Ta brama prowadzi na małe podwórko za domem.

Ta is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative ten / ta / to, which can mean this or that depending on context.

It is ta because brama is a feminine singular noun, so the demonstrative has to match it in gender and number:

• ten dom — this/that house
• ta brama — this/that gate
• to podwórko — this/that courtyard

So ta brama means this gate or that gate, depending on the situation.

In Polish, nouns have grammatical gender. Brama is feminine, and one clue is that it ends in -a, which is very common for feminine nouns.

Because it is feminine, other words agreeing with it must also be feminine:

• ta brama
• duża brama
• stara brama

This is grammatical gender, not biological gender.

Yes. Prowadzi is from prowadzić, which often means to lead, to guide, or to conduct.

In this sentence, it is used in a very natural Polish way to say that something like a gate, path, road, corridor, or door leads to somewhere.

So:

• Ta brama prowadzi... = This gate leads...
• Ta droga prowadzi do miasta. = This road leads to the town.

Here prowadzi is 3rd person singular present tense, because the subject is ta brama.

This is a very common learner question.

In Polish, both na and do can express movement toward a destination, but they are not interchangeable. The choice depends a lot on how the place is viewed in Polish.

Here, podwórko is treated as an open area or space, so na is the normal choice:

• iść na podwórko — go out to the yard/courtyard
• wyjść na balkon — go out onto the balcony
• wejść na boisko — go onto the sports field

By contrast, do is more typical with enclosed interiors or places viewed as containers:

• iść do domu — go home / go into the house
• wejść do pokoju — go into the room
• iść do sklepu — go to the shop

So prowadzi na małe podwórko is the natural phrasing.

After na expressing movement toward a destination, Polish uses the accusative case.

So podwórko is in the accusative here.

However, podwórko is a neuter inanimate noun, and for neuter inanimate nouns, the accusative looks the same as the nominative:

• nominative: małe podwórko
• accusative: małe podwórko

That is why the form does not visibly change.

The adjective małe has to agree with podwórko in gender, number, and case.

Domem is the instrumental singular of dom.

After za, Polish uses different cases depending on meaning:

• za + instrumental = location, meaning behind
• za + accusative = movement to a position behind something

Here the courtyard is already located behind the house, so this is location, not motion. That is why Polish uses:

• za domem — behind the house

Compare:

• Ogród jest za domem. — The garden is behind the house.
• Poszedł za dom. — He went behind the house.

In this sentence, it most naturally describes podwórko.

So the structure is:

• Ta brama prowadzi — This gate leads
• na małe podwórko za domem — to a small courtyard behind the house

In other words, it means the courtyard is behind the house.

If you wanted to make it clear that the gate is behind the house, you would usually place za domem closer to brama, for example:

• Ta brama za domem prowadzi na małe podwórko.

Word order helps show what goes with what.

Not exactly.

Podwórko usually means yard or courtyard. It often refers to an open space next to or between buildings. It may be paved, plain, functional, or enclosed. It does not necessarily have plants or flowers.

A garden is usually ogród.

So:

• podwórko = yard / courtyard
• ogród = garden

In English, depending on context, podwórko za domem might sound like the backyard, but the Polish word itself does not specifically mean a grassy or decorative garden.

Brama usually means a large gate or main entrance gate, often big enough for vehicles or forming part of a wall or fence.

Related words:

• brama — large gate
• furtka — small pedestrian gate
• drzwi — door

So if you picture the entrance to a yard or courtyard through a fence or wall, brama is very natural.

Yes. Polish word order is more flexible than English, because endings show grammatical relationships.

The sentence as given is neutral and natural:

• Ta brama prowadzi na małe podwórko za domem.

You can change the order for emphasis, for example:

• Na małe podwórko za domem prowadzi ta brama.

That version puts more focus on the destination.

But word order is not random. Moving za domem may change what it seems to describe, so learners should be careful.

Polish stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable, so podwórko is stressed like this:

• po-DWÓR-ko

A rough English-style guide might be:

• pod-VOOR-ko

A few pronunciation notes:

• ó sounds like u
• w sounds like English v
• r is rolled or tapped
• ko is short and clear

So podwórko does not sound the way an English speaker might expect from the spelling.