Learn Hardcore Polish: Każdy pasażer ma jeden bilet.

Każdy is an indefinite pronoun meaning “every” or “each.” It is always singular and agrees in gender (masculine here), number (singular), and case (nominative) with the noun it modifies (pasażer). It emphasizes that we are talking about each individual passenger.

What form and case is pasażer, and why is it used here?

Pasażer is a masculine noun in the nominative singular. It functions as the subject of the sentence, so it takes the nominative case.

Why is jeden bilet used, and what cases are these words in?

Jeden is the cardinal number “one,” modifying bilet. Both words form the direct object of ma (“has”), so they are in the accusative singular. Since bilet is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative (bilet), and jeden likewise matches its nominative/accusative form.

Why isn't jeden in the form jednego?

Jednego is either the genitive form of jeden or its accusative form when modifying a masculine animate noun. Here bilet is inanimate masculine, so the accusative of jeden remains jeden.

What is the effect of using po jednym bilecie instead?

Po jednym bilecie literally means “one ticket each.” It uses the preposition po + locative singular (bilecie) to stress distribution. It’s a more explicit or emphatic way to say that every passenger receives one ticket.

Can I change the word order to Ma każdy pasażer jeden bilet?

Yes, Polish allows flexible word order. Ma każdy pasażer jeden bilet is grammatically correct but less neutral. The standard SVO order Każdy pasażer ma jeden bilet sounds most natural in everyday speech.

How would you express “Every passenger had one ticket” in the past tense?

Replace ma with the appropriate past-tense form miał (for a male passenger) or miała (for a female passenger). For a mixed or unspecified group, the masculine personal past is used: Każdy pasażer miał jeden bilet.

When would I use wszyscy pasażerowie mają po jednym bilecie instead?

Use wszyscy pasażerowie (“all passengers”) when talking about them as a group in plural. Wszyscy pasażerowie mają po jednym bilecie means “All passengers have one ticket each,” shifting from a singular-indefinite construction to a plural one.