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Questions & Answers about Owoce są zdrowe.
What does owoce mean and what is its singular form?
Owoce is the plural of owoc, and it means fruits (multiple pieces). The singular owoc means fruit (one piece).
Why is owoce used instead of the singular owoc in this sentence?
Polish often uses the plural when talking about things in general, especially to emphasize a variety or multiple items. Saying Owoce są zdrowe (Fruits are healthy) sounds more natural in everyday speech than the abstract Owoc jest zdrowy (Fruit is healthy).
What is są and why is it not jest?
Są is the 3rd person plural form of the verb być (to be). It agrees with the plural noun owoce. If you had a singular subject (owoc), you would use jest: Owoc jest zdrowy.
Why is the adjective zdrowe used instead of zdrowy or zdrowi?
Adjectives in Polish must agree in number and “gender/animacy” with the noun they describe. Owoce is plural and non-personal (inanimate), so the correct adjective ending is -e, giving zdrowe.
Why are there no words for the or a in this sentence?
Polish has no definite or indefinite articles. You rely on context to know whether something is specific or general. Owoce są zdrowe can mean either Fruits are healthy or The fruits are healthy, depending on the situation.
How do you pronounce owoce są zdrowe, and where is the stress placed?
Pronunciation (approximate): o-WO-tse sōn ZDRO-ve.
• owoce = [ɔˈvɔt͡sɛ]
• są = [sɔ̃] (the ą is a nasal vowel like French on)
• zdrowe = [ˈzdrɔvɛ]
Polish stress falls on the penultimate syllable, so you stress the “wo” in owoce and the “zdro” in zdrowe.
Can you change the word order in this sentence?
Polish word order is quite flexible, but the neutral order is Subject–Verb–Predicate Adjective: Owoce są zdrowe.
You could say Zdrowe są owoce to emphasize “healthy,” or form a question with Czy owoce są zdrowe?, but for a simple statement, Owoce są zdrowe is standard.