Questions & Answers about Musimy wydrukować bilety do kina.
Why is there no word for “we” in the sentence?
Polish usually drops subject pronouns because verb endings show the person. Musimy already means “we must/have to.” You’d add my only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., To my musimy… = It’s we who have to…).
What nuance does musimy have compared with “have to,” “must,” or “need to”?
Musimy (from musieć) expresses obligation/necessity, ranging from practical necessity to strong must, depending on context. It’s closer to English “have to/must.” Don’t use potrzebujemy here; potrzebujemy = “we need (require)” something, not obligation to act.
Why is it wydrukować and not drukować?
Aspect. Wydrukować is perfective (a single, completed printing), which fits a one-time task we want finished. Drukować is imperfective (the process or habit).
- Musimy wydrukować bilety… = We need to get the tickets printed (completed).
- Musimy drukować bilety… = We have to be printing tickets (as a general rule/habit), or we must engage in printing (process), which is a different meaning.
What does the prefix wy- add in wydrukować?