Podobno, rzekomo, miał przyjechać: how to show the words are not yours
English marks other people's words with allegedly, supposedly, they say. Here it is done with an adverb, a phrase and a special verb form — three doors, one per degree of doubt. For example: “Podobno przeprowadzają się do Krakowa” — Apparently they are moving to Kraków. A rule from the Polish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English marks other people's words with allegedly, supposedly, they say. Here it is done with an adverb, a phrase and a special verb form — three doors, one per degree of doubt.
Neutral: mówią, że — they say that; and po słowach + someone — according to: po słowach lekarza. Whether the speaker is named or not, nobody vouches for the words — and there is no doubt either.
With doubt: podobno — allegedly, softly; rzekomo — supposedly, stricter, almost with a squint. Podobno się przeprowadzają — they are moving, they say. Rzekomo był chory — he was supposedly ill: the speaker does not quite believe it.
The third door is the form miał + infinitive: Pociąg miał przyjechać o piątej — the train was due, by timetable or by hearsay, at five. The context tells them apart: a timetable and an agreement are a plan; a person and his affairs are rather hearsay. Trap: miał without an infinitive is simply had — the form here decides everything.
Table
| Phrase | Example | What it reports |
|---|---|---|
| mówią, że | Mówią, że sklep się zamknie | they say, no judgement |
| po słowach | Po słowach lekarza plan się zmienia | according to, a source named |
| jak wiadomo | Jak wiadomo, czas to pieniądz | as is known, not discussed |
| podobno | Podobno się przeprowadzają | allegedly, a soft doubt |
| rzekomo | Rzekomo był chory | supposedly, a strong doubt |
| miał + infinitive | Pociąg miał przyjechać o piątej | was due by plan or by hearsay |
| chodzi o | Chodzi o pieniądze | it is about |
By example
- Podobno przeprowadzają się do KrakowaApparently they are moving to Kraków
- Rzekomo był wtedy chory, ale nikt tego nie sprawdziłHe was supposedly ill then, but nobody checked
- Pociąg miał przyjechać o piątej, a przyjechał o siódmejThe train was due at five and arrived at seven
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
Podobno, rzekomo, miał przyjechać: how does it work in Polish?
English marks other people's words with allegedly, supposedly, they say. Here it is done with an adverb, a phrase and a special verb form — three doors, one per degree of doubt.
What does it look like in a Polish example sentence?
“Podobno przeprowadzają się do Krakowa” — Apparently they are moving to Kraków. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.