Dzieci biegają na dworze.

The children run outside.

Breakdown of Dzieci biegają na dworze.

• dziecko: the child
• biegać: to run
• na dworze: outside

Questions & Answers about Dzieci biegają na dworze.

What is the grammatical function of dzieci in this sentence?

dzieci is the nominative plural of dziecko (‘child’) and functions as the subject. Polish uses the nominative case for the subject of the sentence.

Why does biegają end in -ają, and what does that ending indicate?

The ending -ają signals: • 3rd person (they)
• plural
• present tense
It comes from the imperfective verb biegać (‘to run’), so biegają means either “they are running (right now)” or “they run (regularly).”

What case is dworze in, and why is it used here?

dworze is the locative case of dwór (‘court/yard’). With the preposition na, when you want to express location (where something happens), you use the locative:
dwór (nom.) → dworze (loc.) → na dworze (“at the yard” → “outside”).

Why is the preposition na used instead of w with dworze?

In Polish, na is used with open areas or surfaces (e.g. na stole, na ulicy) and for being “outside.” w with dworze would imply being “inside a manor/court,” which isn’t the intended meaning of “outdoors.”

How is na dworze different from na zewnątrz?

Both translate as “outside,” but:
• na dworze is more idiomatic/colloquial for “outdoors” or “in the yard.”
• na zewnątrz is a bit more formal or neutral for “outside” the building.

How would you ask “Are the children running outside?” in Polish?

By adding czy at the start for a yes/no question:
Czy dzieci biegają na dworze?
Informally you can omit czy and rely on intonation.

How do you pronounce dzieci biegają na dworze?

Approximate pronunciation:
• dzieci – [DJEH-chee]
• biegają – [BYEH-gah-yo] (stress on ga)
• na dworze – [nah DVOH-zheh] (stress on wo)

How would you express “The children were running outside” (past tense)?

Use the imperfective past plural:
Dzieci biegały na dworze.
Because dzieci is non-masculine-personal, the past ending is -ały (not -ali).

Can biegają imply both an ongoing action and a habitual action?

Yes. As an imperfective form, biegają can mean:
• “They are running” (right now)
• “They run” (habitually or regularly)

What’s the difference between dwór and podwórko, since both can mean “yard”?

• dwór historically meant a manor’s courtyard; na dworze is now a general phrase for “outdoors.”
• podwórko is a diminutive meaning a small courtyard or backyard. You could say Dzieci biegają na podwórku to emphasize a domestic yard.