Według kogo? Other people's words with an address
To pass on what someone else says, Polish often names the source: according to whom, in whose opinion. For example: “Według świadka wszystko zaczęło się od iskry” — According to the witness everything started with a spark. A rule from the Polish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To pass on what someone else says, Polish often names the source: according to whom, in whose opinion.
Według — according to — takes the of-form, the shape a noun has after of. So: według świadka — according to the witness, według prognozy — according to the forecast, według mnie — in my view.
Zdaniem — in the opinion of — works the same way: zdaniem naukowców — in the scientists' opinion. Jak się mówi — as they say — needs no source at all.
When you don't quite trust a story, add podobno — reportedly, or the more formal jakoby — allegedly. News reports like to stack them: Podobno według świadka....
Table
| Frame | Case after | Example | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| według + of-form | of-form | według świadka | neutral |
| według mnie | of-form | według mnie to plotka | in my opinion |
| zdaniem + of-form | of-form | zdaniem naukowców | bookish |
| jak się mówi | no object | jak się mówi, nic nie ginie | hearsay |
| podobno | a separate word | podobno się przeprowadzają | a rumour |
| jakoby | inside the sentence | słyszałem, jakoby sprzedali | allegedly |
| według prognozy | of-form | według prognozy będzie deszcz | a forecast |
| oświadczyli, że | the że-frame | oświadczyli, że to nieprawda | official |
By example
- Według świadka wszystko zaczęło się od iskryAccording to the witness everything started with a spark
- Zdaniem sąsiadów remont trwał za długoIn the neighbours' opinion the renovation dragged on too long
- Podobno sprzedali dom, ale to tylko pogłoskiReportedly they sold the house, but that is just rumours
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Według kogo? Other people's words with an address: how does it work in Polish?
To pass on what someone else says, Polish often names the source: according to whom, in whose opinion.
What does it look like in a Polish example sentence?
“Według świadka wszystko zaczęło się od iskry” — According to the witness everything started with a spark. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.