What's the difference between "idź" and "przejdź"?

When I translate "Go to school" to Polish, I get "Idź do szkoły". But when I translate "Go to the train station" to Polish, I get "Przejdź do stacji kolejowej". What's the difference between the words "Idź" and "Przejdź"? Can they be used interchangeably?

I'm not sure why you use an online translator (it may be useful for Polish 101 but not for better levels). The "AI" translator got it wrong. "Go to the train station" in Polish is: "Idź do stacji kolejowej" (or maybe even better: "Idź na stację kolejową."). The word "przejdź" is wrongly used here; you may use "przejdź" if you want to 'cross the street' or 'move-on/transfer' to another place, but the correct form is "idź" (go) in this example.

they can be used intechangeably to some (quite small) extent.

Przejdź is a prefixed form of idź - the prefix is prze - the prefix typically adds a notion of crossing something, completing something (przeczytać książkę -to read a book through, to complete a book), going through something or past something - (przewiercić - to drill something through)

to cross a street - przejść(sometimes przejechać) ulicę, to go past a kiosk - przejść obok kiosku,

there are some uses as noted above when przejść and iść are almost synonyms - However przejść is then a more formal or polite form. Proszę przejść do poczekalni - Please go to the waiting room. is way more polite than Proszę iść do poczekalni. (means the same though).

Przejdź do stacji kolejowej is formal. Idź do stacji kolejowej or Idź na stację kolejową (slight difference between na and do) mean the same (almost the same thing) but are more colloquial.

Przejść also can be sometimes better translated as to move than to go: Przejdźmy tam. Let's move there/Let's go there.

Thats my understansing

"Przejść" means "to go/come through", e.g. "Czy mogę przejść? Tak, przejdź pan!" Cf. the noun "przejazd" = thoroughfare.

"Iść" means "to go", as in the imperative "Idź pan!" = Go [on]! (formal masculine singular) vs. "Chodź pan!" = Come here, [sir]!

Make sense?

przejście -> przejść
przejazd -> przejechać
wyjście -> wyjść
wyjazd -> wyjechać


These are a bit old-fashioned (although still heard) forms which may pertain to be even slightly impolite to certain people, particularly in bigger towns. They were common, however, before the WWII. Personally, I find it a little bizzare if someone addresses me this way. The more accepted modern equivalents will be:

Niech Pan [tam] idzie/pójdzie! or Proszę tam iść/pójść!
Niech Pan [tu] podejdzie/przyjdzie!

Yes, Ziemowit, I realize that. "Niech + pan(I)" etc. is though quite polite in Polish, am I right?

Slightly off thread, although not off 'topic', isn't " Niech pan siada!" more formal than "Proszę usiąć!"?

Proszę usiąść is more polite or at least more formal I think

Yes, it's more formal, used at meetings, assemblies and certain ceremonies.

That's basically what I figured. Good to know. Thanks all!
:-)

Also, I wanted to know, what is the difference between iść, pojechać and jechać?

hi
iść means generally go on foot
jechać on the other hand means to go with a use of vehicle: to ride a bicycle - jechać rowerem; drive a car - jechać samochodem, go on a train/bus - jechać autobusem

pojechać is a perfective form of jechać - the difference between the perfective and imperfective forms can be described this way: I will use past forms of both perfective and imperfective - On jechał rowerem do pracy- He was riding a bicycle to work vs. On pojechał rowerem do pracy - He rode a bicycle to work

This is exactly why i call English tenses "półczasami" or "half- times".

" Zrobiłem kupę dlatego, że w dalszej części wypowiedzi stwierdzam, że robiłem kupę" i nazwanie tego czasem mnie śmieszy. :)

"On jechał rowerem/pociągiem itd...." = He rode EVERY DAY. vs. "On POjechał......." = He rode AT ONE TIME ONLY...

This is essentially the difference.

not true
he rode a bike everyday = on JEŹDZIŁ rowerem codziennie not JECHAŁ - jechał is not a repeated action

If "pojechać" though is perfective because of "po-", then wouldn't it signify a single aka NON-repeat action in the above sentence? Perhaps I misunderstood your explanation.

I don't think so.
If I've remembered correctly, in verbs of motion the Imperfective subdivides into Indeterminate and Determinate. Jeździć is Indeterminate and does not have a Perfective form. That is why Gumishu used:-


because Indeterminate forms describe repetition or habitual or frequent motion, as in he rides the bike everyday.
Jechać is determinate, and Pojechać the Perfective form. Adding the prefix 'po' turns that Determinate form into a Perfective verb.
Determinate forms in verbs of motion describe actions which are progressive, and not a non-repeat action.
I'm not 100%, maybe Gumishu will come back and give us some more advice :-)

Thoroughly plausible, Chemikiem. Again, thank you ma'am!

Thanks gumishu