Z in usage with a verb...

I was wondering what was the purpose of adding a 'z' to the beginning of a verb?

The only example I can think of: "robić" and I have seen it spelled as zrobić. What exactly does this do to the meaning of the word?

i am a student also, the answer to your question is,
robić is the imperfect tense( action not completed or in progress) of the word meaning to do or make.
zrobić is the perfect tense( completed action) of the same word, to have done or made. its not just z there are other prefixes also

i think i got it right

Robić - I' m still doing something.
Zrobić - It's already done.

Robione - Something is doing.
Zrobione - Something is done.

:)

chaza, may I say that I'm proud of you? :)


Other examples:
jeść - zjeść
walczyć - zwalczyć (fight)
palić - spalić (burn)

Sometimes other prefixes are used:
czytać - przeczytać (read)
pisać - napisać (write)
rzucić - wyrzucić (throw)
pić - wypić (drink)
biec - pobiec (run)

Sometimes the same result is obtained not by prefixes but by changing the stem of the verb:
skakać - skoczyć (jump)
mówić - powiedzieć (say)

It's usually more like an action that will be completed in the future. If you mean the form zrobię, zrobisz, zrobi etc. This form is called 'simple future'.

Za kilka lat zrobię magistra. (I will complete my master's degree in a couple of years)

Of course there is a past tense of perfective verbs, but no present tense exist.

The best way to define the perfective verbs is in my opinion that; they focus more on completion of the action/process than the ongoing process itself.

It doesn't matter at all if the action already is completed or not.

But I can add that I understand what EchoTheCat means.

He means that perfective verbs focus more on completion of the action/process than the ongoing process itself. Just as I wrote.

Wow. I feel shame. I'm Polish and I was corrected by Swedishman :)))
I thought that was the simpliest way to show the difference. And yes, it should be "zrobione" instead "zrobic". :)

Is it only when distinguishing between perfect and imperfect that a verb is modified at its beginning? If this is true that would make it a lot easier to know the base word and when I hear the beginning of it modified I can just assume it to be the perfect form?

No, there are many prefixes that can be added to the verbs, and they change the meaning.

This a big Jungle, this kind of knowledge comes only with experience, step by step.

I recommend 301 Polish Verbs by Janecki. It's a real life saver when it comes to the grammar of verbs.

No, unfortunately, is not that simple.

Some verbs form perfective counterparts by changing the stem, eg. rzucać - rzucić.
And then prefixes added to a stem verb just modify or completely change its meaning, in a similar manner to the English phrasal verbs:
throw away, throw up, throw in...
in Polish you have: rzucać, wrzucać, narzucać, wyrzucać, przerzucać, zarzucać, dorzucać... (all imperfective)
or: rzucić, wrzucić, narzucić, wyrzucić, przerzucić, zarzucić, dorzucić - all perfective.

Brać (take) is imperfective; perfective is wziąć.
But ubrać means to dress and is perfective.

So there's no simple logic in it.


True.

Wow, that`s easy! I already know how to do it:

rzygać - puke
zrzygać - puked
zarzygać - puke even more

Additional example: rozumiec = to understand zrozumiec = to [begin to] understand

Yes! or

bić - beat
zbić - have beaten
zabić - have beaten to the nines

Ojciec bil syna = The father beat/was [in the process of] beating his son vs. Ojciec ZAbil syna = The father beat his son [..so badly as to sustain life threatening injuries or even worse] Back to previous example: Czy rozumial(a) pan(i)? = Did you understand? vs. Czy zrozumial(a) pan(i)? = Do you [finally] understand?

In this case even worse as that would mean father killed his son


Czy pan/i rozumie?

Sorry btw, this is do you understand not się you

I never included a reflexive. Even I know that:-)

Can you please explain to what you are referring?

Forgot for a sec "rozumiec SIE" = byc rozumianym, apologies!

Understand each other.

-:) Yes.