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Questions & Answers about Za domem jest wąska ulica.
Why is domem in the instrumental case after za?
The preposition za meaning behind (in a spatial sense) always takes the instrumental case to show location. So dom (nominative) becomes domem (instrumental) when you say za domem.
Why is wąska ulica in the nominative case?
In existential sentences with jest (“there is/there are”), the noun phrase stays in the nominative case. Here you’re introducing a thing that exists at a place: Za domem jest wąska ulica means “Behind the house there is a narrow street.” Both wąska and ulica are therefore nominative.
How does the adjective wąska agree with ulica?
Polish adjectives agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case. Ulica is feminine (gender), singular (number), nominative (case), so the masculine adjective wąski changes to wąska to match.
Could I drop jest and say Za domem wąska ulica?
Standard Polish requires jest (a form of być) in existential constructions. Omitting it makes the sentence sound incomplete. However, in headlines or very informal speech you might occasionally see it left out, but it’s not recommended for everyday usage.
Is the word order flexible? Can I say Wąska ulica jest za domem?
Yes. Polish has relatively free word order. You can say Wąska ulica jest za domem without changing the basic meaning. Starting with Za domem emphasizes the location first; starting with Wąska ulica emphasizes the street.
How do I pronounce wąska, especially the ą?
The letter ą is a nasal vowel similar to the French on. Wąska is pronounced approximately VON-ska. Make sure to nasalize the first vowel instead of saying wan-ska.
Where is the stress in Za domem jest wąska ulica?
Polish stress is almost always on the penultimate syllable of each word:
• ZA doMEM – stress on DOM
• jest – single syllable
• WĄ-ska – stress on WĄ
• u-LI-ca – stress on LI
Can I use znajduje się instead of jest here?
Yes. Znajduje się means “is located” and is more formal. You can say Za domem znajduje się wąska ulica, which sounds a bit more literary or official than using jest.