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Jeśli nie masz gotówki, bankomat jest zaraz obok parkingu.

Jeśli nie masz gotówki, bankomat jest zaraz obok parkingu.
If you don’t have cash, an ATM is right next to the parking lot.
FromLesson 18inHardcore Polish
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Questions & Answers about Jeśli nie masz gotówki, bankomat jest zaraz obok parkingu.

What does Jeśli mean in this sentence, and how is it different from Kiedy?

Jeśli means “if,” introducing a condition. You use it when you talk about something hypothetical: “If you don’t have cash…”
Kiedy means “when” in a temporal sense (“When you arrive, call me.”), so it wouldn’t fit here.

Why is there a comma after gotówki?
In Polish, a comma separates the subordinate (conditional) clause introduced by jeśli from the main clause. So after Jeśli nie masz gotówki, you put a comma, then continue with bankomat jest….
Why is gotówki in the genitive case instead of the accusative?

With verbs of possession like mieć in the negative form, Polish traditionally uses the genitive for the direct object.
Positive: mam gotówkę (Accusative)
Negative: nie mam gotówki (Genitive)

What is the difference between gotówka and pieniądze?

Gotówka = physical cash (coins and banknotes) only.
Pieniądze = money in general (could include cash, card balance, digital).
If you specifically need banknotes/coins, say gotówka.

What does zaraz add to the meaning of the sentence?
Zaraz means “right” or “immediately.” Put together as zaraz obok, it emphasizes very close proximity: “right next to.”
Why is parkingu in the genitive case?

The preposition obok (“next to”) always takes the genitive case in Polish.
So parking (Nom) → parkingu (Gen).

Why is there no word for “the” before bankomat?
Polish has no articles (no equivalents of “the” or “a”). Context alone determines specificity.
Is bankomat the usual Polish word for an ATM?
Yes. Bankomat is the standard term (from bank + automat). You won’t hear ATM in spoken Polish—native speakers say bankomat.
How do you pronounce bankomat and parkingu?

bankomat: [ban-KO-mat], stress on the second syllable
parkingu: [par-KEEN-gu], stress on the second syllable (the final u sounds like the “oo” in “food”)

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