jeść
/ˈjɛɕt͡ɕ/imperfective
The Polish verb for "eat" is jeść.
jeść is used to describe the act of eating a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Which one should you use?
jeść is the imperfective form, which describes the ongoing process of eating. In contrast, the perfective form zjeść is used to indicate the completion of the act, such as finishing a whole meal or eating something entirely.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, jeść changes based on the subject: use jem for "I eat/am eating", jesz for "you (singular) eat/are eating", je for "he/she/it eats/is eating", jemy for "we eat/are eating", jecie for "you (plural) eat/are eating" and jedzą for "they eat/are eating".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjɛɕtɕ/
When do people say it?
In Polish culture, it is customary to wish someone smacznego before they begin their meal, which is the equivalent of saying "bon appétit".
Did you know?
- If you are offered more food and are full, it is common to use the phrase nie zmieszczę, which literally means 'I will not fit it'.
- Polish has a specific word podjadać for the act of eating small amounts of food frequently or sneaking snacks.
- The English word 'eat' and the Polish verb jeść are distant cousins, both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ed-.
Examples in context
- Nie chcę tu jeść.I don't want to eat here.This sentence shows how to express a lack of desire to eat in a specific location using jeść.Tatoeba #965215 by zipangu, translation #953443 by CK
- Jak mam niby jeść?How am I supposed to eat?This sentence uses jeść to ask about how one is supposed to eat.Tatoeba #3432979 by konrad509, translation #1664214 by Spamster
- Nie możesz tu jeść.You can't eat here.This sentence uses jeść to express an inability to eat in a certain place.Tatoeba #10542374 by tokzyk, translation #954736 by CK
- Czy Pan/Pani je obiad?Are you eating lunch?
- Przepraszam, czy możemy zjeść w tej restauracji?Excuse me, can we eat at this restaurant?
- Czy chcesz coś zjeść?Do you want to eat something?
- 103 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Agnieszka are deciding what to do for lunch.
- TomaszChcesz teraz coś zjeść?Do you want to eat something now?
- AgnieszkaTak, lubię jeść w południe.Yes, I like to eat at noon.
- TomaszGdzie będziemy dzisiaj jeść?Where will we eat today?
- AgnieszkaMożemy jeść w tej nowej knajpce.We can eat at that new bistro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries jeść, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jeść, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
