Dzieci pytają o zasady gry.

Children are asking about the rules of the game.

Breakdown of Dzieci pytają o zasady gry.

• dziecko: the child
• gra: the game
• zasada: the rule
• pytać o: to ask about

Questions & Answers about Dzieci pytają o zasady gry.

What does the verb form pytają tell me?

It’s the 3rd person plural present of pytać (to ask). In English it can be either “they ask” or “they are asking.”

• Present conjugation: ja pytam, ty pytasz, on/ona/ono pyta, my pytamy, wy pytacie, oni/one pytają.
• It works for both groups: masculine-personal (oni) and non-masculine-personal (one). The difference shows up in the past, not in the present.

Why is it o zasady and not o zasadach?

Because pytać governs “o + accusative” (o co?). Many “ask/request/strive for” verbs do that.

• Examples with accusative: pytać o bilet, prosić o pomoc, walczyć o pokój.
• By contrast, “talk/think about” verbs use “o + locative” (o czym?): mówić o zasadach, rozmawiać o filmie, myśleć o tobie.

What case is zasady here, and what’s the base form?

• zasady is accusative plural of the feminine noun zasada (a rule).
• Key forms: (sg) nominative zasada, accusative zasadę; (pl) nominative/accusative zasady; genitive plural zasad.

Why is it gry and not gra or grę?

Because zasady gry means “the rules of the game,” and Polish uses the genitive to show this “of” relationship. gry is the genitive singular of gra.

• gra (nom sg), grę (acc sg), gry (gen sg), gier (gen pl).
• Compare: zasady gry = rules of the game; zasady gier = rules of games (plural).

Does pytać o mean “ask about” or “ask for”?

It means “ask about.” To “ask for,” use prosić o (imperfective) or poprosić o (perfective).

• Ask about: Dzieci pytają o zasady gry. (They’re asking about the rules.)
• Ask for: Dzieci proszą o wyjaśnienie zasad gry. (They’re asking for an explanation of the rules.)

What’s special about dzieci in terms of agreement?

Dzieci (children) is plural but grammatically non-masculine-personal. In the present, the verb looks the same, but in the past and with adjectives/participles you use non-masculine-personal forms:

• Past: Dzieci pytały / były (not: pytali / byli).
• Adjectives: małe dzieci (not: mali).

How would I say this as a completed action or in the future?

Use the perfective verb zapytać (“to ask” as a single, completed act).

• Past completed: Dzieci zapytały o zasady gry. (The children asked…)
• Future (single act): Dzieci zapytają o zasady gry. (They will ask…)
• Perfective verbs don’t have a present “now” meaning; their “present” forms refer to the future.

Can I say pytają się?

You’ll hear pytać się colloquially or regionally, but standard, careful Polish prefers plain pytać with a direct object: pytać kogoś o coś. In formal writing or exams, use pytać (no “się”).

Polish has no articles. How can I signal “the rules” vs “some rules”?

Use determiners if needed:

• “the rules” (specific/known): te zasady (te = these/the)
• “some rules” (unspecified): jakieś zasady Examples: Dzieci pytają o te zasady gry. / Dzieci pytają o jakieś zasady gry.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Polish word order is flexible and used for emphasis/information structure:

• Neutral: Dzieci pytają o zasady gry.
• Emphasize who is asking (contrastive focus on dzieci): O zasady gry pytają dzieci.
• Topicalize the object: O zasady gry dzieci pytają. All are grammatical; choose based on what you want to highlight.

How do I replace the noun with pronouns after pytać o?

After prepositions, 3rd-person pronouns take n-forms:

• about it: o to
• about him: o niego
• about her: o nią
• about them: o nich Example: Dzieci pytają o to. (They’re asking about it.)

What if it’s one child or one rule?

• One child: Dziecko pyta o zasady gry.
• One rule: Dzieci pytają o jedną zasadę (gry).
• If you mean rules of multiple games: Dzieci pytają o zasady gier.