Breakdown of W garażu stoi stary tramwaj, który wolontariusz chce naprawić.
w
in
stary
old
chcieć
to want
naprawić
to repair
Questions & Answers about W garażu stoi stary tramwaj, który wolontariusz chce naprawić.
Why is garażu in that form? What case is it and why is it used here?
Garażu is in the locative case, which Polish uses after certain prepositions (like w, na) to indicate location. So w garażu literally means “in the garage.”
Why are stary and tramwaj both in the nominative case here?
They form the subject of the main clause. With the verb stoi (“(it) stands/is standing”), the thing that stands (the old tram) remains in the nominative masculine singular: stary tramwaj.
What’s the difference between using stoi and jest in this sentence? Could I say W garażu jest stary tramwaj?
Yes, W garażu jest stary tramwaj is grammatically correct and means “There is an old tram in the garage.”
Stoi adds a nuance of physical position—“it’s standing there.” With vehicles or upright objects, stoi sounds more vivid.
Why does naprawić (the infinitive) appear at the end of the subordinate clause?
In Polish subordinate clauses with modal verbs like chce (“wants”), you typically put the finite verb first and the infinitive at the end. So you get wolontariusz chce naprawić with naprawić trailing.