Learn Hardcore Polish: Żaden plan nie jest prosty, ale ten działa dobrze. - No plan is simple, but this one works well.

Polish uses negative concord: negative words like żaden, nikt, nic require the verb to be negated with nie. So żaden plan nie jest… is the normal, correct pattern. Leaving out nie would be ungrammatical or change the meaning.

What exactly does żaden mean, and how does it agree with the noun?

Żaden means “no” or “not a single.” It agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case:

Masculine singular: żaden plan
Feminine singular: żadna książka
Neuter singular: żadne rozwiązanie
Plural masculine personal: żadni ludzie
Other plurals: żadne plany In the sentence, żaden plan is nominative singular masculine because it’s the subject.

Why is there a comma before ale?

In Polish, you must put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like ale when they join two independent clauses. Each half of the sentence has its own verb, so a comma is required.

Why is it prosty, not prostym, after jest?

Predicate adjectives after być (to be) are in the nominative: plan jest prosty. The instrumental (-ym, -im) is used with predicate nouns (e.g., Jest nauczycielem) or in some other constructions, but not with ordinary predicate adjectives.

Does negation change the case here (like the genitive of negation)?

No. The genitive-of-negation affects direct objects of many verbs (e.g., nie mam czasu). Here we have a copular structure (X jest Y), so prosty stays nominative.

What’s the difference between prosty and łatwy?

Prosty = simple (not complex, straightforward in structure).
Łatwy = easy (not difficult to do). A plan can be complex (nieprosty) yet still easy to follow, or vice versa. The sentence talks about structural simplicity, not ease.

What is ten doing here? Do I have to repeat plan?

Ten is a demonstrative pronoun, meaning “this one.” Polish often avoids repeating the noun if the reference is clear, so ale ten = “but this one (plan).” You could say ale ten plan działa dobrze for emphasis or clarity, but it’s not required.

Can I use to instead of ten?

Ten points back to a specific masculine noun just mentioned (plan).
To is more neutral/impersonal (“this/it”) and can refer to a situation or idea. If you say ale to działa dobrze, you slightly shift focus from “this plan” as a noun to “this (thing/idea/situation).” In many contexts both will be understood, but ten keeps the link to plan explicit.

Why działa, not pracuje?

Działać = to work/function (for mechanisms, systems, plans, solutions).
Pracować = to work (people doing a job; occasionally of machines “is running,” but not for plans). For a plan or strategy, Polish uses działa or sprawdza się (works out).

Can I put dobrze before the verb (dobrze działa)?

Yes. Both działa dobrze and dobrze działa are correct. Polish word order is flexible; placing dobrze first adds slight emphasis to “well.”

Why dobrze and not dobry?

Because it modifies a verb. Dobrze is the adverb (“well”); dobry is the adjective (“good”). Verbs take adverbs: działa dobrze.

What tense/aspect is działa? How would I say it in other tenses?

Działa is present tense, imperfective, expressing a current or general state. Other forms:

Habitual/ongoing future: będzie działać (it will be working/it will work on an ongoing basis)
One-off, successful result: zadziała (it will work once / it will do the trick)
Past ongoing/habitual: działał/działała/działało
Past one-off result: zadziałał/zadziałała/zadziałało

How do I pronounce the tricky parts like Ż, rz in dobrze, and dzia in działa?

Ż/ż and rz sound the same: like the s in “measure.”
Dzia is a soft affricate, roughly like “dja” said together; the ł in działa sounds like English “w.”
Stress is usually on the penultimate syllable: ŻA-den PLAN NIE JEST PRO-sty, A-le TEN DZIA-ła DOB-rze.

What’s the difference between żaden plan and żaden z planów?

Żaden plan = no plan (in general).
Żaden z planów = none of the plans (from a specific set already known). Use the second when you’re talking about a defined group.

Could I leave out jest in the first clause?

No. In present-tense equational sentences with a noun subject, Polish normally uses jest. You can’t say Żaden plan nie prosty; it must be Żaden plan nie jest prosty.

Are there alternatives to ale, and do they change the tone?

Yes:

Lecz: more formal/literary, close to ale.
Jednak: “however,” slightly more contrastive.
Za to: “on the other hand/in return,” often highlights compensation/contrast in a positive way.