie wolno.	Palenie jest zabronione.	Direct prohibition versus a noun-based, often more official formulation.

2. After impersonal evaluations and modal expressions

An impersonal expression states an evaluation, need, permission, or general possibility without naming a grammatical subject. The infinitive tells us what activity is being evaluated.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
trudno / łatwo + infinitive	Łatwo się pomylić.	It is easy to make a mistake.
miło / przykro + infinitive	Miło cię widzieć.	It is nice to see you.
warto + infinitive	Warto to sprawdzić.	It is worth checking that.
trzeba / należy + infinitive	Trzeba poczekać.	One must / We need to wait.
można / wolno + infinitive	Można tu usiąść.	One may / You can sit here.
nie sposób + infinitive	Nie sposób tego przewidzieć.	It is impossible to predict that.

A noun or pronoun affected by the infinitive takes the case required by that verb. In Trudno zrozumieć ten tekst, ten tekst is accusative because rozumieć takes a direct object. Under negation, that object often changes to the genitive: Nie sposób zrozumieć tego tekstu.

The reflexive marker się often creates a general meaning: Jak się tam dostać? (“How does one get there?” / “How can I get there?”) and Łatwo się pomylić (“It is easy to make a mistake”). English usually supplies “you,” “one,” or a passive wording; Polish need not name anyone.

3. A bare infinitive expressing purpose

After verbs of movement or arrival, Polish can use an infinitive directly to explain the purpose:

• Przyszedłem ci pomóc. — “I came to help you.”
• Idę kupić chleb. — “I’m going to buy bread.”
• Wpadliśmy porozmawiać. — “We dropped by to talk.”
• Zatrzymała się odpocząć. — “She stopped to rest.”

The understood performer of both actions is normally the same person: in Przyszedłem pomóc, “I” both came and will help. If the performers differ, use a purpose clause with żeby (“so that”):

• Przyszedłem, żeby ci pomóc. — I came so that I could help you.
• Przyszedłem, żebyś mi pomógł. — I came so that you would help me.

The first sentence allows either construction because the subject is the same. The second requires żebyś because the person helping is “you,” not “I.” A clause is a group of words built around its own verb; unlike a bare infinitive, a żeby clause can mark its performer through forms such as żebym, żebyś, and żebyśmy.

No comma separates a movement verb from its bare purpose infinitive: Idę coś zjeść. A full żeby clause is set off with a comma: Idę do kuchni, żeby coś zjeść.

4. Adjective + do + infinitive

The pattern adjective + do + infinitive evaluates something in relation to an action. It often corresponds to English “easy/hard/ready/suitable to…”:

• To zadanie jest łatwe do zrobienia. — “This task is easy to do.”
• Tekst jest trudny do przetłumaczenia. — “The text is difficult to translate.”
• Mieszkanie jest gotowe do zamieszkania. — “The apartment is ready to move into.”

The adjective agrees with the noun being described: zadanie jest łatwe, tekst jest trudny, instrukcje są łatwe. The infinitive after do does not agree. Semantically, the noun is often what undergoes the infinitive’s action: the task is done, the text is translated, and the instructions are understood.

Do not assume that every English adjective + infinitive takes do. Polish also has lexical patterns that must be learned separately: gotowy do wyjścia (“ready to leave,” with a verbal noun), skłonny uwierzyć (“inclined to believe,” bare infinitive), and chętny do pomocy (“willing to help,” literally “willing for help”).

5. Nie ma co and related co + infinitive patterns

Co + infinitive presents an action as something available, necessary, or worth considering. The common negative construction nie ma co + infinitive has two important readings:

• Nie ma co robić. — “There is nothing to do.”
• Nie ma co się martwić. — “There is no point worrying.” / “No need to worry.”

Context distinguishes lack of an available action from advice not to act. Related patterns include:

• Mam co czytać. — “I have something to read.”
• Nie mam gdzie spać. — “I have nowhere to sleep.”
• Jest o czym rozmawiać. — “There is something to talk about.”
• Nie wiadomo, co powiedzieć. — “It is not clear what to say.”

Words such as co (“what”), gdzie (“where”), kiedy (“when”), and jak (“how”) can introduce an infinitive whose missing detail they supply. Keep the preposition required by the verb: rozmawiać o czymś becomes jest o czym rozmawiać.

Examples in Context

Polish	English	Note
Pływać jest zdrowo.	Swimming is healthy.	Infinitive as the activity being evaluated
Trudno to zrozumieć bez kontekstu.	It is hard to understand this without context.	Impersonal evaluation
Miło było z tobą porozmawiać.	It was nice to talk with you.	Past evaluation with było
Warto wcześniej zarezerwować stolik.	It is worth booking a table in advance.	Perfective infinitive: one completed booking
Łatwo się tutaj zgubić.	It is easy to get lost here.	General się construction
Przyszedłem ci pomóc.	I came to help you.	Bare infinitive of purpose; same performer
Pojechaliśmy nad jezioro odpocząć.	We went to the lake to rest.	Purpose after movement
Zadzwoniłam, żebyś podał mi adres.	I called so that you would give me the address.	Different performers require żeby
Ten formularz jest prosty do wypełnienia.	This form is simple to fill in.	Adjective + do + infinitive
To urządzenie nie jest łatwe w obsłudze.	This device is not easy to operate.	Natural noun-based alternative: w obsłudze
Nie ma co powiedzieć.	There is nothing to say.	No available contribution
Nie ma co odkładać decyzji.	There is no point postponing the decision.	Advice against an action
Mam gdzie przenocować.	I have somewhere to stay overnight.	gdzie + infinitive
Nie wiedział, jak zareagować.	He did not know how to react.	Question word + infinitive
Czekać dłużej nie ma sensu.	There is no point waiting any longer.	Infinitive placed first for emphasis

Common Mistakes

Using an adjective after an infinitive subject

• Wrong: Pływać jest zdrowe.
• Right: Pływać jest zdrowo.
• Also right: Pływanie jest zdrowe.
• Why: An infinitive is normally evaluated with the impersonal adverb zdrowo. The adjective zdrowe agrees with the neuter noun pływanie.

Adding do as if it were English “to”

• Wrong: Przyszedłem do pomóc.
• Right: Przyszedłem pomóc.
• Also right: Przyszedłem, żeby pomóc.
• Why: Polish has no general infinitive marker equivalent to English “to.” Purpose after a movement verb uses a bare infinitive or a żeby clause.

Using a bare purpose infinitive with different performers

• Wrong: Przyszedłem pomóc mi. (intended: “I came for you to help me.”)
• Right: Przyszedłem, żebyś mi pomógł / pomogła.
• Why: A bare infinitive normally shares its understood performer with the main verb. Use żeby when another person is meant to carry out the purpose.

Ignoring the case required by the infinitive

• Wrong: Nie sposób zrozumieć ten tekst.
• Right: Nie sposób zrozumieć tego tekstu.
• Why: The infinitive still governs its object. Here negation favors the genitive tego tekstu rather than accusative ten tekst.

Confusing process and completion

• Less suitable: Warto rezerwować stolik na dzisiejszy wieczór.
• Natural for one booking: Warto zarezerwować stolik na dzisiejszy wieczór.
• Why: Imperfective rezerwować presents booking as a process or repeated practice. Perfective zarezerwować fits one action intended to reach a result.

Reading nie ma co only literally

• Misreading: Nie ma co się spieszyć = “There is nothing with which to hurry.”
• Natural meaning: “There is no need to hurry” or “There is no point hurrying.”
• Why: Nie ma co + infinitive is a conventional construction and often gives advice, not a literal inventory of things.

Usage Notes

Infinitive-first sentences such as Czekać dłużej nie ma sensu are grammatical and give the activity a strong topic position. In neutral conversation, Nie ma sensu dłużej czekać may sound less marked. Word order is flexible, but moving the infinitive changes what the sentence foregrounds.

The bare purpose infinitive is especially natural with common movement and arrival verbs: iść, jechać, przyjść, przyjechać, wpaść, and zatrzymać się. A żeby clause is often chosen when the purpose is longer, needs its own subject, or deserves more emphasis. With the same performer, Przyszedłem porozmawiać is compact, while Przyszedłem, żeby z tobą porozmawiać makes the purpose more explicit.

Some infinitive evaluations sound more conversational than their noun-based alternatives. Miło cię widzieć is an everyday greeting; Widzenie ciebie jest miłe is grammatically imaginable but unnatural in that situation. Conversely, official notices favor nouns or impersonal prohibitions: Zakaz palenia (“No smoking”) and Palenie zabronione (“Smoking prohibited”) are more sign-like than a full sentence.

Aspect can subtly change politeness and practical meaning. Proszę czekać asks someone to remain waiting, whereas Proszę poczekać asks them to wait for a bounded period. In evaluations, warto czytać po polsku recommends a regular practice; warto przeczytać tę książkę recommends completing one book.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

The understood performer is controlled by context

The infinitive has no visible person, but readers infer who performs it. After a personal verb, the subject of that verb often supplies the performer: Obiecała przyjść means that she promised and she will come. After an impersonal expression, the performer can be general or supplied by context: Trudno mi to wyjaśnić means “It is hard for me to explain it.” Here mi, the dative form of ja, identifies the person experiencing the difficulty.

Compare:

• Trudno to wyjaśnić. — It is hard to explain this; performer unspecified.
• Trudno mi to wyjaśnić. — It is hard for me to explain this.
• Trudno mu to wyjaśnić. — This can mean “It is hard for him to explain this,” though context is important because English may also suggest “It is hard to explain this to him.” Polish often removes ambiguity by rephrasing.

Question words with infinitives compress a clause

Structures such as nie wiem, co zrobić (“I don’t know what to do”) are compact alternatives to a fuller clause. They are natural when the understood performer is recoverable. If person or tense must be explicit, Polish uses a finite verb—a verb marked for person or tense: Nie wiem, co on zrobi (“I don’t know what he will do”).

Punctuation depends on the larger structure. A subordinate question after a verb normally has a comma: Nie wiem, co powiedzieć. Fixed existential patterns usually do not: Mam co robić; nie mam gdzie spać.

Infinitive subjects can be expressive or proverbial

Putting an infinitive first can create a concise, proverbial rhythm: Chcieć to móc (“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” literally “To want is to be able”). Repetition may create contrast: Powiedzieć łatwo, zrobić trudniej (“Easy to say, harder to do”). These patterns are productive, but they are stylistically stronger than a neutral impersonal sentence.

Not every English “-ing” form maps to a Polish infinitive

English uses -ing for several unrelated jobs. Polish chooses among an infinitive, a verbal noun, a participle, or a clause. “Swimming is healthy” can be Pływać jest zdrowo or Pływanie jest zdrowe, but “I saw him swimming” cannot be translated by simply inserting pływać. A natural Polish sentence may be Widziałem, jak pływał (“I saw how/as he was swimming”). Choose the Polish construction by function, not by the visible English ending.

Practice Tips

1. Build pattern cards, not isolated infinitives. Record frames such as warto + infinitive, łatwy do + infinitive, and nie ma co + infinitive. Then replace the verb: warto sprawdzić / zapytać / poczekać.
2. Make aspect pairs. For each frame, compare an ongoing habit with one completed action: Warto czytać codziennie versus Warto przeczytać ten artykuł.
3. Transform sentences aloud. Change Pływać jest zdrowo into Pływanie jest zdrowe, and change same-subject purpose into a żeby clause: Idę kupić chleb → Idę do sklepu, żeby kupić chleb. This trains both structure and agreement.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Impersonal Constructions — provides the foundation for patterns with trzeba, można, warto, and impersonal adverbs.