Ta piłka jest nowa.

This ball is new.

Breakdown of Ta piłka jest nowa.

• być: to be
• nowy: new
• ta: this
• piłka: the ball

Questions & Answers about Ta piłka jest nowa.

What does ta mean, and how is it used in this sentence?

Ta means this (feminine singular).
In Ta piłka jest nowa, it points to a specific ball: This ball is new.
Polish has different forms of this depending on gender and number; ta is used with feminine nouns like piłka.

Why is it ta and not ten or to?

Polish demonstratives agree with the noun’s gender and number:

• ten = this (masculine singular)
• ta = this (feminine singular)
• to = this (neuter singular)

Since piłka is a feminine noun, you must say ta piłka, not ten piłka or to piłka.

What does piłka mean exactly, and what gender is it?

Piłka means ball (a generic ball; often a sports ball, like a football or volleyball).
It is:

• Gender: feminine
• Singular: piłka
• Plural: piłki

So you treat it like other feminine nouns ending in -a.

How do you pronounce piłka?

Piłka is pronounced approximately like PEEW-ka:

• pi – like pee, but shorter
• ł – like English w
• ka – like kah

IPA: [ˈpʲiw.ka]
The stress is on the first syllable: PIŁ-ka.

Why is it nowa, not nowy or nowe?

Nowy / nowa / nowe all mean new, but they change with gender:

• nowy – masculine singular
• nowa – feminine singular
• nowe – neuter singular or some plural uses

Because piłka is feminine, the adjective must agree and be nowa:
ta (fem.) + piłka (fem.) + nowa (fem.).

Is there a word for a or the in this sentence?

No. Polish does not use articles like a/an or the.

• Ta piłka jest nowa can be translated depending on context as:
  • This ball is new.
  • (In some contexts) That ball is new.

Definiteness is usually shown with demonstratives like ta / ten / to, context, or word order, not with a separate article.

Why do we need jest here? Could I just say Ta piłka nowa?

You need jest (the 3rd person singular of być – to be) to make a proper sentence like English is:

• Ta piłka jest nowa. = This ball is new.

Saying Ta piłka nowa is not standard; it sounds incomplete or like a fragment.
Polish normally uses jest in such X is Y statements.

What is the grammatical case of piłka and nowa?

Both piłka and nowa are in the nominative singular feminine:

• piłka – nominative subject (the ball)
• nowa – nominative predicate adjective (new) agreeing with piłka

In [noun] jest [adjective], both parts are nominative.

Can I change the word order, like Nowa jest ta piłka?

The neutral, most common order is:

• Ta piłka jest nowa.

Other orders are possible, but they change emphasis:

• Nowa jest ta piłka. – New is this ball (emphasis on new, sounds a bit stylized or contrastive)
• Piłka jest nowa. – The ball is new (no this, just the ball)

For everyday speech when you just state a fact, stick to Ta piłka jest nowa.

How would I say These balls are new?

You need plural forms for this, ball, the verb, and the adjective:

• Te piłki są nowe.

Breakdown:

• te – these (feminine plural)
• piłki – balls (feminine plural of piłka)
• są – are (3rd person plural of być)
• nowe – new (non-masculine-personal plural form of nowy)

What’s the difference between Ta piłka jest nowa and To jest nowa piłka?

Both can be translated as This is a new ball, but they focus on slightly different things:

• Ta piłka jest nowa. – literally This ball is new.

  • You already know which ball you’re talking about; you’re saying something about its state (that it’s new).

• To jest nowa piłka. – literally This is a new ball.

  • You’re identifying what this thing is and adding that it’s new; more like introducing or pointing something out.