Breakdown of To doświadczenie pokaże, czy nasz głośnik działa dobrze.
to
this
nasz
our
dobrze
well
doświadczenie
the experience
głośnik
the speaker
pokazać
to show
czy
whether
działać
to work
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Questions & Answers about To doświadczenie pokaże, czy nasz głośnik działa dobrze.
What function does To serve at the beginning of the sentence?
To is the neuter nominative demonstrative pronoun meaning this. In To doświadczenie, it points to a specific experience and forms the subject of the sentence.
Why is there a comma before czy?
In Polish, subordinate clauses are separated by a comma. Here czy introduces an indirect yes–no question (“whether”), so you place a comma before it.
What does czy mean in this context?
Czy functions as whether in indirect questions. It doesn’t turn the sentence into a direct question but links to the subordinate clause: “This experience will show whether our speaker works well.”
Why is the second clause in the present tense (działa), even though it talks about the future?
Polish often uses the present tense in subordinate clauses to refer to future events. You could say czy nasz głośnik będzie działał dobrze, but działa is idiomatic and perfectly normal here.
Why are doświadczenie and nasz głośnik both in the nominative case?
Each is the subject of its clause:
• To doświadczenie acts on pokaże (it will show).
• Nasz głośnik acts on działa (it works).
Both require the nominative.
Could I use a different verb for “work/function” instead of działać?
Yes. Działać means “to function/work” for machines or devices. Alternatives include:
- Funkcjonować (more formal)
- Będzie działał (future tense of działać)
Avoid pracować, which is used for people doing work.
Is there an idiomatic alternative to To doświadczenie pokaże?
Yes. A very common phrase is Czas pokaże, literally “time will show,” equivalent to “time will tell.”
How do you pronounce głośnik?
Phonetic: [ˈɡwɔɕnik] – approximate English: GWOH-sh-neek.
• gł = gw sound
• ś = soft “sh”
• stress on the first syllable
Where is the stress in doświadczenie?
Polish words are almost always stressed on the penultimate syllable. In doświadczenie, the penult is -cze-, so it’s pronounced do-świad-CZE-nie.