Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.

Our car is already packed for the trip.

Breakdown of Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.

• być: to be
• samochód: the car
• na: for
• nasz: our
• już: already
• spakowany: packed
• wyjazd: the trip

Questions & Answers about Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.

Why is it nasz samochód and not nasza samochód or nasze samochód?

In Polish, possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe, not with the person who owns it.

• samochód (car) is:
  • masculine
  • singular
  • nominative (subject of the sentence)

So you must use the masculine singular nominative form of nasz (our):

• nasz samochód – our car (masculine noun)
• nasza torba – our bag (feminine noun)
• nasze dziecko – our child (neuter noun)

So nasz is chosen because samochód is masculine singular.

What grammatical form is spakowany, and how is it formed?

Spakowany is a past passive participle (in Polish: imiesłów bierny czasu przeszłego).

• It comes from the perfective verb spakować – to pack (completely).
• To form it, you take the verb stem and add the participle ending -ny / -ty:
  • spakować → spakowa- → spakowany (masc. sg.)
  • feminine: spakowana
  • neuter: spakowane
  • plural (non-masc.-personal): spakowane

Used with być (to be), it describes a state resulting from a completed action:

• samochód jest spakowany – the car is (in a state of being) packed.

Why do we say jest już spakowany instead of something like spakowaliśmy samochód?

These two structures say related things but focus on different aspects:

1. Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.

   • Structure: być + past passive participle
   • Focus: the current state of the car – it is packed (now).
   • The doer of the action (who packed it) is not important or not mentioned.

2. Spakowaliśmy samochód. – We packed the car.

   • Structure: past tense verb (1st person plural)
   • Focus: the action completed in the past, and the subject is we.

So if you want to emphasize “Right now the car is already packed”, you use jest już spakowany, not the simple past tense form.

Can I change the word order, for example to Samochód jest już spakowany or Już jest spakowany nasz samochód?

Yes, Polish word order is relatively flexible, but different orders sound more or less natural and change the emphasis.

All of these are grammatically possible:

1. Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.
   – Neutral, very natural.

2. Samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.
   – Also natural. Slightly less emphasis on “our”; you’re just talking about the car.

3. Nasz samochód już jest spakowany na wyjazd.
   – Emphasis on “już”: the “already” is a bit more highlighted.

4. Już nasz samochód jest spakowany na wyjazd.
   – Possible, but sounds more marked/expressive; strong emphasis on “already our car (is ready)”.

5. Nasz samochód jest spakowany już na wyjazd.
   – Understandable; już at the end feels a bit unusual but not impossible in speech.

For everyday neutral speech, the original order is the most typical.

Where should już go in the sentence, and does moving it change the meaning?

Już means already and usually goes before the verb or participle it modifies:

Common, natural options:

• Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.
• Nasz samochód już jest spakowany na wyjazd.

Both mean the same thing; the difference is tiny and mostly about rhythm and light emphasis.

Less typical but possible:

• Nasz samochód jest spakowany już na wyjazd. – już is a bit more detached and can sound slightly marked.

Positions that would sound clearly wrong:

• *Nasz jest samochód już spakowany… – wrong word order.
• *Już spakowany jest nasz samochód na wyjazd. – very poetic/literary, not normal conversation.

So: keep już near jest or spakowany; moving it slightly changes emphasis but not the basic meaning.

Why is it na wyjazd and not do wyjazdu or something else?

The preposition na with accusative is very often used to express purpose or intended use:

• spakowany na wyjazd – packed for a trip
• ubrania na zimę – clothes for winter
• krem na słońce – cream for the sun (sunscreen)

Do wyjazdu would literally be “to the departure” and is normally used in structures like:

• przygotowania do wyjazdu – preparations for the departure
• zostało mało czasu do wyjazdu – there is little time until departure

In your sentence, you want “packed for the trip”, so na wyjazd is the natural choice.

What case is wyjazd in here, and how can I tell?

Wyjazd here is in the accusative singular.

Clues:

• It is governed by the preposition na.
• With na meaning “for / to (a place/event)”, the noun normally takes accusative:
  • na wyjazd, na obiad, na koncert, na wakacje

For masculine inanimate nouns like wyjazd, the accusative form looks the same as the nominative:

• Nominative: wyjazd
• Accusative: wyjazd

So you recognize the case from the preposition and meaning, not from the ending here.

Why is samochód in the nominative case?

Samochód is the subject of the sentence, and subjects in Polish normally appear in the nominative case.

Structure:

• Nasz samochód (subject, nominative)
• jest (linking verb “is”)
• spakowany (predicative adjective/participle describing the subject)

So:

• samochód → nominative singular masculine
• not samochodu, samochodem, etc., because those forms are other cases (genitive, instrumental, etc.), not used here.

What’s the aspect difference between pakować and spakować, and why do we see spakowany here?

Polish verbs come in aspects:

• pakować – imperfective

  • focuses on the process or repeated action
  • “to be packing”, “to pack (in general)”
  • e.g. Pakuję walizkę. – I am packing the suitcase.

• spakować – perfective

  • focuses on the completion of the action
  • “to pack (and finish packing)”
  • e.g. Spakowałem walizkę. – I packed the suitcase (it’s done).

The participle spakowany comes from the perfective verb, so it indicates a completed result:

• samochód jest spakowany – the car has been packed and is now in that finished state.

Using an imperfective-based form *pakowany here would not convey that sense of “already done” and would be unusual in this context.

Is there a difference between spakowany and zapakowany?

Yes, there is a nuance, although in some contexts they can overlap.

• spakować / spakowany

  • typical when you prepare things for leaving / for a trip:
    • spakować walizkę – pack a suitcase
    • spakować się – pack (your things) for going somewhere
    • spakowany na wyjazd – packed for a trip (ready to go)
  • often implies an element of preparation/organization.

• zapakować / zapakowany

  • more about putting something into a container/vehicle/box:
    • zapakować zakupy do bagażnika – load the shopping into the trunk
    • zapakowany towar – packaged goods
  • emphasizes the physical loading or packaging.

In your sentence, spakowany na wyjazd sounds more like “all prepared for the trip”, which fits the context well. Zapakowany would put more focus on the physical act of loading the car.

Could I say Nasz samochód jest już zapakowany na wyjazd instead?

You could, and people would understand you, but it’s less idiomatic for the idea of “everything is prepared for the trip”.

• Nasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd.
  – suggests the car is all set for the trip, in a more general, “prepared” sense.

• Nasz samochód jest już zapakowany.
  – sounds more like “the car is loaded (with stuff)”, with focus on the loading itself.

Adding na wyjazd with zapakowany isn’t wrong, but spakowany na wyjazd is the more natural combination for “packed for a trip” as a state of readiness.

How would the sentence change if the car belonged to someone else, like “my car”, “their car”, etc.?

You just change the possessive pronoun, keeping the gender/number agreement with samochód (masc. sg.):

• Mój samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd. – My car…
• Twój samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd. – Your (sg.) car…
• Wasz samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd. – Your (pl.) car…
• Ich samochód jest już spakowany na wyjazd. – Their car…

Note:

• jego samochód – his car
• jej samochód – her car
  These forms (jego, jej, ich) don’t change for gender or case; they’re invariable.

What’s the difference between wyjazd, podróż, and urlop in contexts like this?

All three can relate to going away, but they highlight different things:

• wyjazd

  • literally “a going out/away”, a departure/trip.
  • very neutral, can be for work, holiday, weekend, etc.
  • spakowany na wyjazd – packed for (some) trip/departure.

• podróż

  • “journey, travel” – focuses more on the travel itself.
  • podróż służbowa – business trip
  • You’d more likely say spakowany na podróż if you’re emphasizing the journey as an experience.

• urlop

  • “vacation/leave” (time off from work).
  • na urlop – for vacation (as time away from work)
  • spakowany na urlop – packed for (my) vacation.

In your sentence, na wyjazd is broad and natural: it just says “for the trip” without specifying whether it’s a holiday, business, weekend, etc.

How would I say this in the past tense: “Our car was already packed for the trip”?

You change jest (present) to był (past, masculine singular):

• Nasz samochód był już spakowany na wyjazd.

Breakdown:

• nasz samochód – our car (subject)
• był – was (masc. sg. past tense of być)
• już spakowany – already packed
• na wyjazd – for the trip

Everything else stays the same; only the verb być changes tense.