Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Polish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about To zadanie jest niemożliwe.
What does To mean in this sentence, and is it the same to as in “to be”?
In To zadanie jest niemożliwe, To is a demonstrative pronoun meaning this. It modifies zadanie to form this task. It is not the infinitive marker to (“to be”); here it just points out which task we’re talking about.
Why is the verb jest used instead of jestem or są?
Jest is the 3rd person singular form of być (“to be”) used with a singular subject.
- jestem = I am (1st person singular)
- są = they are (3rd person plural)
Since zadanie (“task”) is singular, we use jest (“is”).
What case and gender is zadanie, and how do we know it’s the subject?
Zadanie is a neuter noun in the nominative singular case. Clues:
- It ends in -e, typical for many neuter nouns.
- It appears before the verb and agrees with the verb form jest as the subject.
Why does niemożliwe end with -e instead of -y or another ending?
Adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here zadanie is neuter singular nominative, so niemożliwe (the neuter singular nominative form of niemożliwy) matches it. Masculine would be niemożliwy, feminine niemożliwa, plural niemożliwe.
Can we drop To and just say Zadanie jest niemożliwe? Is there a nuance?
Yes, Zadanie jest niemożliwe is grammatically correct and means the same (The task is impossible). Including To adds a slight emphasis or a clear pointer (“This particular task…”) but is not mandatory.
What’s the difference between To zadanie jest niemożliwe and To jest niemożliwe zadanie?
Both mean “This task is impossible,” but:
- To zadanie jest niemożliwe treats zadanie as the subject modified by to.
- To jest niemożliwe zadanie uses to as a dummy subject and zadanie becomes a predicate noun.
The nuance is subtle; the second often feels more like “That’s an impossible task.”
Why is nie attached directly to możliwe instead of written separately?
When nie negates an adjective (or adverb), it normally attaches directly without a space: niemożliwe. Writing nie możliwe would be rare and usually only for stylistic or emphatic reasons.
How do I pronounce niemożliwe, and where is the stress?
Pronunciation: [ɲɛ.mɔˈʐli.vɛ]
Stress falls on the penultimate syllable: niem-oŻLI-we.
- niem (ɲɛ.m) – soft ń sound
- moż (mɔʐ) – ż as in “measure”
- liwe (li.vɛ) – light l and e at the end.