Chcę
The English phrase "I want" is translated into Polish as Chcę.
Chcę is used to express a desire or a wish to have or do something. When you want to express a desire to perform an action, you follow Chcę directly with an infinitive verb, such as Chcę jeść (I want to eat).
Which one should you use?
While Chcę is a direct way to express your wants, you can use chciałbym (if you are male) or chciałabym (if you are female) to say "I would like" instead. Using the "would like" forms is a more polite way to express yourself in social situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
Chcę is the first-person singular present tense of the verb chcieć (to want). Other forms of this verb include chce for he/she/it wants, chcecie for you (plural) want and chcą for they want.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'want' for both people and things, using Chcę followed by a person in Polish can sound incredibly aggressive or even predatory, as if you are demanding to possess them.
- The verb chcieć is one of the few in Polish that can be used in a 'double' construction to express a strong wish, such as chcę chcieć, which implies a desire to actually possess the motivation for something.
- While Chcę expresses a wish, the phrase Mam ochotę is used when you have a sudden craving or fancy for something, such as a specific food or activity.
Examples in context
- Ja chcę do mamy!I want my mom.This sentence shows how to use Chcę to express wanting a person.Tatoeba #4359748 by liori, translation #3822374 by CK
- Chcę iść do domu.I want to go home.This sentence demonstrates using Chcę followed by an infinitive to express wanting to go somewhere.Tatoeba #597873 by Bilberry, translation #256506 by CK
- Chcę iść z Tomem.I want to go with Tom.This sentence illustrates using Chcę to express wanting to go with someone.Tatoeba #2810196 by Ceresnya, translation #2011675 by CK
- Chciałbym zjeść kolacjęI would like to have dinner
- Chcę iść na spacerI want to go for a walk
- Chcę herbatyI want tea
- Chciałbym zamówić pizzęI would like to order pizza
- Chcę kupić nowe butyI want to buy new shoes
- Chciałbym pojechać na wakacjeI would like to go on vacation
- Chcę nauczyć się polskiego językaI want to learn the Polish language
- 554 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Paweł are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- AgnieszkaChcę zjeść pizzę.I want to eat pizza.
- PawełJa chcę tylko sałatkę.I only want a salad.
- AgnieszkaNaprawdę chcesz tak mało jeść?Do you really want to eat so little?
- PawełTak, chcę być zdrowy.Yes, I want to be healthy.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
