Language/Polish/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we will explore the topic of adjective agreement in Polish. Adjectives are an essential part of the Polish language, as they allow us to describe and provide more information about nouns. However, unlike in English, adjectives in Polish must agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. This means that the form of the adjective will change depending on the characteristics of the noun it modifies. Understanding adjective agreement is crucial for building grammatically correct sentences in Polish.
Gender Agreement[edit | edit source]
In Polish, nouns are categorized into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they modify. Let's take a closer look at how adjective agreement works in each gender.
Masculine Gender[edit | edit source]
When an adjective modifies a masculine noun, it must agree with the noun in case and number. The endings of adjectives can change depending on the case and number of the noun. Let's see some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dobry samochód | DOH-bri sa-MOH-hoot | good car |
| stary mężczyzna | STAR-y men-CHEEZH-na | old man |
| wysoki budynek | VY-so-kee boo-DY-nek | tall building |
In the examples above, we can see that the adjectives "dobry" (good), "stary" (old), and "wysoki" (tall) change their endings to match the masculine nouns they modify. The adjective endings depend on the case and number of the noun, which we will discuss in more detail later in this lesson.
Feminine Gender[edit | edit source]
When an adjective modifies a feminine noun, it must also agree with the noun in case and number. Let's look at some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dobra książka | DOH-bra KSHYAWN-zhka | good book |
| stara kobieta | STAR-a ko-BYEH-ta | old woman |
| wysoka wieża | VY-so-ka VYEH-zha | tall tower |
In the examples above, the adjectives "dobra" (good), "stara" (old), and "wysoka" (tall) change their endings to match the feminine nouns they modify. Again, the adjective endings depend on the case and number of the noun.
Neuter Gender[edit | edit source]
When an adjective modifies a neuter noun, it also needs to agree with the noun in case and number. Let's see some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dobre dziecko | DOH-re DJYEHCKO | good child |
| stare drzewo | STAR-e DJEH-vo | old tree |
| wysokie morze | VY-so-ke MOH-zhe | high sea |
In the examples above, the adjectives "dobre" (good), "stare" (old), and "wysokie" (tall) change their endings to match the neuter nouns they modify. Once again, the adjective endings depend on the case and number of the noun.
Number Agreement[edit | edit source]
In addition to gender agreement, adjectives in Polish must also agree with nouns in number. This means that the form of the adjective will change depending on whether the noun is singular or plural. Let's examine how number agreement works in Polish.
Singular Nouns[edit | edit source]
When an adjective modifies a singular noun, it will have one form. Let's see some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| czyste okno | CHIS-te OHK-no | clean window |
| mały pies | MAH-wi PYES | small dog |
| grube drzewo | GROO-be DJEH-vo | thick tree |
In the examples above, the adjectives "czyste" (clean), "mały" (small), and "grube" (thick) stay the same regardless of the number of the noun.
Plural Nouns[edit | edit source]
When an adjective modifies a plural noun, its form will change. Let's look at some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| czyste okna | CHIS-te OHK-na | clean windows |
| małe psy | MAH-we PSEE | small dogs |
| grube drzewa | GROO-be DJEH-va | thick trees |
In the examples above, the adjectives "czyste" (clean), "małe" (small), and "grube" (thick) have different endings to match the plural nouns they modify. The adjective endings depend on the case and gender of the noun, which we will discuss in the next section.
Case Agreement[edit | edit source]
In Polish, nouns and adjectives change their forms depending on the case they appear in. Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in case. Let's explore how case agreement works in Polish.
Nominative Case[edit | edit source]
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. When an adjective modifies a noun in the nominative case, it will have one form. Let's see some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| piękny dom | PYENK-ni dom | beautiful house |
| młoda dziewczyna | WOO-da dje-SHCHI-na | young girl |
| inteligentne dzieci | in-te-lee-GYENT-ne DJYEH-chee | intelligent children |
In the examples above, the adjectives "piękny" (beautiful), "młoda" (young), and "inteligentne" (intelligent) stay the same in the nominative case.
Accusative Case[edit | edit source]
The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence. When an adjective modifies a noun in the accusative case, its form will change. Let's look at some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| widzę piękny dom | VID-zhe PYENK-ni dom | I see a beautiful house |
| kocham młodą dziewczynę | KOH-ham WOO-da dje-SHCHY-ne | I love a young girl |
| widzę inteligentne dzieci | VID-zhe in-te-lee-GYENT-ne DJYEH-chee | I see intelligent children |
In the examples above, the adjectives "piękny" (beautiful), "młoda" (young), and "inteligentne" (intelligent) have different endings to match the accusative case of the nouns they modify.
Genitive Case[edit | edit source]
The genitive case is used to indicate possession or to express the absence or lack of something. When an adjective modifies a noun in the genitive case, its form will change. Let's see some examples:
| Polish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| brak pięknego domu | brahk PYEN-ke-go DOH-moo | lack of a beautiful house |
| potrzebuję młodej dziewczyny | po-tshe-ROO-yeh WOO-dey dje-SHCHY-ne | I need a young girl |
| widzę inteligentnych dzieci | VID-zhe in-te-lee-GYENT-nyh DJYEH-chee | I see intelligent children |
In the examples above, the adjectives "pięknego" (beautiful), "młodej" (young), and "inteligentnych" (intelligent) have different endings to match the genitive case of the nouns they modify.
Recap[edit | edit source]
To summarize, adjectives in Polish must agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. The endings of adjectives can change depending on the characteristics of the noun they modify. It is essential to understand and apply the rules of adjective agreement to construct grammatically correct sentences in Polish.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we have learned about adjective agreement in Polish. We explored how adjectives must agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. Adjective agreement is a fundamental aspect of Polish grammar, and mastering it will greatly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Polish. Keep practicing and applying the rules of adjective agreement, and you will soon become proficient in using adjectives in Polish.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Polish for beginners. Lesson 11. Adjectives (endings). Colours ...[edit | edit source]
Polish Adjectives (basics) - Easy Polish - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- mieć to have
- Definite Articles in Polish
- Perfective and imperfective verbs
- Basic Sentence Structure
- Indefinite Articles in Polish
- Polish Alphabet
- być to be
- Plurals
- Future and Conditional Tenses
- Future Tense
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