Breakdown of Mój brat wpadł na pomysł na szybki deser.
mój
my
na
for
szybki
quick
brat
the brother
deser
the dessert
wpaść na
to come up with
pomysł
the idea
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Questions & Answers about Mój brat wpadł na pomysł na szybki deser.
What does wpaść na pomysł mean?
wpaść na pomysł literally translates as to fall onto an idea, but idiomatically it means to come up with an idea. It implies a sudden flash of inspiration rather than merely having an idea over time.
Why are there two nas in Mój brat wpadł na pomysł na szybki deser?
The first na is part of the verb phrase wpaść na (to come up with). The second na is the preposition required by pomysł na coś, meaning an idea for something. So you need both: one for the verb, one for the noun complement.
Which case is deser in, and why doesn’t its form change?
After the second na, deser is in the accusative case. Since deser is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to the nominative form, so it remains deser.
Why is szybki used instead of szybko?
szybki is an adjective describing the noun deser (a quick dessert). szybko is an adverb and would modify a verb, not a noun.
Why is it mój brat and not mojego brata?
brat is the subject of the sentence, so it’s in the nominative case. The possessive mój must match: masculine singular nominative. If brat were the object, you’d use masculine singular accusative (mojego brata).
Why is the verb in the form wpadł rather than wpadał?
wpaść is the perfective aspect, indicating a single completed action (he came up with the idea once). wpadać (imperfective) would imply repeated or ongoing action, which doesn’t fit here.
I notice there’s no word for “a” or “the.” How does Polish handle articles?
Polish doesn’t use articles. Indefinite or definite meanings are inferred from context, word order, or additional words—there is no separate article like a or the.
Can you rephrase this using żeby or że?
Yes. A common alternative is:
Mój brat wpadł na pomysł, żeby zrobić szybki deser.
This literally means My brother came up with the idea to make a quick dessert. You could also say Mój brat miał pomysł, żeby zrobić coś szybkiego na deser, which shifts word order and nuance slightly.