Breakdown of On nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie.
on
he
kawa
the coffee
w
in
nie
not
o
about
nigdy
never
zapominać
to forget
mleko
the milk
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Questions & Answers about On nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie.
Why do we start with On? Is the subject pronoun necessary in Polish?
In Polish, subject pronouns like on (he) are optional because the verb ending (-a for third-person singular) already tells you who the subject is. You can omit it unless you want to emphasize or clarify who you’re talking about. So Nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie is also perfectly correct.
Why are there two words for negation (nigdy and nie)? Can we use just one?
Nie is the particle that negates a verb, while nigdy means “never” (an adverb of time). When you say “never forget,” you need both: nie to negate zapomina (forgets) and nigdy to specify “never.” Without nie, the verb remains positive—even with nigdy in front it would sound odd.
Why is there an o before mleku? Can we say zapomina mleko instead?
The verb zapominać (to forget about) requires the preposition o followed by the locative case. Saying zapomina mleko (direct object) is incorrect. You must say zapomina o mleku, literally “forgets about milk.”
Why do mleko and kawa change to mleku and kawie? What case is this?
Both nouns are in the locative case. Prepositions o and w (meaning “about” and “in”) trigger the locative. So mleko → mleku, and kawa → kawie.
What does w kawie mean, and why use w with the locative?
W means “in.” To express “in coffee,” you use w plus the locative: w kawie. That locative ending -ie shows the location inside something.
Can we change the word order, for example Nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie on?
Polish word order is flexible, but the standard neutral order is On nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie or simply Nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie. Putting on at the end is grammatically possible but feels poetic or for special emphasis, not everyday speech.
What’s the difference between zapominać (imperfective) and zapomnieć (perfective)?
Zapominać is the imperfective aspect, used for repeated or habitual actions (“to be in the habit of forgetting”). Zapomnieć is the perfective aspect (“to forget” once, a completed action). Since the sentence describes a habitual action (“he never forgets”), you need the imperfective zapomina.
Why are there no words like “the” or “a” before mleku or kawie?
Polish does not use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context. Mleku can mean “the milk,” “some milk,” or “milk generally.” If you need to specify, you add demonstratives like to (this) or pewne (some).
Is there an alternative position for nigdy? What about Nie zapomina nigdy?
You can say Nie zapomina nigdy, but the most natural and common order is Nigdy nie zapomina (adverb before nie+verb). Putting nigdy after the verb is possible for emphasis or style but is less neutral.
How do you pronounce On nigdy nie zapomina o mleku w kawie?
Approximate phonetic transcription: [ɔn ˈniɡdɨ ɲɛ zaˈpɔmʲina ɔ ˈmlɛku f kaˈvjɛ]. Key points: y is like the “i” in “bit” but darker; w sounds like the English v; each a is like the a in “father.”