Słońce szkodzi jedwabiowi.

The sun is bad for silk.

Breakdown of Słońce szkodzi jedwabiowi.

• słońce: the sun
• jedwab: silk
• szkodzić: to harm; be bad for

Questions & Answers about Słońce szkodzi jedwabiowi.

Why is it jedwabiowi instead of the dictionary form jedwab?

Because szkodzić requires the dative case.

The dictionary form jedwab means silk, but after szkodzić you do not use the accusative like you often would in English. Instead, Polish treats the thing affected as an indirect object:

• szkodzić komu? czemu? = to harm whom? what? in the dative

So:

• jedwab = nominative
• jedwabiowi = dative singular

That is why Słońce szkodzi jedwabiowi is grammatically correct.

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Does szkodzić always take the dative case?

Yes, normally it does.

You say:

• szkodzić komuś / czemuś = to be harmful to someone / something

Examples:

• Dym szkodzi zdrowiu. = Smoke harms health.
• Hałas szkodzi uszom. = Noise harms the ears.
• To szkodzi dzieciom. = That is harmful to children.

So in your sentence, jedwabiowi is in the dative because szkodzić requires it.

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What case is Słońce here?