wczoraj
/ˈft͡ʂɔ.raj/neuter
The English word "yesterday" is translated into Polish as wczoraj.
The word wczoraj is used to refer to the day before today. It can function as a noun or an adverb. Additionally, the idiomatic phrase na wczoraj is used to describe a task that is extremely urgent, as if it were already due yesterday.
Meaning: day before today (noun)
Which one should you use?
While wczoraj is the standard term, Wczora is a casual variation of wczoraj. For a more formal way to say "the previous day", you should use the phrase Poprzedniego dnia.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
wczoraj is tagged as a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈftʂɔ.raj/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word wczoraj shares a common linguistic ancestor with the English word 'evening'. Both stem from Proto-Indo-European roots related to the onset of darkness.
Examples in context
- Dałem im to wczoraj.I gave it to them yesterday.This sentence demonstrates the use of wczoraj to indicate when an action was completed.Tatoeba #3976959 by jeedrek, translation #3907302 by CH
- Dałem mu to wczoraj.I gave it to him yesterday.This sentence shows how to use wczoraj when referring to an action given to a specific person.Tatoeba #3976960 by jeedrek, translation #3907303 by CH
- Byłem wczoraj w domu.I was at home yesterday.This sentence illustrates using wczoraj to describe one's location on a previous day.Tatoeba #2611902 by Martka, translation #2611763 by CK
- 343 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Krzysztof are talking about a movie.
- AgnieszkaOglądałeś ten film wczoraj?Did you watch that movie yesterday?
- KrzysztofNie, nie miałem czasu.No, I didn't have time.
- AgnieszkaSzkoda, bo był świetny.Too bad, because it was great.
- KrzysztofTo obejrzę go dzisiaj.Then I will watch it today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yesterday” translations and entries wczoraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wczoraj, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
