Breakdown of Napisz jedno zdanie w zeszycie.
w
in
zeszyt
the notebook
napisać
to write
jedno
one
zdanie
the sentence
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Napisz jedno zdanie w zeszycie.
What does Napisz mean?
Napisz is the second-person singular imperative of the verb napisać (“to write”). It’s a command meaning Write (you).
Why is jedno zdanie not in a different case?
As the direct object of napisz, jedno zdanie is in the accusative case. Neuter nouns like zdanie have identical nominative and accusative forms, so it looks like the nominative but functions as accusative here.
Why jedno instead of jeden?
Cardinal numbers in Polish agree in gender with the noun they modify. Zdanie is neuter, so you use jedno (neuter form of “one”) rather than jeden (masculine).
What case is zeszycie in and why?
After the preposition w (“in”), Polish uses the locative case to indicate location. Zeszycie is the locative form of zeszyt.
Could I use na zeszycie instead of w zeszycie?
No—na with locative or accusative would mean “on top of the notebook (cover).” To say “inside the notebook, on its pages,” Polish uses w zeszycie with the locative.
Why is there no subject in the sentence?
Polish often omits the subject pronoun because the verb form shows who you’re talking to. The imperative napisz already makes it clear it’s addressed to ty (“you”).
Can the word order be changed?
Yes. Polish allows flexibility for emphasis.
For example:
• W zeszycie napisz jedno zdanie (emphasizes where)
• Jedno zdanie napisz w zeszycie (emphasizes quantity)
But the verb-first order (Napisz …) is most natural in commands.