Breakdown of Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę?
Questions & Answers about Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę?
What does the whole pattern nie dość, że ..., to jeszcze ... mean?
This is a very common Polish pattern used to show that one thing is already notable, and then another thing is added on top of that—often with surprise, annoyance, or emphasis.
So:
Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę?
means something like:
- It’s not enough that you move a piece during your turn, and on top of that you also draw a card?
- more naturally in English: Not only do you move a piece during your turn, but you also draw a card?
Very often this structure suggests complaint, disbelief, or “as if that wasn’t enough”.
Why is there a że after nie dość?
In this expression, że introduces the first clause.
The structure is:
Literally, it works a bit like:
- it’s not enough that X, (but) Y as well
So in your sentence:
- nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury... = not only do you move a piece during your turn...
You should treat nie dość, że as a fixed expression rather than trying to translate each word separately every time.
What is the function of to in to jeszcze dobierasz kartę?
Here, to helps connect the second part of the construction. In this pattern:
the to is a kind of linking word: then / and / but / on top of that.
It does not mean the demonstrative that here. It is part of the sentence structure.
Compare:
- Nie dość, że pada, to jeszcze wieje. = Not only is it raining, but it’s windy too.
Without to, the sentence would sound less standard in this particular pattern.
What does jeszcze mean here? Does it mean still?
Here jeszcze means also, in addition, on top of that.
It does not mean still in this sentence.
Polish jeszcze has several meanings depending on context, for example:
- Jeszcze czekam. = I’m still waiting.
- Chcę jeszcze kawy. = I want more coffee / another coffee.
- To jeszcze dobierasz kartę? = And on top of that you draw a card?
So in your sentence, jeszcze adds the idea of an extra action.
Why are the verbs przesuwasz and dobierasz in the present tense?
In Polish, the present tense is often used for:
- actions happening now,
- habitual actions,
- rules/instructions/game actions,
- vivid commentary.
Here it sounds like someone is reacting to a game rule or to what another player is doing:
- przesuwasz = you move
- dobierasz = you draw / pick up
Even if English might sometimes use you get to move or you can draw, Polish often simply uses the present tense for this kind of statement.
Also, both verbs are imperfective, which is normal when describing an action as part of a rule, process, or ongoing situation.
Why is there no word for you? Where is the subject?
In Polish, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already tells you the subject.
- przesuwasz = you move
- dobierasz = you draw
The ending -asz shows 2nd person singular, so ty is not necessary.
If you added ty, it would sound more emphatic:
That might sound like:
- You’re the one who gets to move the piece, and on top of that you draw a card too?
So leaving out ty is the normal neutral choice.
Why is it pionek but kartę? Why are the noun forms different?
Both nouns are direct objects, but they belong to different grammatical genders and declension patterns, so their accusative forms look different.
pionek
This is a masculine inanimate noun.
- nominative: pionek
- accusative: pionek
For many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative is the same as the nominative.
karta
This is a feminine noun.
- nominative: karta
- accusative: kartę
Feminine nouns in -a often change to -ę in the accusative singular.
So:
- przesuwasz pionek = you move a pawn/piece
- dobierasz kartę = you draw a card
Why is it podczas tury and not podczas tura?
Because podczas requires the genitive case.
So:
- dictionary form: tura
- genitive singular: tury
That is why we get:
- podczas tury = during the turn
This is a useful rule to remember:
- podczas + genitive
Examples:
- podczas meczu = during the match
- podczas lekcji = during the lesson
- podczas gry = during the game
What exactly does tura mean here? Is it the same as turn in a game?
Yes. In this sentence, tura means a turn or round in a game.
So:
- podczas tury = during the turn
Depending on the game, Polish can use both tura and kolejka, but tura is very common for game mechanics and turn-based actions.
You may also hear:
- w swojej turze = on your turn / during your turn
That would often sound slightly more natural in everyday board-game language than podczas tury, but the phrase in your sentence is still understandable.
What does dobierać kartę mean exactly?
In card and board game language, dobierać kartę means to draw a card.
The verb dobierać can mean:
- to add
- to take additionally
- in games, to draw/pick up
So here:
- dobierasz kartę = you draw a card
This is a very typical gaming use.
The perfective partner is usually dobrać:
- dobierasz kartę = you are drawing / you draw
- dobrałeś kartę = you drew a card
Why is the sentence a question even though the word order looks like a statement?
In Polish, yes/no questions do not always need a special word order like English does.
A sentence can become a question through:
- intonation
- context
- a question mark in writing
So:
- Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę. = a statement
- Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę? = a question expressing surprise/disbelief
This kind of question often sounds rhetorical, like:
- Seriously? You get to move a piece and also draw a card?
Does this sentence sound neutral, or does it express emotion?
It usually expresses emotion, especially:
- surprise,
- annoyance,
- criticism,
- disbelief.
The structure nie dość, że ..., to jeszcze ... very often carries the feeling of:
- as if one thing weren’t enough
- and to make matters worse
- and on top of that
So this sentence is probably not a neutral explanation of game rules. It sounds more like someone reacting to them, perhaps thinking they are unfair or excessive.
Could I replace this with a simpler not only ... but also ... structure in Polish?
Yes, but the nuance changes a bit.
A more neutral equivalent would be:
- Nie tylko przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, ale też dobierasz kartę.
This means:
- You not only move a piece during your turn, but also draw a card.
That is more neutral and descriptive.
By contrast:
- Nie dość, że przesuwasz pionek podczas tury, to jeszcze dobierasz kartę?
sounds more emotional, often like a complaint or protest.
So both are possible, but they are not identical in tone.
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