Common Irregular Verbs in Polish

Overview

Several of the most frequently used Polish verbs have irregular present tense conjugation. At the A1 level, the key irregular verbs to master are iść (go on foot), jeść (eat), wiedzieć (know a fact), chcieć (want), and brać (take). These verbs do not follow any of the four standard conjugation patterns cleanly, so their forms must be memorized.

The good news is that irregular verbs are irregular precisely because they are used so often -- high frequency has preserved older forms that regular sound changes would have smoothed out. This means you will encounter and practice these forms constantly in daily conversation, which accelerates memorization.

Many of these verbs have stem changes between the infinitive and the conjugated form that may seem unpredictable at first but become familiar with repeated exposure.

How It Works

iść (to go on foot)

Person	Singular	Plural
ja	idę	idziemy
ty	idziesz	idziecie
on/ona	idzie	idą

jeść (to eat)

Person	Singular	Plural
ja	jem	jemy
ty	jesz	jecie
on/ona	je	jedzą

wiedzieć (to know)

Person	Singular	Plural
ja	wiem	wiemy
ty	wiesz	wiecie
on/ona	wie	wiedzą

brać (to take)

Person	Singular	Plural
ja	biorę	bierzemy
ty	bierzesz	bierzecie
on/ona	bierze	biorą

Examples in Context

Polish	English	Note
Idę do sklepu.	I'm going to the store.	iść, 1st person
Jesz mięso?	Do you eat meat?	jeść, 2nd person
Wiem to.	I know it.	wiedzieć, 1st person
Bierzemy taksówkę.	We're taking a taxi.	brać, 1st person pl.
Dokąd idziesz?	Where are you going?	iść, 2nd person
Ona je śniadanie.	She eats breakfast.	jeść, 3rd person
Nie wiesz?	You don't know?	wiedzieć, 2nd person
Oni idą do domu.	They're going home.	iść, 3rd person pl.
Co jesz na obiad?	What do you eat for lunch?	jeść, question
Biorę kawę.	I'll have coffee.	brać, ordering

Common Mistakes

Regularizing iść

• Wrong: Iśę do domu.
• Right: Idę do domu.
• Why: Iść has a completely different stem in conjugation: id-. The infinitive form does not predict the conjugated stem.

Confusing je (eats) with je (them)

• Wrong: Interpreting je as always meaning "them."
• Right: Context determines meaning. On je jabłko = He eats an apple. Widzę je = I see them.
• Why: Polish has homonyms; je can be third person singular of jeść or the accusative pronoun "them/it."

Wrong stem for brać

• Wrong: Braję to. or Brę to.
• Right: Biorę to.
• Why: Brać uses the stem bior- in 1st/3rd person and bierz- in 2nd person and plural. This alternation must be memorized.

Usage Notes

These verbs are used constantly in all registers. Iść specifically means going on foot; for going by vehicle, Polish uses jechać. Wiedzieć means knowing a fact, while znać means being acquainted with someone or something. These semantic distinctions do not exist in English "go" and "know."

Practice Tips

1. Memorize each verb's full conjugation as a set. Write each paradigm out five times, then test yourself from memory.
2. Create situational dialogues: ordering food (jem, jesz), giving directions (idę, idziesz), discussing knowledge (wiem, wiesz).
3. Pay attention to stem alternations: bior-/bierz-, id-/idź-, je-/jedz-. These patterns recur in related verbs.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns -- pronouns determine which form to use