Szminka leży w torbie obok perfum, ale dziś jej nie używam.

The lipstick is lying in the bag next to the perfume, but I am not using it today.

Breakdown of Szminka leży w torbie obok perfum, ale dziś jej nie używam.

• ja: I
• w: in
• ale: but
• nie: not

Questions & Answers about Szminka leży w torbie obok perfum, ale dziś jej nie używam.

Where are a and the in this sentence?

Polish does not have articles. That means words like szminka, torbie, and perfum do not automatically show a or the.

So:

• Szminka can mean a lipstick or the lipstick
• w torbie can mean in a bag or in the bag
• obok perfum can mean next to perfume/perfumes or next to the perfume

The context tells you which one sounds best in English.

Why is it Szminka and not szminkę at the beginning?

Because szminka is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

• szminka = nominative
• szminkę = accusative

Here, the lipstick is the thing that is lying somewhere, so it is the subject:

• Szminka leży... = The lipstick is lying...

If lipstick were the direct object, you would use szminkę, for example:

• Widzę szminkę. = I see the lipstick.

What does leży mean here? Why not just use jest?