Polski — Prepositions + instrumental
Several Polish prepositions require the instrumental case. After z, nad, pod, przed, za, między, poza and ponad the noun takes instrumental endings, as in idę z bratem or nad morzem.
How it works
The prepositions z, nad, pod, przed, za, między, poza and ponad take the instrumental case: idę z bratem (I'm going with my brother), odpoczywamy nad morzem (we rest by the sea), kot śpi pod stołem (the cat sleeps under the table).
Prepositions and examples
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| z | with | z bratem |
| nad | above, over | nad morzem |
| pod | under, below | pod stołem |
| przed | in front of, before | przed domem |
| za | behind | za oknem |
| między | between, among | między nami |
| poza | beyond, outside | poza miastem |
| ponad | above, over | ponad chmurami |
Good to know
Watch the preposition z: with the instrumental it means "with" (idę z bratem), but with the genitive it means "from / out of" (wracam z pracy). Same word, different case and meaning. Also note that nad, pod, przed, za and między take the accusative when they express motion toward a place (idę nad morze), and the instrumental only for a static location (jestem nad morzem).