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Breakdown of Zimowy śnieg sprawia, że droga do teatru bywa śliska.
do
to
że
that
bywać
to be occasionally
teatr
the theater
śnieg
the snow
zimowy
winter
sprawiać
to make
droga
the road
śliski
slippery
Questions & Answers about Zimowy śnieg sprawia, że droga do teatru bywa śliska.
What does sprawia, że mean?
Sprawia is the 3rd person singular present of sprawiać (“to cause, to make”), and że introduces a result clause. Together sprawia, że means “makes it so that…” or “causes (something) to happen/be…”.
Why is there a comma before że?
In Polish, you always separate a main clause from a subordinate clause introduced by że with a comma.
Why is droga in the nominative case?
In the clause “droga do teatru bywa śliska,” droga is the subject of bywa, so it takes the nominative.
What case does teatr take after do in droga do teatru?
The preposition do requires the genitive case, so teatr becomes teatru.
Why is bywa used instead of jest?
Bywa (from bywać) conveys an occasional or habitual state—“it tends to be/slippery at times”—whereas jest simply states a fact.
Why is the adjective zimowy placed before śnieg, and could we say śnieg zimowy instead?
The normal, neutral position for descriptive adjectives in Polish is before the noun: zimowy śnieg. Saying śnieg zimowy is grammatically correct but sounds more poetic or emphatic.
What nuance does zimowy add to śnieg here?
It specifies “snow of winter” (as opposed to, say, artificial snow or early/late-season snow), giving context for why the road can get slippery.
Why is śliska in feminine singular?
Adjectives agree with the noun they modify. Droga is feminine singular, so its adjective is śliska.
Can we replace sprawia, że with powoduje, że?
Yes. Powodować is a close synonym of sprawiać, also meaning “to cause.” Powoduje, że is slightly more formal or technical.
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