Breakdown of Gra jest ciekawa, ale mój wesoły brat zawsze wygrywa i mówi, że jest najlepszy.
być
to be
on
he
mój
my
i
and
zawsze
always
ale
but
że
that
mówić
to say
gra
the game
wesoły
cheerful
brat
the brother
najlepszy
best
ciekawy
interesting
wygrywać
to win
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Questions & Answers about Gra jest ciekawa, ale mój wesoły brat zawsze wygrywa i mówi, że jest najlepszy.
What part of speech is gra, and why does it end in -a?
Gra is a noun in the nominative singular. In Polish most feminine nouns end in -a, and since this word is the subject of the sentence it stays in the nominative case.
Why does the adjective ciekawa also end in -a?
Adjectives in Polish agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. Because gra is feminine singular nominative, ciekawa takes the feminine singular ending -a.
Why is there a comma before ale but not before i?
In Polish, you generally put a comma before adversative conjunctions like ale (“but”). However, simple coordinating conjunctions like i (“and”) do not require a comma when they just link two verbs or phrases.
What does mój wesoły brat mean, and why do mój and wesoły have those endings?
Mój wesoły brat means “my cheerful brother.” Brat is a masculine noun in nominative singular. Its modifiers mój (my) and wesoły (cheerful) must also be masculine singular nominative, hence the -y endings.
Why is wygrywa used instead of wygra?
Wygrywa is the imperfective present tense (“he wins” regularly or habitually). Wygra would be the perfective past or future (“he will win” once or “he won” once). Here we want to express that he always wins.
What role does zawsze play in the sentence?
Zawsze means “always.” It’s an adverb modifying the verb wygrywa, emphasizing that the brother wins every time.
Why is że used before jest najlepszy?
Że is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause of indirect speech (“that he is the best”). In Polish you need że when reporting what someone says or thinks.
What case and form is najlepszy, and why does it take that ending?
Najlepszy is a masculine singular nominative adjective in its superlative form (“the best”). It matches brat in gender, number, and case, because it describes the same person.
Why is jest repeated in both parts (gra jest ciekawa and jest najlepszy)?
Jest is the third‐person singular present form of the verb być (“to be”). In Polish each independent clause needs its own finite verb, so we repeat jest in the subordinate clause.
Could you rearrange the adjectives in mój wesoły brat to wesoły mój brat?
No, standard Polish puts the possessive mój before other adjectives. Mój wesoły brat is correct; wesoły mój brat would sound archaic or poetic.