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Sok z trzech pomarańczy smakuje lepiej niż gotowy napój.

Sok z trzech pomarańczy smakuje lepiej niż gotowy napój.
Juice from three oranges tastes better than a ready drink.
FromLesson 12inHardcore Polish

Questions & Answers about Sok z trzech pomarańczy smakuje lepiej niż gotowy napój.

Why is z trzech pomarańczy used instead of z trzy pomarańcze?

The preposition z (“from”/“out of”) requires the noun to be in the genitive case. When a numeral like trzy (“three”) is governed by a genitive-requiring preposition, it also declines:

  • trzy → trzech (genitive of the numeral)
  • pomarańcze (nominative plural of “orange”) → pomarańczy (genitive plural)
    So you get z trzech pomarańczy.
What case is pomarańczy, and how is it formed?
Pomarańczy is the genitive plural of pomarańcza (“orange”). For many feminine nouns ending in ‑a, the genitive plural replaces ‑a with ‑i (or ‑y), giving pomarańcza → pomarańczy.
Why is the verb smakuje used here, and how does smakować work?

In Polish, smakować means “to taste” in the sense of “to have a flavor.” It’s a normal verb, so you conjugate it:

  • 3rd person singular present: smakuje (“it tastes”)
    Thus Sok … smakuje means “Juice … tastes.”
Why do we say smakuje lepiej niż, and not something like smakować bardziej niż?

To form a comparative of an adverb, Polish uses the special comparative form plus niż (“than”):

  • dobrze (“well”) → lepiej (“better”)
    So you say smakuje lepiej niż (“tastes better than”). You don’t combine bardziej (“more”) with smakować in this context.
What’s the role of niż, and can I use od instead?
Niż is the standard “than” after comparative adverbs (like lepiej) or longer adjectives. While some short comparative adjectives (e.g. lepszy) can take od (“better than”), after an adverb you must use niż, not od.
Can I rephrase the sentence with the adjective lepszy and jest instead of smakuje lepiej?

Yes. You can say:
Sok z trzech pomarańczy jest lepszy niż gotowy napój.
Here lepszy is the comparative adjective “better,” and jest is “is.” The meaning remains “Juice from three oranges is better than a ready-made drink.”

Why are there no articles like “a” or “the” in the Polish sentence?
Polish has no definite or indefinite articles. Context alone tells you whether something is general or specific. You simply say Sok for “(the/a) juice,” with no extra word.
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