2. Prepositions. Some preposition uses are arbitrary, at least from the standpoint of English. "Wait for" is czekam na, "ask for" is proszę o, and "pay for" is płacę za (all followed by the accusative case). In such cases one must simply learn which preposition goes with which verb.

2.1 In other cases preposition use is determined by how the spatial relation in question is viewed. We may view an object such as a box (pudełko) in several ways. Viewing it as a container we say "in the box" (w pudełku), viewing it as a surface we say "on the box" (na pudełku), and viewing it as a point we might say (among other possibilities) "by the box" (przy pudełku). Most objects are normally viewed only one way. A pocket (kieszeń [fem.]) is normally viewed as a container and we say w kieszeni. A city square (plac) in Polish is viewed as a surface, so it is na placu (lit. on the square). A person is viewed as a point; therefore it is "at Ann's" (u Ani). A blackboard is a point from the standpoint of one is standing u tablicy, but it is a surface when one is writing na tablicy.

2.2 The above phrases all specify location, which is why w pudełku, przy pudełku), w kieszeni, and na placu all show the LOCATIVE case, which is presented later (u takes the genitive case). But prepositional phrases may also express the goal of movement ("into the pocket", "onto the square", "to Ann's") and the starting point of movement ("out of the pocket", "from the square", "from Ann's"). In each case the choice of preposition is determined by whether the object is viewed as a container, a surface, or a point. The goal of movement corresponds to the question dokąd? (where to, pron. "do-kont"). Location corresponds to the question gdzie? (where). And the starting point of movement corresponds to the question skąd? (where from, pron. "skont" ). Thus we have:

2.3 A container for purposes of preposition choice need not have physical limits like pudełko, dom, or pokój (room). Administrative units such as countries and cities have definite boundaries and are therefore viewed as containers. For this reason one might travel do Polski and live w Krakowie. However, from the Polish perspective some neighboring countries are viewed as unbounded expanses. For example, Hungary (Węgry), Ukraine (Ukraina), and Lithuania (Litwa) are viewed as unbounded surfaces and call for na + accusative: Jedziemy na Węgry/na Ukrainę/na Litwę. Polish cities were once walled in, which may explain why they call for do (into) and w (in). But the newer developments lying outside the original city walls are viewed as unbounded areas calling for na. When we say "It's 260 kilometers from Warsaw to Cracow", we speak of them as points on a map and say od Warszawy do Krakowa. But when one travels from Warsaw to Cracow, one leaves the confines of one and enters the confines of the other, so we say Jadę z Warszawy do Krakowa.