Polski — Multiplicative and frequency numerals
Polish expresses "how many times" and "how many-fold" with several distinct series: the phrase raz / dwa razy / trzy razy for frequency, the adjectives podwójny, potrójny for multiples, the -krotny family such as jednokrotny, and the enumerating po pierwsze, po drugie.
How it works
For frequency, raz means "once" but from two upward you use razy: dwa razy, trzy razy, pięć razy. Multiplicative adjectives are built with the prefixes po-/-jny (podwójny, potrójny) or the suffix -krotny (dwukrotny, wielokrotny); the matching adverb ends in -krotnie (dwukrotnie). To rank points in a list, use po pierwsze, po drugie, po trzecie.
Examples
| Type | Polish form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency (phrase) | raz, dwa razy, trzy razy | once, twice, three times |
| Frequency (higher) | pięć razy, wiele razy | five times, many times |
| Multiple (adjective) | pojedynczy, podwójny, potrójny | single, double, triple |
| Multiple (higher) | poczwórny, pięciokrotny | quadruple, fivefold |
| -krotny series | jednokrotny, dwukrotny, wielokrotny | single, twofold, multiple (occurrence) |
| Adverb | dwukrotnie, trzykrotnie | twice over, three times over |
| Ordering | po pierwsze, po drugie, po trzecie | firstly, secondly, thirdly |
Good to know
Do not confuse the phrase raz ("one time", no ending change) with the adjective jednokrotny/jednorazowy, which describe a single-occurrence event (bilet jednorazowy = a single-use ticket). Also mind the spelling shift: podwójny and potrójny keep the po- prefix, but from four upward the -krotny series is the natural choice (czterokrotny, not "poczwórny" in most technical contexts).