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Questions & Answers about On sprząta swój pokój.
What is the literal translation of the sentence "On sprząta swój pokój"?
It translates as "He cleans his room." Here, On means "he," sprząta is the verb "cleans," and swój pokój means "his room" (with a reflexive twist).
What role does the reflexive possessive pronoun swój play in this sentence, and why is it used instead of jego?
Swój is used when the possessor is the subject of the sentence—it reflexively refers back to On ("he"). This shows that he is cleaning his own room. In contrast, jego would be a non-reflexive possessive, often used when the possessor is someone other than the subject. Using swój eliminates ambiguity about who owns the room.
How is the verb sprząta conjugated, and what information does its form provide?
Sprząta is the third person singular present tense form of the verb sprzątać ("to clean"). This form confirms that the action is being performed in the present by a singular subject—On ("he").
What grammatical function does pokój serve in the sentence, and how do we know it’s the object?
Pokój means "room" and functions as the direct object of the sentence—the item that is being cleaned. Although, in Polish, masculine inanimate nouns like pokój have the same form in both the nominative and accusative cases, its position after the verb sprząta clarifies that it is the object.
Why is it important for swój and pokój to agree in gender, number, and case?
In Polish, adjectives and possessive pronouns must agree with the noun they describe. Since pokój is masculine singular, swój is also used in its masculine singular form. This agreement helps maintain grammatical clarity and correctness in the sentence.
Can the subject pronoun On be omitted in Polish, and why might a speaker choose to include it?
Yes, Polish often allows subject pronouns to be dropped because the verb conjugation clearly indicates the subject. However, including On can provide extra clarity or emphasis, especially in contexts where the subject’s identity might otherwise be ambiguous.