Jesteś wolny?
The English phrase "are you single?" is translated into Polish as Jesteś wolny?
This phrase is used to ask whether someone is currently unmarried or not in a romantic relationship.
Which one should you use?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender of the person you are speaking to. Use Jesteś wolny? when speaking to a man and Jesteś wolna? when speaking to a woman. Additionally, you may encounter the informal version Jesteś singlem?
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender of the person being addressed: use wolny for a man and wolna for a woman.
Did you know?
- Because wolny can mean 'free' in a political or legal sense, asking a man 'Jesteś wolny?' could accidentally sound like you are asking if he is a free man or not imprisoned.
- In very formal or old-fashioned contexts, a person might be described as kawaler (bachelor) or panna (spinster/maiden). These terms describe a legal state of being unmarried rather than just being 'free'.
- The root of wolny connects to the concept of 'will' or 'volition', suggesting that being 'free' is a state of being governed by one's own choice.
Examples in context
- Jesteś wolny?Are you single?
Example conversation
Anna and Piotr are talking at a party.
- AnnaBardzo mi się podobasz. Jesteś wolny?I really like you. Are you single?
- PiotrTak, nie mam teraz dziewczyny.Yes, I don't have a girlfriend right now.
- AnnaTo świetnie, może pójdziemy na kawę?That's great, maybe we could go for coffee?
- PiotrChętnie, Piotr bardzo chętnie pójdzie.Gladly, Piotr would love to go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wolny, CC BY-SA 4.0.
