Breakdown of Ona nie zgadza się z koleżanką, ale słucha jej.
ona
she
ale
but
nie
not
z
with
słuchać
to listen
jej
her
zgadzać się
to agree
koleżanka
the female friend
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Questions & Answers about Ona nie zgadza się z koleżanką, ale słucha jej.
Why is it z koleżanką and not z koleżanka or z koleżankę?
Because the preposition z meaning "with" takes the instrumental case. Feminine singular instrumental ends in -ą, so koleżanka → koleżanką. The nominative (koleżanka) and accusative (koleżankę) are not used after z in this meaning.
What does zgadzać się z mean, and why is there się?
Zgadzać się z kimś means “to agree with someone.” The verb is reflexive, so it requires the particle się. Without się, zgadzać can mean “to match/correspond,” but the “agree” sense is reflexive: zgadzać się.
What’s the difference between zgadzać się and zgodzić się?
Aspect:
- Zgadzać się: imperfective (ongoing/habitual; “to be agreeing”/“to agree (generally)”).
- Zgodzić się: perfective (a single completed act; in the present it refers to the future: “will agree”).
Where should się go—Ona nie zgadza się or Ona się nie zgadza?
Both are correct. Się is a clitic and tends to appear early in the clause. These are neutral:
- Ona się nie zgadza z koleżanką.
- Ona nie zgadza się z koleżanką. Word order here affects only subtle emphasis.
Why is it słucha jej and not słucha ją?
Because słuchać (“to listen (to)”) governs the genitive case. The genitive of the 3rd‑person feminine pronoun is jej. Ją is accusative and is considered nonstandard with słuchać in careful Polish.
Does słuchać mean only “listen to,” or can it mean “obey”?
It can mean both, depending on context. Słuchać kogoś may be “listen to someone” or “obey someone.” If you want to be explicit about obedience, you can use słuchać się kogoś or być posłusznym komuś.
Can I say ale jej słucha instead of ale słucha jej?
Yes. Both ale słucha jej and ale jej słucha are natural. Putting jej before the verb slightly emphasizes the object (“her, she listens to”). With clitic accusative pronouns (e.g., ją in verbs that take ACC), the default position is often before the verb, but remember that słuchać takes GEN, hence jej.
Who does jej refer to—back to koleżanka or some other woman?
By default it’s understood as the koleżanka, but grammatically jej could refer to any relevant woman. To make it unambiguous, repeat the noun: ...ale słucha koleżanki. If you mean a different woman, specify: ...ale słucha innej kobiety or use a name.
Should I use swoją before koleżanką to show “her own friend”?
You can: ze swoją koleżanką means “with her (own) female friend.” Swoją (reflexive possessive) points back to the subject and helps when contrast is possible (her friend vs someone else’s). It’s optional here.
Is the comma before ale required?
Yes. In Polish, you put a comma before ale when it links parts of a sentence: ..., ale ... This applies even if the subject isn’t repeated in the second clause.
Can I drop the subject pronoun Ona?
Yes. Polish commonly omits subject pronouns when context makes them clear: Nie zgadza się z koleżanką, ale jej słucha. Keeping Ona adds emphasis or contrast.
Why is it z koleżanką and not ze koleżanką?
The longer form ze is used to ease pronunciation before certain consonant clusters or words beginning with z-/s-/ś-/ź-/ż- (e.g., ze mną, ze znajomym, ze szkoły). Before k in koleżanką, plain z is natural: z koleżanką.
What’s the nuance between koleżanka and przyjaciółka?
- Koleżanka: a female friend/peer/colleague—neutral, not necessarily close.
- Przyjaciółka: a close female friend. With z, say z przyjaciółką.
How would it change if the friend were male?
Use kolega in the instrumental: z kolegą. The pronoun after słuchać changes to masculine: Ona nie zgadza się z kolegą, ale słucha go.
What’s the perfective of słuchać, and how does it change the meaning?
Posłuchać is the perfective (“to listen for a while / to heed”). Perfective present usually refers to the future: Ona nie zgadza się z koleżanką, ale jej posłucha. = “...but she will listen (this time).”
Is jej here genitive or dative?
Genitive. Jej serves as both genitive and dative of ona, and also as a possessive determiner (“her”). The governing verb tells you which: słuchać takes GEN, so jej = genitive here. Example of dative: Pomagam jej (“I help her”).
Could I use wysłuchać instead of słuchać?
Yes. Wysłuchać kogoś means “to listen to someone out / hear someone out” (perfective). In standard usage it patterns like słuchać and takes the genitive, so: Ona nie zgadza się z koleżanką, ale jej wysłucha. In colloquial speech some people use the accusative, but the genitive is the safe, recommended choice.
Could I use lecz or jednak instead of ale? Any nuance?
- Ale: neutral “but,” most common.
- Lecz: “but” in a more formal or literary tone.
- Jednak: “however/nevertheless,” a bit more concessive. All three fit: ..., lecz słucha jej. / ..., jednak słucha jej.
Any pronunciation tips for zgadza and koleżanką?
- zg in zgadza is a blended “zg” with a voiced z.
- dz is one sound, like the “ds” in “kids.”
- ż in koleżanką sounds like “zh” in “measure.”
- Final ą is a nasalized “o.” You’ll hear it a bit like “on/om” but without a full n/m—aim for a nasal “o.”