Ten zakręt jest ostry, więc trzeba jechać wolniej.

to be

Breakdown of Ten zakręt jest ostry, więc trzeba jechać wolniej.

• więc: so
• ten: this
• wolniej: more slowly

Questions & Answers about Ten zakręt jest ostry, więc trzeba jechać wolniej.

Why is it ten zakręt and not ta zakręt or to zakręt?

Because zakręt is a masculine singular noun, so the demonstrative this must also be masculine singular: ten.

Polish this changes by gender:

• ten = masculine
• ta = feminine
• to = neuter

So:

• ten zakręt = this turn
• but, for example, ta droga = this road
• to skrzyżowanie = this intersection

What exactly does zakręt mean?

Zakręt means a bend, curve, or turn in a road.

It usually refers to the physical shape of the road rather than the act of turning. So in this sentence, it means a sharp bend in the road.

A learner might compare it with:

• skręt = a turn, often the act of turning
• zakręt = a bend/curve in the road itself

Why is it ostry? Does that literally mean sharp?

Yes. Ostry literally means sharp, and Polish uses it naturally for things like:

• ostry nóż = a sharp knife
• ostry zakręt = a sharp turn

So this is very similar to English. The adjective agrees with zakręt, which is masculine singular, so we get ostry.