Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| odchodzić | /ɔtˈxɔ.d͡ʑit͡ɕ/ | imperfective |
| odejść | /ˈɔ.dɛjɕt͡ɕ/ | perfective |
The verb refers to the act of departing. Other related terms include odjazd for 'departure', odlecieć for 'to take off' and the noun urlop for 'absence from work'. If you are discussing permission to be absent, use pozwolenie.
Which one should you use?
Polish uses different verb forms depending on whether the action is completed. The imperfective form odchodzić is used for ongoing actions, such as being in the process of leaving or for habitual departures. The perfective form odejść is used to express a single, completed act of leaving or to go away, as well as to express the result of having left.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The first person singular present tense of the imperfective form is odchodzę (I am leaving), and the third person singular masculine past tense of the perfective form is odszedł (he left).
Did you know?
- The word odejść is frequently used as a gentle euphemism for 'to die' in Polish, similar to the English phrase 'to pass away'.
- If a Polish person says odchodzę sobie, adding the word sobie makes the act of leaving sound more casual, relaxed or self-indulgent.
- The verb odchodzić is built from the prefix 'od-' and the verb 'chodzić', meaning 'to walk'. Literally, the word translates to 'to walk away' from a place.
Examples in context
- Tom nie chce odejść.Tom is refusing to leave.This sentence shows a refusal to odejść.Tatoeba #11319200 by jezykiija, translation #6049278 by CK
- Czy naprawdę muszę odejść?Do I really have to leave?This sentence asks about the necessity to odejść.Tatoeba #12215088 by polski_ren, translation #3823093 by CK
- Nie mogę pozwolić ci odejść.I can't let you leave.This sentence expresses an inability to let someone odejść.Tatoeba #8761084 by nusia2302, translation #1954596 by CK
- Czy mogę odejść teraz?Can I leave now?
- Przepraszam, czy mogę opuścić spotkanie wcześniej?Excuse me, can I leave the meeting earlier?
- Czy możesz wyjść ze mną?Can you leave with me?
- Zmykam stąd!I'm leaving from here!
- Pora zmykać do domu.It's time to leave for home.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leave” translations and entries odchodzić, odejść, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
