Jeśli ryż jest zbyt suchy, dodaj trochę sosu albo masła.

to be

Breakdown of Jeśli ryż jest zbyt suchy, dodaj trochę sosu albo masła.

• jeśli: if
• zbyt: too
• albo: or

Questions & Answers about Jeśli ryż jest zbyt suchy, dodaj trochę sosu albo masła.

What does jeśli mean here, and can I also use jeżeli?

Jeśli means if.

Yes, you can also use jeżeli. In most everyday situations, jeśli and jeżeli mean the same thing.

• jeśli is very common in speech
• jeżeli can sound a bit more formal or careful

So this sentence could also begin with Jeżeli.

Why is there a comma after suchy?

Because Polish normally uses a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause.

Here:

• Jeśli ryż jest zbyt suchy = the if clause
• dodaj trochę sosu albo masła = the main clause

So the comma is required:

• Jeśli ryż jest zbyt suchy, dodaj...

This is similar to English, where a comma is also often used after an introductory if clause.

Why is it suchy and not some other form of the adjective?

Because suchy has to agree with ryż.

Ryż is:

• singular
• masculine
• the subject of the sentence

So the adjective also appears in the masculine singular form:

• ryż jest suchy

If the noun changed, the adjective would change too. For example:

• zupa jest sucha
• warzywa są suche

This is normal adjective agreement in Polish.