In this article I’m going to teach you how the word „taki” can be used in Polish.

„Taki” means „like this”. Basically it can be used in simple sentences in which we show something to somebody and compare the thing with a different thing. For example: „Zobacz, chcę taki sweter” — „Look, I want a jumper like this”.

Maybe before going further, let’s remind how the word „taki” changes depending on gender and number:
Chłopiec — taki.
Dziewczynka — taka.
Krzesło — takie.
Chłopcy — tacy.
Dziewczynki/ krzesła — takie.

But I’m going to elevate you to a higher level! In three steps. The first step is using the words „taki” to emphasise or exaggerate, usually when we are excited or angry or controlled by different strong emotions. Examples:

• To jest taki debil… — He’s such an idiot…
• To miasto jest takie wielkie! — This city is so big!
• Nauczycielka dała nam wczoraj taki (trudny) test… — The teacher gave us such a (difficult) test yesterday…

Another usage I would like to teach you is quite similar to the basic one but here we introduce an object which is not necessarily seen. And with „taki (że)” we present new informations about the described thing. Examples:

• Nauczycielka dała nam wczoraj taki test, że wszyscy dostali jedynki. — Yesterday the teacher gave us such a test that everbody got an F.
• Jasiu to taki chłopiec, którego poznałem w szkole. — Jasiu is a boy who I met at school.
• Moja mama to taka kobieta, że z nią nigdy nie można się nudzić! — My mum is a kind of woman with whom you are never bored!

Was it difficult? Might be. Try to write a sentence with „taki” used in such a situation (w takiej sytuacji) in the comment at the bottom of the page. Meanwhile, let’s go on to the third way of using „taki” — much easier one. When we want to say that something is „kind of similar” but not really the same as another thing, we can use „taki”. Examples:

• Warcaby to takie szachy, tylko prostsze. — Draughts are a kind of chess, just simplier.
• Pepsi to taka Coca–Cola. — Pepsi is a kind of Coca–Cola.
• Kraków to taki Rzym, tylko ze smokiem zamiast Panteonu. — Kraków is a kind of Rome, just with a dragon instead of Pantheon.

Do you feel as if you learnt something? I hope so! Taką mam nadzieję!

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The image comes from flickr.com.