Breakdown of Nie mam co zrobić z tym starym workiem, bo śmietnik na podwórku jest pełny.
ja
I
być
to be
mieć
to have
nie
not
Questions & Answers about Nie mam co zrobić z tym starym workiem, bo śmietnik na podwórku jest pełny.
What is the grammar of nie mam co zrobić z...?
It uses the Polish pattern mieć + co + infinitive.
- mam co robić = I have something to do
- nie mam co jeść = I have nothing to eat
- nie mam co zrobić z tym workiem = literally I don't have what to do with this bag
In natural English, that usually comes out as I have nothing I can do with this bag or I don't know what to do with this bag. It is a normal, idiomatic Polish structure.
Is co here a question word?
Not really. It is related to the question word what, but in this structure it works more like something / anything / nothing to.
So co here does not mean the speaker is asking a question. It is part of a fixed pattern:
- Mam co czytać = I have something to read
- Nie mam co powiedzieć = I have nothing to say
Why is it zrobić and not robić?
Because zrobić is perfective. It focuses on a single completed action or a solution.
Here the speaker is not talking about general ongoing activity. They mean: What can I do about this bag? What final action can I take? That is why zrobić fits better.
- robić = to do, be doing
- zrobić = to do and complete