Breakdown of Nigdy nie płacimy rachunku, jeśli nic nie zamawiamy.
nie
not
jeśli
if
nigdy
never
rachunek
the bill
zamawiać
to order
płacić
to pay
nic
nothing
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Questions & Answers about Nigdy nie płacimy rachunku, jeśli nic nie zamawiamy.
Why is nie used twice in Nigdy nie płacimy rachunku? Isn’t one negative enough?
Polish uses double negation: when you have any negative word (like nigdy for “never”), the verb must also carry nie. This doesn’t cancel the negation; it reinforces it. So Nigdy nie płacimy literally “never not-pay,” i.e. “we never pay.”
What case is rachunku in, and why is it not in the accusative?
Rachunku is in the genitive case. After negated verbs, Polish often shifts the direct object from the accusative to the genitive. Here nie płacimy rachunku (“we don’t pay the bill”) requires genitive because of the negation.
Why is the verb płacimy used here, and what form is it?
Płacimy is the first-person plural present tense of płacić (“to pay”). It means “we pay.” With nie, it becomes “we don’t pay,” and with nigdy nie, “we never pay.”
Could we put rachunku before płacimy, as in Nigdy rachunku nie płacimy?
Yes. Polish word order is flexible. Nigdy rachunku nie płacimy is grammatically correct but less common. The usual word order places the object after the verb: Nigdy nie płacimy rachunku sounds more natural.
Why is nic used in jeśli nic nie zamawiamy? How does it pair with nie?
Nic means “nothing.” In negative clauses, pronouns like nic (“nothing”), nikt (“no one”), or nigdzie (“nowhere”) require the verb to be negated with nie. So nic nie zamawiamy = “we order nothing.”
What role does jeśli play, and could we use a different word for “if”?
Jeśli is a neutral conjunction meaning “if,” introducing a real condition: “if we don’t order anything.” You could use gdy in many contexts, but jeśli is more common for simple “if” clauses. Gdyby would imply a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact condition (“if we were to order nothing”).
Why is rachunku singular here? Wouldn’t plural make sense if we’re talking about multiple occasions?
In Polish, when talking about the concept of “the bill” in a general rule, the singular is used. Even though it applies to many occasions, rachunku singular covers “any single bill” in that situation.
Could rachunku be replaced by faktury? What’s the difference?
You could say Nigdy nie płacimy faktury, but rachunek is everyday language for a restaurant or service bill. Faktura is more formal, used in business or accounting contexts. They’re not always interchangeable.