Moja teściowa lubi spacerować po rynku, a teść woli siedzieć w domu i oglądać wiadomości.

My mother-in-law likes to walk around the market square, and my father-in-law prefers to sit at home and watch the news.

Breakdown of Moja teściowa lubi spacerować po rynku, a teść woli siedzieć w domu i oglądać wiadomości.

• lubić: to like
• mój: my
• i: and
• a: and

Questions & Answers about Moja teściowa lubi spacerować po rynku, a teść woli siedzieć w domu i oglądać wiadomości.

Why is it moja teściowa, not mój teściowa?

Because teściowa is a feminine noun, so the possessive adjective must also be feminine.

• mój = my (masculine)
• moja = my (feminine)
• moje = my (neuter)

So:

• moja teściowa = my mother-in-law
• mój teść = my father-in-law

In the sentence, only teściowa is explicitly marked with moja, but it is understood that teść is also my father-in-law.

What do teściowa and teść mean exactly?

These are family words:

• teściowa = mother-in-law
• teść = father-in-law

They refer to your spouse’s mother and father.

A learner may also notice that they look related, and they are: they are the feminine and masculine forms of the same family relationship.

Why is moja used only once? Why not moja teściowa, a mój teść?

Polish often leaves out words that are obvious from context.

So:

• Moja teściowa ..., a teść ...

naturally means:

• My mother-in-law ..., and my father-in-law ...

Adding mój before teść would also be correct:

• Moja teściowa lubi spacerować po rynku, a mój teść woli siedzieć w domu...

That version is a bit more explicit, but the original is perfectly natural.