"Jesteś z przodu czy z tyłu?"

Translation: Are you at the front or at the back?

[Colin198350]

"In the front" locates you inside whatever is being discussed. My understanding of "z przodu" is that it locates you not inside, but "in front".

[immery]

z przodu can be for example in the front of the car or the line or the train

przed means in front of sth

[random8042]

Being "in the back of" or "in back of" is an Americanism when used like this. In England you would have to say "behind"

[sirwootalot]

Currently, yes, but you might be surprised to know it has its origins in the UK and is merely a turn-of-phrase that died out over there. There are all kinds of features of American English, especially in the south, that have more in common with early modern English than the UK's modern English does.

[jtd742]

It's referring to front and back in, say, a train, as in front or back row.

[TrevorChri14]

Not true, one's experience never encapsulates all knowledge

[va-diim]

It doesn't have to switch between "at" and "in" for front vs. back. Both work:

In the front/in the back

At the front/at the back

[sirwootalot]

"Out front" should be accepted - "in front" is much more specific and uncommon, whereas "out front" means precisely this (in relation to location).

[Jellei]

OK, why not, added now.

[TrevorChri14]

I would balance the sample as 'at the front' and 'at the back' to avoid the inevitable wondering why the difference.

[Jellei]

OK, let's do it this way.

[Walkinthedog]

Are you in front or in back would be the term used most often. Are you at the front of the group or at the back of the parade.

[DMR680865]

I think at the front or at the rear works, too? We often say "at the rear of the bus"

[Jellei]

OK, added "at the rear".

[gbaldacci1309]

Is "z" pronounced this way? ...sounds like "zed".

[Jellei]

If you use the slow audio (or hover over one word), the one-letter prepositions will be read the way they're read when reciting the alphabet.

[AlexP8]

Such an interesting discussion! I choose in front/in back.

[AlexP8]

At the rear of a plane

[warfreak2]

"Are you at the front or the back" wasn't accepted.

[A__drian]

I have missed this meaning of "z". I thought it meant "with" and took instrumental. Kawa z mlekiem. Am i right to think that here it takes genitive and means "at"?

[Jellei]

Yes, it's Genitive, and as for the meaning... you know, it's often hard to discuss the meaning of a preposition on its own. Maybe let's just say that "z przodu" means "at the front" and "z tyłu" means "at the back" and that's it ;)

[DorothyRoholt]

Could this also be phrased as "Are you ahead or behind?"

[Jellei]

So, with some work? Not really. I'd say "do tyłu" for sure if I was behind something, so if I was ahead of schedule... "do przodu" seems to work. Not sure, who in the world is ever ahead of schedule? :D