Learn Hardcore Polish: Obiad jest ciepły.

In Polish, obiad refers to the main meal of the day. While it can mean either lunch or dinner depending on the context and regional customs, it generally denotes that substantial meal which is central to the day's eating.

Why is the adjective ciepły used here and what form does it take?

The adjective ciepły means "warm" and it describes the noun obiad. Since obiad is a masculine singular noun, ciepły is used in its masculine singular nominative form to appropriately agree with the noun in terms of gender and number.

What is the role of the word jest in the sentence?

Jest is the third-person singular form of the verb być, which means "is." It functions as a linking verb connecting the subject (obiad) with its description (ciepły), similar to the English construction “The meal is warm.”

Why is there no article (like the) before obiad in the sentence?

Polish does not use articles such as "the" or "a." Nouns appear without them, and definiteness is understood from context and grammatical structure rather than a specific word, which is why obiad stands alone without an article.

Can the word order in Obiad jest ciepły be changed, and if so, what does that imply?

Yes, Polish word order is fairly flexible due to its inflectional system. While Obiad jest ciepły follows the standard Subject-Verb-Complement order, rearrangements like Ciepły jest obiad are possible and can be used to emphasize a particular element of the sentence. Despite these variations, the overall meaning remains the same.