Learn Hardcore Polish: Bezpieczny parking przy ratuszu został całkowicie oświetlony tej nocy. - The safe parking lot by the town hall was completely lit up tonight.

przy is a preposition meaning by/near, and it always takes the locative case. The noun ratusz (“town hall”) in locative becomes ratuszu, so przy ratuszu literally means “by the town hall.”

What does został całkowicie oświetlony express, and why use został?

This is a past passive construction. został is the auxiliary used for passive voice in the past tense (masculine singular). So został całkowicie oświetlony means “was completely illuminated.”

Could we say był oświetlony instead of został oświetlony, and what’s the difference?

Yes, but the nuance changes. był oświetlony describes a state (“it was lit”), while został oświetlony emphasizes the action (“it got lit up” or “someone lit it up”).

What’s the difference between całkowicie and całkiem?

Both can translate as “completely,” but całkowicie is more formal and stresses full completeness (“entirely”), whereas całkiem is colloquial and often means “quite” or “pretty much.”

Why is the adjective bezpieczny used here instead of bezpiecznie?

bezpieczny is an adjective modifying the noun parking (“safe parking”), while bezpiecznie is an adverb meaning “safely.” To describe a noun you need the adjective form.

Why is parking masculine, and why do we use został with it?

Polish borrowed parking as a noun ending in a consonant, so it took the masculine gender. In past passive, the auxiliary (został) agrees with the noun’s gender and number—here masculine singular.

What case is tej nocy, and how does it translate?

tej nocy is the locative of ta noc (“this night”), used adverbially to specify time. It literally means “this night,” i.e. “tonight.”

Can we replace tej nocy with w nocy or nocą, and how do they differ?

Yes. w nocy (“during the night”) is a general time frame, nocą (instrumental adverb) means “at night.” tej nocy specifically points to this particular night (“tonight”).

Is the word order fixed, or could we start the sentence with Tej nocy?

Polish word order is quite flexible. You can begin with Tej nocy for emphasis:
Tej nocy bezpieczny parking przy ratuszu został całkowicie oświetlony.
The focus shifts slightly, but the core meaning remains.

What’s the nuance between using przy versus obok in przy ratuszu?

Both mean “near,” but przy implies right next to or adjacent, whereas obok is more like “beside” or “off to the side.” So przy ratuszu suggests the parking directly borders the town hall.