Ulica jest śliska.

The street is slippery.

Breakdown of Ulica jest śliska.

• być: to be
• ulica: the street
• śliski: slippery

Questions & Answers about Ulica jest śliska.

What is the role of jest in Ulica jest śliska?

Jest is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb być (to be). It functions as a copula, linking the subject (ulica) with the predicate adjective (śliska).

Why are both ulica and śliska in the nominative case?

In Polish, when you use the verb być, the subject and its complement (whether a noun or an adjective) both appear in the nominative case. Here ulica is the subject, and śliska is the predicate adjective, so they both stay in nominative.

How do you know śliska ends with “-ska” instead of another ending?

Polish adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Ulica is feminine, singular, nominative, so the adjective takes the feminine singular nominative ending -a, giving śliska.

What part of speech is śliska and does it ever change form?

Śliska is an adjective. It will change its ending to reflect different genders, numbers, or cases. For example:

• masculine singular: śliski
• neuter singular: śliskie
• plural (mixed or masculine personal): śliscy
• plural (non-masculine personal): śliskie

How do I pronounce śliska and what sound does ś represent?

Śliska is pronounced [ˈɕlʲiska]. The letter ś is a soft (palatalized) “sh” sound—similar to English sh, but with the tongue closer to the hard palate.

What’s the difference between Ulica jest śliska and Jest ślisko na ulicy?

• Ulica jest śliska uses śliska as an adjective describing ulica directly (“The street is slippery”).
• Jest ślisko na ulicy uses ślisko as an adverb meaning “it’s slippery,” and na ulicy specifies the location (“It’s slippery on the street”).

Can I add ta to say “This street is slippery”?

Yes. You can say Ta ulica jest śliska. Ta is the feminine singular nominative form of “this.” Polish has no articles, so you don’t need “the” or “a.”

How do you make the sentence negative?

Insert nie before jest:
Ulica nie jest śliska
(This means “The street is not slippery.”)

Can I omit jest and simply say Ulica śliska?

In everyday speech and writing, you normally include the verb: Ulica jest śliska. On warning signs or in headlines, you might see a condensed version like Śliska ulica or Uwaga, śliska ulica!, but that’s a noun phrase or exclamation rather than a full sentence.