Lesson 3.1 — Środki transportu — Getting around (Polish A2)

Listen first

A traveller buys a train ticket at a PKP station.

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New vocabulary — tap to hear

pociągiemby train 🔊

autobusemby bus 🔊

samochodemby car 🔊

biletticket 🔊

w jedną stronęone way 🔊

tam i z powrotemreturn / round trip 🔊

Now say it

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« Jadę do Krakowa pociągiem, mam bilet tam i z powrotem. » 🔊

I'm going to Kraków by train; I have a return ticket.

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Pronunciation

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Jak jedziesz do Krakowa? 🔊How are you getting to Kraków?

Jadę pociągiem. Autobusem jest wolniej. 🔊I'm going by train. By bus it's slower.

Masz już bilet? 🔊Do you already have a ticket?

Tak, kupiłem bilet tam i z powrotem. 🔊Yes, I bought a return ticket.

Grammar in focus · instrumental for transport

To say 'by (transport)', Polish uses the instrumental case — no preposition. Add -em to many masculine/neuter nouns: 'pociąg → pociągiem', 'autobus → autobusem', 'samochód → samochodem'. Feminine nouns take -ą: 'taksówka → taksówką'. So: « Jadę pociągiem. » = I'm going by train.

Write it yourself

Write two sentences saying how you travel to work and to another city.

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Tip for this task
Dobrze! The instrumental ending makes 'by X'. Example: « Do pracy jadę autobusem, a do Gdańska pociągiem. »

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. "By train" in Polish is…

2. A "return / round-trip" ticket is…

3. "By car" is…

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