Breakdown of Dostałem bezpłatny bilet na autobus.
ja
I
na
for
bilet
the ticket
autobus
the bus
dostać
to get
bezpłatny
free
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Questions & Answers about Dostałem bezpłatny bilet na autobus.
What does dostałem mean in this sentence?
dostałem is the first-person singular, past tense, perfective form of the verb dostać, which means “to get” or “to receive.” So Dostałem bezpłatny bilet na autobus literally translates as “I got/received a free bus ticket.”
Why is the adjective bezpłatny used instead of the adverb bezpłatnie?
bezpłatny is an adjective modifying the noun bilet (“ticket”), so it must agree in gender, number and case with that noun. The adverb bezpłatnie would modify a verb (e.g. Dostałem bilet bezpłatnie – “I received a ticket for free”). However, the standard collocation for describing a ticket that costs nothing is bezpłatny bilet (“a free ticket”).
What case is bilet in, and why?
Here bilet is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb dostałem. For inanimate masculine nouns like bilet, the accusative form is identical to the nominative.
Why is the preposition na followed by autobus (instead of another case or preposition)?
In Polish, na + accusative often expresses purpose or intended use. bilet na autobus means “ticket for the bus” – i.e. a ticket that entitles you to ride the bus. Other examples: bilet na koncert (“ticket for a concert”), bilet na pociąg (“ticket for the train”).
What’s the difference between bezpłatny and darmowy?
Both adjectives mean “free (of charge).” bezpłatny is more formal or official (common in written notices, formal offers, policies), while darmowy is more colloquial and often used in everyday speech or advertising.
How would a female speaker say this sentence?
A female speaker must change the past-tense verb to agree with her gender. She would say: Dostałam bezpłatny bilet na autobus.
Could you also say bilet autobusowy instead of bilet na autobus, and how would that affect the sentence?
Yes. bilet autobusowy literally means “bus ticket” and is perfectly correct. You could say Dostałem bezpłatny bilet autobusowy. Both forms are natural. bilet na autobus emphasizes the ticket’s purpose (“for a bus”), while bilet autobusowy simply names its type.