Polski — coordinate clauses
Two clauses of equal rank are joined by a coordinating conjunction such as i, ale or lub. The conjunction sets the meaning (addition, contrast, choice), and it decides whether a comma is needed.
How it works
Add with i / oraz (Kot i pies), contrast with a / ale / lecz (Ja czytam, a ty piszesz; Chcę, ale nie mogę), offer a choice with lub / albo (Kawa lub herbata), and draw a conclusion with więc / czyli (Pada, więc zostaję w domu). The correlative pair ani…ani negates both parts: Nie mam ani czasu, ani pieniędzy.
Conjunctions and commas
| Conjunction | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| i / oraz | addition — no comma before it | Anna i Piotr śpiewają. |
| a | mild contrast — comma before it | Ja czytam, a ty piszesz. |
| ale / lecz | strong contrast — comma before it | Chcę, ale nie mogę. |
| lub / albo | choice — no comma if used once | Kawa lub herbata? |
| ani…ani | double negation — comma before the second ani | Ani ja, ani ty. |
| więc / czyli | conclusion — comma before it | Pada, więc zostaję. |
Good to know
The tricky pair is i versus a. Both may translate as “and”, but a marks a contrast or a shift and always takes a comma (Ja idę, a on zostaje), while i simply adds and takes no comma (Ja idę i śpiewam). A single lub or albo needs no comma; a repeated albo…albo does: Albo teraz, albo nigdy.