Sprzątam kuchnię przed obiadem, bo lubię porządek.

I clean the kitchen before dinner because I like order.

Breakdown of Sprzątam kuchnię przed obiadem, bo lubię porządek.

• ja: I
• lubić: to like
• kuchnia: the kitchen
• obiad: the dinner
• przed: before
• sprzątać: to clean
• bo: because
• porządek: the order

Questions & Answers about Sprzątam kuchnię przed obiadem, bo lubię porządek.

What does sprzątam mean in this sentence?

Sprzątam is the first person singular present tense form of the verb sprzątać. It means “I clean” or “I tidy up.” In Polish, the present tense is used to describe both ongoing and habitual actions, so here it indicates that the speaker regularly cleans the kitchen or is cleaning it right now.

Why is kuchnię used instead of kuchnia?

Kuchnię is the accusative form of the noun kuchnia (“kitchen”). Since sprzątam is a transitive verb that takes a direct object, the noun must be in the accusative case. This is why the sentence uses kuchnię instead of the nominative kuchnia.

How does przed obiadem work grammatically, and why is obiadem in this form?

The phrase przed obiadem means “before dinner” (or “before lunch,” as obiad typically refers to the main meal of the day in Polish). The preposition przed (“before”) requires the instrumental case when used with time expressions. Thus, obiad becomes obiadem in the instrumental singular form.

What does the conjunction bo mean, and could it be replaced with another word?

The word bo means “because.” It introduces the reason for the action mentioned in the main clause. In more formal contexts, it can be replaced by ponieważ, which also means “because.”

What is the meaning of porządek in this context?

Porządek literally translates to “order” but in this context it is best understood as “tidiness” or “neatness.” The speaker is expressing a liking for an orderly environment, which is why they clean the kitchen before the meal.

Why isn’t the subject “I” (or ja in Polish) explicitly stated in the sentence?

In Polish, the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. The form sprzątam clearly shows that the subject is first person singular, so including the pronoun ja (“I”) is unnecessary. This omission is common in Polish for the sake of conciseness.

Why is there a comma before bo in the sentence?

The comma before bo separates the main clause from the subordinate clause that provides a reason. In Polish punctuation, it is standard practice to insert a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like bo, which helps clarify the sentence’s structure.