Learn Hardcore Polish: Czy twoja mapa jest jeszcze w torbie?

Czy marks a yes/no question. It doesn’t change the word order.
In speech you can omit it and just use rising intonation: Twoja mapa jest jeszcze w torbie?
In writing or more formal speech, keeping czy is standard and clear.

Why is it twoja mapa and not twój mapa?

Because mapa is a feminine noun. The possessive pronoun must agree with the noun:

masculine: twój (twój plecak)
feminine: twoja (twoja mapa, twoja torba)
neuter: twoje (twoje krzesło)
plural masculine-personal: twoi (twoi koledzy)
plural non-masculine-personal: twoje (twoje książki)

What case is w torbie, and why is it not w torba or w torbę?

After w meaning “in” (static location), Polish uses the locative case.
The locative of torba (a bag) is torbie: hence w torbie = “in the bag.”
For movement into the bag, you’d use a different preposition and case: do torby (“into the bag”). For movement out, z torby (“out of the bag”).

How does jeszcze work here, and what’s the contrast with już?

Jeszcze means “still” or “yet.” In this question it’s “still”: “Is your map still in the bag?”
Key contrasts:
- Jeszcze nie jest w torbie = “It’s not in the bag yet.”
- Już jest w torbie = “It’s already in the bag.”
- Już nie jest w torbie = “It’s no longer in the bag.”

Can I move jeszcze around? Which word orders sound natural?

Most neutral: …jest jeszcze w torbie?
Also possible (slight emphasis shift): …jeszcze jest w torbie?
…jest w torbie jeszcze? is possible but tends to emphasize the location phrase.
Starting with Jeszcze or placing it far from what it modifies can sound odd in this short sentence. Stick to the first two for safety.

Do I have to include jest, or can I say “Czy twoja mapa jeszcze w torbie?”

In standard Polish, include jest (the verb “to be”): Czy twoja mapa jest jeszcze w torbie?
Dropping jest is only acceptable in very casual, elliptical speech: Twoja mapa jeszcze w torbie? (colloquial).

How would I ask this politely when speaking to a stranger?

Use formal “your” based on who you’re addressing, and capitalize it:

To a man: Czy Pana mapa jest jeszcze w torbie?
To a woman: Czy Pani mapa jest jeszcze w torbie? You may also hear adjectival forms like pańska/pański/pańskie, but many speakers prefer Pana/Pani. For plural formal: Czy Państwa mapa…

What are natural short answers to this yes/no question?

Yes: Tak, (jeszcze) jest (w torbie). / Jeszcze jest.
No: Nie, już nie (jest w torbie). / Już nie.
You can also say: Nie, nie ma jej w torbie. (“No, it’s not there,” literally “there is not it/her in the bag” — using genitive jej for a feminine noun like mapa.)

Is this the same czy as the one that means “whether/or”?

Yes. Czy introduces yes/no questions and also the complementizer “whether”:

Nie wiem, czy twoja mapa jest jeszcze w torbie. = “I don’t know whether your map is still in the bag.” It’s also used in alternatives: Czy w torbie, czy w plecaku? (“In the bag or in the backpack?”)

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Czy: [t͡ʂɨ], like “ch” in “church” + a hard “y.”
twoja: [ˈtfɔ.ja], the initial cluster sounds like “tf-,” roughly “TFOH-yah.”
jeszcze: [ˈjɛʂ.t͡ʂɛ], roughly “YESH-cheh” (the szcz sequence is “shch”).
w: pronounced like English “v.”
torbie: [ˈtɔrbʲɛ], roughly “TOR-byeh,” with a slightly softened b before -ie.

Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” in Polish?

Polish doesn’t use articles. Definiteness is inferred from context or from words like twoja (“your”). So twoja mapa clearly means “your map,” and w torbie can be understood as “in the (that) bag” from context.

Could I use other words instead of torba depending on the container?

Yes. Common options:

w torebce = in the (hand)bag/purse
w plecaku = in the backpack
w kieszeni = in the pocket
w walizce = in the suitcase The case still follows the same rule: static “in” → locative after w.