Ten, ta, to: this — and tamten: that
Polish has two pointing words: ten — this, close by, and tamten — that, further away. Both change with the gender of the noun: ten telefon, ta ładowarka, to gniazdko. The same goes for tamten, tamta, tamto. For example: “Ten laptop jest nowy, a tamten stary” — This laptop is new and that one is old. A rule from the Polish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Polish has two pointing words: ten — this, close by, and tamten — that, further away. Both change with the gender of the noun: ten telefon, ta ładowarka, to gniazdko. The same goes for tamten, tamta, tamto.
The neuter to also means this is: To wiadomość od szefa — this is a message from the boss. No verb is needed: To komputer — it's a computer.
When a feminine noun is the object of a verb, ta becomes tę: Znam tę piosenkę — I know this song. In speech you also hear tą, but in writing tę is correct. And tamta becomes tamtą.
tamten is built on tam, there. To compare two things, use the pair: Ten laptop jest nowy, tamten stary.
Table
| This (ten) | That (tamten) | |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | ten telefon | tamten telefon |
| feminine | ta ładowarka | tamta ładowarka |
| neuter | to gniazdko | tamto gniazdko |
| plural | te kable | tamte kable |
| object form (feminine) | tę wiadomość | tamtą wiadomość |
| "this is" | To jest komputer | — |
By example
- Ten laptop jest nowy, a tamten staryThis laptop is new and that one is old
- To jest wiadomość od szefaIt is a message from the boss
- Chcę tamtą aplikację, nie tęI want that app, not this one
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
Ten, ta, to: how does it work in Polish?
Polish has two pointing words: ten — this, close by, and tamten — that, further away. Both change with the gender of the noun: ten telefon, ta ładowarka, to gniazdko. The same goes for tamten, tamta, tamto.
What does it look like in a Polish example sentence?
“Ten laptop jest nowy, a tamten stary” — This laptop is new and that one is old. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.