Mój pies jest chory.

to be

Breakdown of Mój pies jest chory.

• pies: the dog
• mój: my
• chory: sick

Questions & Answers about Mój pies jest chory.

What does each word in Mój pies jest chory mean exactly?

The sentence literally breaks down like this:

• Mój – my (masculine singular, “my” referring to something masculine in the subject position)
• pies – dog
• jest – is (3rd person singular of być – to be)
• chory – ill / sick (masculine singular form of the adjective)

So word-for-word it’s: “My dog is sick.”

Why is it mój and not moja or moje?

Polish possessive pronouns change form to agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe, not with the owner.

• mój – for masculine singular nouns in the nominative (e.g. mój pies, mój kot)
• moja – for feminine singular nouns in the nominative (e.g. moja mama, moja siostra)
• moje – for neuter singular nouns (e.g. moje dziecko) and some plural cases

Since pies (dog) is grammatically masculine singular, you must use mój.

How do I pronounce Mój pies jest chory?