Breakdown of Czy możesz mi wyjaśnić zasady gry?
czy
question marker
mi
me
móc
can
gra
the game
zasada
the rule
wyjaśnić
to explain
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Questions & Answers about Czy możesz mi wyjaśnić zasady gry?
What is the function of Czy in this sentence?
Czy is a particle used to introduce yes–no questions in Polish. It doesn’t translate directly into English but signals that the sentence is a question.
Why is możesz used here, and what form is it?
możesz is the second person singular present tense of the modal verb móc (to be able to). It corresponds to can you in English.
Why is mi used instead of mnie, and what role does it play?
mi is the dative form of the first person singular pronoun (to me). It marks the indirect object of wyjaśnić, showing who receives the explanation.
What case is zasady, and why is it used here?
zasady is in the accusative plural, functioning as the direct object of wyjaśnić (the thing being explained). Note that for this noun the nominative and accusative plural look the same.
Why is gry in the genitive case?
When expressing “rules of something,” Polish puts the thing in the genitive. So gry is the genitive singular of gra (game), making zasady gry = the rules of the game.
What is the form and aspect of wyjaśnić, and why is it used here?
wyjaśnić is the perfective infinitive of wyjaśniać (to explain). After a modal verb like możesz, Polish requires the infinitive. The perfective aspect emphasizes completing the action (a full explanation).
Could you say wyjaśniać instead of wyjaśnić, and how would the meaning change?
Yes. wyjaśniać is the imperfective infinitive and would focus on the ongoing or habitual nature of explaining. But here you want a single, complete explanation, so wyjaśnić (perfective) is more natural.
Is it correct to say Czy możesz wyjaśnić mi zasady gry? instead of Czy możesz mi wyjaśnić zasady gry?
Yes. Polish word order is flexible, so moving mi after wyjaśnić is also acceptable. Both versions mean Can you explain the rules of the game to me?
Can you omit Czy and just say Możesz mi wyjaśnić zasady gry?
Informally, yes. Dropping Czy is common in spoken Polish, and Możesz mi wyjaśnić zasady gry? still means Can you explain the rules of the game to me?
How would you make this question more polite or formal?
You could use the conditional mógłbyś/mogłabyś:
Czy mógłbyś mi wyjaśnić zasady gry?
Or add pan/pani for formality:
Czy może mi pan/pani wyjaśnić zasady gry?