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Questions & Answers about Mój kask jest lekki.
What is the literal word-by-word translation and grammatical structure of Mój kask jest lekki?
It means My helmet is light. Word by word:
- Mój = my (masculine singular possessive pronoun)
- kask = helmet (masculine singular noun, nominative)
- jest = is (3rd person singular of być, “to be”)
- lekki = light (masculine singular adjective, nominative)
Structure: Possessive pronoun + Noun (subject) + Verb + Adjective (predicate).
Why is the possessive pronoun mój used instead of moja or moje?
Possessive pronouns in Polish agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Kask is masculine inanimate singular, so you use mój.
- moje is for neuter singular or non-personal plural
- moja is for feminine singular
Why does the adjective lekki end with -i and not -a or -e?
Adjectives must match the noun’s gender, number, and case. Here lekki is masculine nominative singular to agree with kask.
- Feminine nominative singular would be lekka
- Neuter nominative singular lekkie
- Plural forms vary (e.g., lekcy, lekkie) depending on animacy and gender
What grammatical case are mój, kask, and lekki in, and why?
All three are in the nominative case, which marks the subject of the sentence. The possessive pronoun mój and the adjective lekki both take nominative endings to agree with the subject kask, also in nominative.
Do you have to use the verb jest (is) in present-tense sentences? Can it be omitted?
No, in Polish the present-tense form of być (to be) is required. You cannot drop jest in standard Polish, unlike some other Slavic languages.
Can you change the word order for emphasis, for example Lekki jest mój kask?
Yes, Polish word order is flexible. Lekki jest mój kask puts emphasis on lekki (light). The neutral order remains Mój kask jest lekki, while altered order may sound more poetic or emphatic.
How do you pronounce kask and lekki?
- kask: [kask], with an “ah” vowel and a final hard k
- lekki: [ˈlɛk.kʲi], stress on the first syllable, double k indicates a brief pause, and k is softened before i
Is there another way to say “My helmet is light” using a verb like “to have”?
Yes: Mam lekki kask, literally “I have a light helmet.”
- mam = I have
- lekki remains in masculine singular form
- kask is in accusative (same form as nominative for masculine inanimate)
How would you change the sentence to plural: “My helmets are light”?
Use the nominative plural forms and the correct verb form: Moje kaski są lekkie.
- Moje = my (plural, non-personal)
- kaski = helmets (nominative plural)
- są = are
- lekkie = light (nominative plural non-masculine-personal)