Ich związek jest spokojny.

Their relationship is calm.

Breakdown of Ich związek jest spokojny.

• być: to be
• spokojny: calm
• ich: their
• związek: the relationship

Questions & Answers about Ich związek jest spokojny.

Why is it Ich związek and not Oni związek?

Oni means they (subject pronoun), so it cannot directly modify a noun.
To say their relationship, you need the possessive form:

• oni – they (subject)
• ich – their (possessive)

So:

• Oni mają związek. – They have a relationship.
• Ich związek jest spokojny. – Their relationship is calm.

Using oni związek would be ungrammatical in Polish.

Why is Ich capitalized? Is it the same as German Ich (“I”)?

Here Ich is capitalized only because it is at the beginning of the sentence.
The word is Polish ich (meaning their), not German Ich.

In the middle of a sentence you would write:

• Lubię ich związek. – I like their relationship.

So:

• Polish ich = their (or genitive them)
• German Ich = I

They just happen to look the same when capitalized at the start of a sentence.

What case is związek in here, and why?

Związek is in the nominative singular:

• dictionary form: związek (masculine, nominative singular)
• sentence: Ich związek jest spokojny.

The pattern in this sentence is:

• [subject] + jest + [adjective]
• Ich związek = the subject → nominative case
• jest spokojny = predicate

So związek stays in nominative because it is the thing we are talking about (the subject of the sentence).

Why is the adjective spokojny and not spokojne or spokojna?

In Polish, adjectives must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Związek is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

The matching adjective form is:

• spokojny – masculine singular nominative

Other forms would match different types of nouns:

• spokojna – feminine singular nominative (e.g. spokojna kobieta)
• spokojne – neuter singular nominative (e.g. spokojne dziecko) or non-masculine-personal plural

So Ich związek jest spokojny is correct because związek is masculine.

Could it be Ich związek jest spokojnym instead of spokojny?

No, not in this exact construction. Here’s the rule:

• If what comes after jest is an adjective alone, it stays in nominative:

  • Ich związek jest spokojny. – Their relationship is calm.

• If what comes after jest is a noun phrase, that noun phrase goes to instrumental:

  • Ich związek jest spokojnym związkiem. – Their relationship is a calm relationship.
    
    • spokojnym (instrumental adj.)
    • związkiem (instrumental noun)

So:

• jest spokojny – adjective only → nominative
• jest spokojnym związkiem – full noun phrase → instrumental

Jest spokojnym (by itself) sounds incomplete; you’d expect a noun after it.

Can jest be dropped, like in some Slavic languages (e.g. Russian)?

Normally, in standard Polish you keep jest in sentences like this:

• Ich związek jest spokojny.

Omitting it:

• Ich związek spokojny.

is possible only:

• in very telegraphic style (notes, headlines)
• or in some colloquial speech for special emphasis, and even then it can sound a bit stylized or abrupt.

For everyday correct Polish, especially as a learner, you should include jest.

Can I change the word order, for example to Związek ich jest spokojny?

Yes, Polish has flexible word order, but nuances change:

1. Ich związek jest spokojny.
   – Neutral: Their relationship is calm.

2. Związek ich jest spokojny.
   – More marked; sounds a bit poetic or contrastive, like:
   “The relationship of theirs is calm (as opposed to someone else’s).”

3. Ich spokojny związek…
   – As the beginning of a longer sentence, it suggests emphasis on the adjective:
   Ich spokojny związek przetrwał wszystkie problemy.
   – Their calm relationship survived all problems.

For a neutral, everyday statement, Ich związek jest spokojny is best.

Does ich ever change its form? Is there a different version like ichu or ichowi?

As a possessive pronoun meaning their, ich is indeclinable:

• ich związek – their relationship (nom.)
• nie lubię ich związku – I don’t like their relationship (gen.)
• przyglądam się ich związkowi – I’m looking at their relationship (dat.)
• widzę ich związek – I see their relationship (acc.)

In all these cases, ich stays ich.

There is also a different ich which is the genitive form of the pronoun oni/one (them), e.g.:

• Widzę ich. – I see them. (genitive)

But again, it does not change its form; context tells you whether it’s “their” or “them”.

What exactly does związek mean here? Is it always romantic?

In Polish, związek is a general word meaning connection / relationship / union. It can refer to:

• a romantic relationship: związek partnerski, związek miłosny
• a general relationship/bond: związek przyczynowo-skutkowy – cause-and-effect relationship
• an organization or union: związek zawodowy – trade union
• a chemical compound: związek chemiczny

In Ich związek jest spokojny, the default reading is usually a romantic or partner relationship, unless context says otherwise.

What kind of “calm” does spokojny express in this context?

Spokojny can mean:

• calm, peaceful, not turbulent
• free from drama/conflict
• emotionally stable, not intense or volatile

In the context of a relationship:

• Ich związek jest spokojny. suggests:
  • they don’t argue much
  • it’s emotionally steady and low‑conflict
  • there’s no big drama or chaos

It doesn’t mean boring by default, though in some contexts it could carry a slight nuance of “quiet / not exciting,” depending on tone and additional comments.

How is związek pronounced, especially the “wią” part?

Phonetic approximation (IPA): [ˈzvʲɔ̃.zɛk]

Key points:

• z
  • w → zw like English zv in “zv-” (not a common cluster in English, but say zv quickly).
• wią:
  
  • wi is like vee but with lips slightly closer (palatalized w)
  • ą here is nasalized and before z sounds roughly like on or om in French “bon” – short and nasal
• zek:
  
  • ze like ze in “zebra” but shorter
  • final k is a normal hard k

So you can approximate it as: ZVYON-zek, with a nasal, not full “on”.