Przed domem jest drzewo.

to be

Breakdown of Przed domem jest drzewo.

• dom: the house
• drzewo: the tree
• przed: in front of

Questions & Answers about Przed domem jest drzewo.

What does przed mean in this sentence?

Przed is a preposition meaning “in front of” when you talk about physical location. It can also mean “before” in time, but here it simply tells you where something is placed relative to the house.

Why is domem in that form instead of dom or domu?

After the preposition przed (when it indicates location), Polish requires the instrumental case. The base noun dom (house) becomes domem in the instrumental.
• Nominative (subject): dom
• Instrumental (with przed): domem

Why is drzewo in the nominative case here?

In Polish, when you say “there is/are…” with jest (singular) or są (plural), the thing that exists stays in the nominative case. That’s because jest is a form of być (“to be”), and in existential sentences Polish treats the noun like a subject, not an object.

Why do we use jest and not są in this sentence?