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Questions & Answers about Herbata jest zbyt gorąca.
What does zbyt mean in this sentence?
zbyt is an adverb meaning “too” or “excessively.” It modifies the adjective gorąca to express that the tea is hotter than desired.
Why does zbyt come before gorąca, and can I change their order?
In Polish, adverbs that qualify adjectives normally precede the adjective, so you get zbyt gorąca. Word order is relatively flexible, but the neutral pattern is Subject–Verb–Adjective (S-V-A). You could say Zbyt gorąca jest herbata for emphasis or a poetic effect, but it sounds marked.
Can I use za instead of zbyt?
Yes. za + adjective also means “too,” so Herbata jest za gorąca is perfectly natural. In everyday speech za is more common, while zbyt feels a bit more formal or literary. Both convey the same idea.
Why does gorąca end in -a?
Herbata is a feminine, singular noun in the nominative case, so its adjective gorący (“hot”) must agree with it. The feminine nominative singular ending is -a, giving you gorąca.
Why is jest needed? Can I omit it?
Jest is the third-person singular present tense of the verb być (“to be”). It acts as the copula, linking the subject herbata with the predicate adjective gorąca. While headlines or very casual speech might drop it (e.g. Herbata zbyt gorąca), standard Polish includes jest.
How do I pronounce zbyt?
It’s pronounced zbit:
• z as in “zebra”
• b as in “bat”
• i as in “machine”
• t as in “top”
How would I ask “Is the tea too hot?” in Polish?
Use czy to form a yes/no question:
Czy herbata jest zbyt gorąca?
In very informal contexts you might drop czy, but it’s standard.
How do I make this sentence negative, like “The tea is not too hot”?
Place nie before the verb:
Herbata nie jest zbyt gorąca.
In Polish one nie is enough to negate the entire clause.