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Questions & Answers about Ja daję jabłko.
What does ja mean, and why is it sometimes omitted in Polish sentences?
Ja means I in English. In Polish, subject pronouns like ja are often dropped because the verb ending (in this case, daję) already indicates the first person singular. However, including ja can add emphasis or clarity.
What is the form and meaning of the verb daję in this sentence?
Daję is the first person singular present tense form of the verb dawać, which means to give. It corresponds to I give or I am giving in English.
What role does jabłko play in the sentence, and what case is it in?
Jabłko is the direct object of the verb, indicating the thing being given. It is in the accusative case. For neuter nouns like jabłko, the accusative form is identical to the nominative form, so context tells us it’s functioning as the object.
Why are there no articles (like “a” or “the”) before jabłko in Polish?
Polish does not have articles. Nouns are used without words equivalent to a, an, or the. Thus, jabłko can mean either apple or an apple depending on context.
Is the word order in Ja daję jabłko fixed, or can it be rearranged for different emphases?
Polish has a relatively flexible word order because grammatical roles are marked by cases rather than position. While Ja daję jabłko is a straightforward subject–verb–object order, you could rearrange it (for example, Jabłko daję) to emphasize the object, and the meaning would still be clear.