Questions & Answers about Tu nie wolno palić papierosów.
What is the core grammar of this sentence?
- Tu = here
- nie wolno = it is not allowed / one must not (impersonal predicate)
- palić = to smoke (infinitive)
- papierosów = cigarettes (genitive plural)
There is no explicit subject. Literally: Here not allowed to smoke cigarettes.
Why is it papierosów (genitive) and not papierosy (accusative)?
In Polish, when you negate a verb with a direct object, that object usually switches to the genitive. Compare:
- Affirmative: Wolno palić papierosy. (Accusative)
- Negative: Nie wolno palić papierosów. (Genitive)
So the negation in nie wolno triggers genitive.
Could I ever say Tu nie wolno palić papierosy?
No. With negation, you need genitive plural: papierosów. In the affirmative it’s papierosy:
- Tu wolno palić papierosy.
Can I omit papierosów and just say Tu nie wolno palić?