Breakdown of Urzędniczka prosi o dowód, bo chce sprawdzić moje nazwisko.
mój
my
bo
because
chcieć
to want
sprawdzić
to check
Questions & Answers about Urzędniczka prosi o dowód, bo chce sprawdzić moje nazwisko.
What does urzędniczka mean, and why does it end in -ka?
Urzędniczka means female clerk, female office worker, or female official.
The ending -ka often marks a feminine noun in Polish. The masculine form is urzędnik. So:
- urzędnik = male clerk/official
- urzędniczka = female clerk/official
In this sentence, the speaker is specifically referring to a woman.
Why is it prosi, not prosić?
Prosić is the infinitive, meaning to ask or to request.
In the sentence, we need a conjugated form because the action is being done by urzędniczka.
So prosi is the 3rd person singular form:
- ja proszę = I ask
- ty prosisz = you ask
- on/ona prosi = he/she asks
So Urzędniczka prosi... means The clerk asks...
Why is it prosi o dowód? What does o do here?
The verb prosić o means to ask for.
So:
- prosić = to ask
- prosić o coś = to ask for something
That is why the sentence uses o dowód:
Urzędniczka prosi o dowód = The clerk asks for an ID/document
After o in this meaning, Polish normally uses the accusative case.