Breakdown of Zaparkujcie samochód na głównym parkingu, zanim plac się zapełni.
samochód
the car
na
in
zanim
before
główny
main
plac
the square
parking
the parking lot
zaparkować
to park
zapełnić się
to fill up
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Questions & Answers about Zaparkujcie samochód na głównym parkingu, zanim plac się zapełni.
Why is zaparkujcie used here, and what form is it?
zaparkujcie is the 2nd person plural imperative of the perfective verb zaparkować (“to park [successfully]”).
- 2nd person plural (“you all”) because you’re addressing more than one person.
- Imperative mood to give a command.
- Perfective aspect (zaparkować) signals that the action should be completed (you actually get the car parked).
Why is samochód in this form—what case is it, and why?
samochód is the direct object of zaparkujcie, so it’s in the accusative singular.
- samochód is an inanimate masculine noun, and for inanimate masculines the nominative and accusative forms coincide, hence samochód.
Why do we say na głównym parkingu? Why na plus that ending on główny and parking?
Here na expresses location (“on/at the main parking lot”) and governs the locative case.
- parking → locative singular parkingu
- główny → locative singular masculine głównym
So na głównym parkingu literally means “at the main parking lot.”
What is zanim, and how does it differ from using przed?
zanim is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before,” used to introduce a full clause with its own verb. Example: zanim plac się zapełni (“before the lot fills up”).
By contrast, przed is a preposition, so it must be followed by a noun or an infinitive, not a finite verb. You could say:
- przed zaparkowaniem (before parking)
- przed wypełnieniem placu (before the lot fills up)
But with zanim you directly link two clauses.
Why does the sentence use się in plac się zapełni?
się is the reflexive pronoun needed for the verb zapełnić się, which means “to become full” or “to fill up (oneself).”
- zapełnić alone is transitive (“to fill something”).
- zapełnić się is intransitive/reflexive (“to become/ get filled”).
Why is the verb zapełni (perfective), not zapełnia (imperfective)?
Using the perfective zapełni emphasizes the completion of the action—i.e. “until it is completely full.” The imperfective zapełnia would stress an ongoing process (“while it is filling”), which doesn’t fit the “before” meaning here.
Could the word order in plac się zapełni change, and would it affect the meaning?
Polish word order is relatively flexible. You could also say:
- zanim się plac zapełni
- zanim plac zapełni się
All three versions mean the same. The chosen order simply places się right after the subject plac, which is very common stylistically.