Breakdown of Możesz wybrać krój, byleby fason pasował.
móc
can
wybrać
to choose
pasować
to fit
krój
the cut of a garment
Questions & Answers about Możesz wybrać krój, byleby fason pasował.
What does byleby mean here?
Byleby means as long as, provided that, or so long as.
It introduces a condition:
- Możesz wybrać krój, byleby fason pasował.
- You can choose the cut, as long as the style works/fits.
It often has a slightly colloquial or practical tone: do whatever you want, provided that this one condition is met.
Why is pasował used instead of a present-tense form like pasuje?
This is one of the most common learner questions.
After words like żeby, aby, byleby, Polish often uses a form that looks like the past tense:
- pasował
- zrobił
- był
- miała
But here it does not mean past time.
In this sentence, pasował expresses a desired, expected, or conditional situation:
- byleby fason pasował = as long as the style fits / works / is suitable
So although pasował looks like he fit / suited in the past, after byleby it functions more like a subjunctive-style form.
Does pasował agree with fason?