Breakdown of Na tym dziale nie ma już truskawek, ale są świeże maliny i dobra promocja na jogurt.
Questions & Answers about Na tym dziale nie ma już truskawek, ale są świeże maliny i dobra promocja na jogurt.
Why does the sentence use nie ma instead of something like nie są?
Because Polish often uses nie ma (there is not / there are not) to say that something is unavailable, absent, or not present.
- nie ma truskawek = there are no strawberries
- This is the normal way to express non-existence or absence.
Using nie są would mean they are not, which is a different idea. It would describe a quality or identity, not the fact that something is missing.
So here:
- nie ma już truskawek = there are no strawberries left anymore
Why is it truskawek, not truskawki?
Because after nie ma, Polish uses the genitive case.
So:
- basic form: truskawki = strawberries
- after nie ma: truskawek
This is a very common pattern:
- Jest mleko. = There is milk.
Nie ma mleka. = There is no milk.
- Są jabłka. = There are apples.
- Nie ma jabłek. = There are no apples.
So truskawek is the correct genitive plural form required by nie ma.
What does już mean here?
Here już means anymore / any longer / already, depending on context.
In this sentence, the best natural meaning is:
- nie ma już truskawek = there are no strawberries anymore / left now
It suggests that strawberries were available before, but now they are gone.
This word is very common in Polish and can have slightly different shades of meaning:
- już jestem = I’m here already
- już nie = no longer
- czy już? = already?
In your sentence, it adds the idea of no longer available.
Why is it są świeże maliny?
Because maliny is plural, so Polish uses są (are) rather than jest (is).
- jest = singular
- są = plural
So:
- Jest świeża malina. = There is a fresh raspberry.
- Są świeże maliny. = There are fresh raspberries.
This part of the sentence is a normal existential structure:
- są maliny = there are raspberries
Why is the adjective świeże and not świeży or świeża?
Because adjectives in Polish must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
The noun here is:
- maliny = plural of malina (raspberry)
For non-masculine-personal plural nouns like maliny, the adjective takes the plural form -e:
- świeże maliny = fresh raspberries
Compare:
- świeża malina = a fresh raspberry
- świeże maliny = fresh raspberries
So świeże agrees correctly with plural maliny.
Why does the sentence say dobra promocja, not just promocja?
It could say just promocja, but dobra promocja adds the idea that the sale/special offer is good.
- promocja = promotion / special offer / sale
- dobra promocja = a good promotion / a good special offer
The adjective dobra agrees with promocja, which is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative here
So:
- dobry = masculine form
- dobra = feminine form
- dobre = neuter form
This is normal adjective agreement.
Does promocja really mean promotion here?
Not in the usual English marketing sense.
In everyday Polish, promocja very often means:
- sale
- special offer
- discount deal
So dobra promocja na jogurt usually means something like:
- a good deal on yogurt
- a good special offer on yogurt
A learner should be careful here, because it is a partial false friend. English promotion often suggests advertising or career advancement, but Polish promocja in shop language often means a discounted offer.
What does na jogurt mean here?
Here na jogurt means on yogurt or for yogurt, as in a sale or offer applying to yogurt.
So:
- promocja na jogurt = a promotion on yogurt
This is a common retail pattern in Polish:
- promocja na kawę = promotion on coffee
- zniżka na buty = discount on shoes
- oferta na telewizory = offer on televisions
So na here does not mean physical location. It means that the offer concerns that product.
Why is it na tym dziale? Shouldn’t it be w tym dziale?
This is a very natural question, because English speakers often expect w for in.
In retail/store language, Polish often uses na with places understood as sections, counters, departments, or areas of work/sales:
- na dziale warzywnym = in the produce section
- na mięsnym = at the meat counter/section
- na kasie = at the checkout / on the register
So na tym dziale can sound natural in a shop context, meaning something like:
- in this section / at this department
That said, w tym dziale can also exist in other contexts, especially more abstract ones, such as a department within a company or a section of a text. In a supermarket-style context, na dziale is very common.
Why is tym used in na tym dziale?
Because tym is the correct form of ten (this) after the preposition na, which here requires the locative case.
The noun is:
- dział = section / department
After na in a location meaning, dział becomes dziale.
The demonstrative must match it:
- ten dział = this section
- na tym dziale = in/at this section
So both words change:
- ten → tym
- dział → dziale
Why are maliny and promocja in the nominative, but truskawek is not?
Because they have different grammatical roles in different structures.
After nie ma, Polish uses the genitive:
- nie ma truskawek
After są in this kind of there are structure, the noun is normally in the nominative:
- są maliny
- jest promocja
So in your sentence:
- truskawek = genitive plural, because of nie ma
- maliny = nominative plural, because of są
- promocja = nominative singular, also because of są (understood for the second item)
This contrast is very common in Polish existential sentences.
Why is there only one są, even though there are two things after ale?
Because Polish often allows one verb to cover multiple coordinated items.
Here:
- są świeże maliny i dobra promocja na jogurt
literally means:
- there are fresh raspberries and a good promotion on yogurt
Even though one noun is plural (maliny) and the other is singular (promocja), the sentence is fine because są introduces the whole positive existence statement.
You could think of it as:
- there are [fresh raspberries] and [a good promotion on yogurt]
Polish does not need to repeat the verb:
- ... ale są świeże maliny i (jest) dobra promocja na jogurt
The second verb is simply omitted.
Can the word order be changed?
Yes. Polish word order is more flexible than English, though different orders change emphasis.
The original sentence is natural:
- Na tym dziale nie ma już truskawek, ale są świeże maliny i dobra promocja na jogurt.
You could also say:
- Nie ma już truskawek na tym dziale, ale są świeże maliny i dobra promocja na jogurt.
This shifts the focus slightly.
In Polish, word order often helps show what is:
- topic vs. new information
- emphasized vs. backgrounded
But not every rearrangement sounds equally natural. The original version sounds like something a person might say while pointing out what is available in a specific section.
Is there any article missing before words like truskawek, maliny, or promocja?
No. Polish does not have articles like a, an, or the.
So Polish simply says:
- są maliny
- jest promocja
- nie ma truskawek
English has to choose:
- there are raspberries
- there is a promotion
- there are no strawberries
When learning Polish, English speakers often want to ask whether something means a or the, but usually Polish leaves that to context.
Could this sentence sound like natural shop language?
Yes, very much so.
It sounds like something a shop assistant or another shopper might say when describing what is available in a section:
- strawberries are gone
- raspberries are available
- yogurt is on special offer
A very natural English rendering would be something like:
- There aren’t any strawberries left in this section, but there are fresh raspberries and a good deal on yogurt.
That captures the everyday retail feel of the Polish sentence very well.
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