Z naszego balkonu mamy ładny widok na park i boisko.

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Questions & Answers about Z naszego balkonu mamy ładny widok na park i boisko.

Why is it „z naszego balkonu” and not „nasz balkon”? What case is this?

The phrase „z naszego balkonu” is in the genitive case.
The preposition „z” meaning “from” (a place) normally requires the genitive.

  • nasz balkon – nominative (basic dictionary form)
  • z naszego balkonu – genitive after z

So:

  • nasz → naszego (genitive singular, masculine)
  • balkon → balkonu (genitive singular, masculine inanimate)

In Polish, many prepositions always force a particular case; „z” (from) is one of them and usually takes genitive.

I’ve seen „z balkonu” and „z balkona”. Which is correct here?

In standard modern Polish, „z balkonu” is preferred and considered more correct.
„Balkon” is a masculine inanimate noun whose regular genitive singular ending is -u:

  • balkon → balkonu

The form „z balkona” also exists in colloquial speech and some dialects, and many native speakers do say it, but if you want textbook‑correct Polish, use „z balkonu”.

Why is it „z” (from) and not „od” for “from our balcony”?

Polish uses different prepositions for different kinds of “from”:

  • „z” = from a place / surface / inside something:

    • z domu – from (out of) the house
    • z góry – from the mountain
    • z balkonu – from the balcony
  • „od” = from a person or source:

    • od kolegi – from a friend
    • od nauczyciela – from the teacher

A balcony is a place, so the natural preposition is „z balkonu”, not „od balkonu”.

Why does the sentence say „mamy ładny widok” (“we have a nice view”) instead of just “we see the park and the sports field”?

The expression „mieć widok na coś” (to have a view of/onto something) is a very common idiom in Polish.
It emphasizes the existence and quality of the view, not just the bare fact that you can see something.

Compare:

  • Z naszego balkonu mamy ładny widok na park i boisko.
    → From our balcony we have a nice view of the park and the sports field. (focus on “nice view”)

  • Z naszego balkonu widzimy park i boisko.
    → From our balcony we see the park and the sports field. (more neutral, factual)

Both are correct, but the original sentence highlights that the view is pleasant.

Why is it „ładny widok na park” with „na”, and not something like „ładny widok parku”?

With the noun „widok”, Polish has a strong collocation „widok na + accusative” to describe what you see when you look out towards something:

  • widok na morze – a view of the sea
  • widok na góry – a view of the mountains
  • widok na park – a view of the park

You can say „widok parku”, but that tends to sound more like:

  • “a view / picture / image of the park” as an object (e.g. a photo, a scene), or
  • a more abstract “view of the park” (what it looks like)

For “our balcony overlooks the park”, the natural phrase is „mamy widok na park”.

What case are „park” and „boisko” in, and why?

Both „park” and „boisko” are in the accusative singular.

The preposition „na” can take accusative or locative, depending on meaning:

  • na + accusative when there is a sense of direction/target, or in some fixed expressions, including „widok na coś”:
    • widok na park, widok na morze
  • na + locative when it means “on / in” (location only):
    • na park(u) – in/at the park (locative) in other contexts
    • na boisku – on the sports field (locative)

In „ładny widok na park i boisko”, „na” is part of the collocation „widok na”, so it takes accusative, and for inanimate nouns that form looks the same as nominative:

  • nominative: park, boisko
  • accusative: park, boisko
Why don’t we repeat „na” before „boisko” (why not „na park i na boisko”)?

In Polish, as in English, one preposition can govern several items in a list.
So:

  • ładny widok na park i boisko
    is understood as
    ładny widok na park i (na) boisko

Repeating „na” („na park i na boisko”) is also grammatically correct; it just sounds a bit heavier. In everyday speech and writing, Poles normally don’t repeat the preposition when the structure is clear.

Could I say „Mamy ładny widok na park i boisko z naszego balkonu”? Is that word order okay?

Yes, „Mamy ładny widok na park i boisko z naszego balkonu” is grammatically correct.
Word order in Polish is relatively flexible; you move phrases mostly for emphasis or flow.

  • Z naszego balkonu mamy ładny widok na park i boisko.
    → Slight emphasis on „from our balcony” (that’s the starting point).

  • Mamy ładny widok na park i boisko z naszego balkonu.
    → Slight emphasis on „a nice view of the park and field”; the balcony is added at the end as extra information.

Both are natural; the original order is perhaps a bit more typical for describing views.

How do „naszego” and „ładny” agree with their nouns?

Polish adjectives and possessive pronouns must agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case.

  1. naszego balkonu

    • noun: balkonu – genitive singular, masculine inanimate
    • possessive: naszego – genitive singular, masculine/neuter form of „nasz”
  2. ładny widok

    • noun: widok – nominative singular, masculine inanimate
    • adjective: ładny – nominative singular, masculine form of „ładny”

If the case or gender changed, the adjectives/pronouns would change too, for example:

  • z naszych balkonów – from our balconies (genitive plural)
  • mamy ładny widoknie mamy ładnego widoku (genitive after „nie mamy”)
What genders are „balkon”, „park”, and „boisko”, and how does that matter?
  • balkonmasculine inanimate
  • parkmasculine inanimate
  • boiskoneuter

This affects:

  1. Adjective/pronoun forms

    • nasz balkon, but nasze boisko
    • ładny park, but ładne boisko
  2. Case endings

    • masculine genitive singular often -u: balkon → balkonu, park → parku
    • neuter genitive singular often -a: boisko → boiska

In the given sentence, you mostly see this in „naszego balkonu” (masculine genitive) and in how you’d change the nouns in other contexts.

What exactly does „boisko” mean? Is it “stadium”, “pitch”, or something else?

„Boisko” is a sports field / playing field / pitch, usually open-air and relatively simple:

  • boisko piłkarskie – football (soccer) pitch
  • szkolne boisko – school playing field
  • boisko do koszykówki – basketball court

It is not a big stadium with stands; “stadium” in Polish is „stadion”.
So in this sentence, „park i boisko” means “a park and a (nearby) sports field / pitch”.

How do you pronounce the key parts of this sentence?

Here is an approximate phonetic guide (stress is always on the second-to-last syllable in Polish):

  • Z naszego balkonu – [z na‑SHE‑go bal‑KO‑nu]

    • z – like English z
    • naszego – na‑SHE‑go
    • balkonu – bal‑KO‑nu
  • mamy ładny widok – [MA‑my WAD‑ni VEE‑dok]

    • mamy – MA‑my
    • ładny – WAD‑ni (ł is like English w)
    • widok – VEE‑dok (w is like English v)
  • na park i boisko – [na park ee BOY‑sko]

    • na – na
    • park – park (rolled/flapped r)
    • i – ee
    • boisko – BOY‑sko (oi = “oy” as in “boy”)

Put together fairly slowly:
Z na‑SHE‑go bal‑KO‑nu MA‑my WAD‑ni VEE‑dok na park ee BOY‑sko.