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Questions & Answers about Święto jest nowe.
Why is there no article before Święto even though English speakers are used to using "the" or "a"?
Polish does not have articles. Nouns appear without a definite or indefinite article, so święto is used on its own, unlike in English where you would say “the holiday” or “a holiday.”
What does the adjective nowe tell us about the noun święto?
The adjective nowe agrees with święto in gender, number, and case. Since święto is a neuter noun in the nominative singular form, the adjective takes the neuter singular nominative form nowe to match it.
Why is the adjective placed after the verb instead of directly before the noun?
In this sentence, nowe functions as a predicate adjective rather than an attributive adjective. The structure święto jest nowe follows the Subject – Verb – Complement order, typical for sentences that describe a state or condition. Although Polish word order is flexible, this unmarked order is standard for linking the subject to its description.
What is the role of the verb jest in the sentence?
The verb jest is the third-person singular present form of być (“to be”) and acts as a linking verb between the subject święto and the predicate adjective nowe. It connects the subject with its descriptor without adding extra meaning beyond establishing a state of being.
Could the word order be changed without altering the basic meaning of the sentence?
Yes, Polish often allows flexible word order for emphasis or stylistic reasons. For example, switching to Nowe jest święto might emphasize that it is specifically new, but the basic meaning “The holiday is new” remains the same. However, the unmarked and most neutral order is święto jest nowe.
Do adjectives always have to agree with the noun in Polish, and how does that work in this example?
Yes, in Polish adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. In the sentence święto jest nowe, the neuter noun święto requires the adjective to be in the neuter singular nominative form, which is why you see nowe instead of other possible forms like nowy (masculine) or nowa (feminine).