Questions & Answers about Jeśli pada deszcz, możemy jechać pociągiem do miasta.
What does Jeśli mean and how is it used here?
Jeśli means “if” and introduces a conditional clause. It tells us that the main action (going by train) depends on the condition (it raining). You can also see gdy or kiedy for “when,” but jeśli is the standard choice for hypothetical or possible situations.
Why is deszcz in the nominative case after pada?
In Polish the verb padać (to fall) is used impersonally for weather: pada deszcz = “it rains.” The thing that “falls” (rain) is treated as the grammatical subject, so it takes the nominative case.
What is the function of the comma before możemy?
Polish requires a comma between a subordinate clause (the Jeśli-clause) and the main clause. Since Jeśli pada deszcz comes first, you place a comma before możemy jechać.
Why is możemy jechać used instead of just jedziemy?
Możemy is the first person plural of móc (to be able to / can). Combined with the infinitive jechać (to go/travel), możemy jechać means “we can go”. Without możemy, jedziemy would simply state “we are going”, losing the conditional nuance.