Na stole brakuje jednego sztućca.

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Breakdown of Na stole brakuje jednego sztućca.

• stół: the table
• jeden: one
• brakować: to be missing

Questions & Answers about Na stole brakuje jednego sztućca.

Why is it brakuje, not a form that agrees with jednego sztućca?

In this sentence, brakuje is being used in a very common impersonal pattern meaning there is a lack of / ... is missing.

So Na stole brakuje jednego sztućca is structured more like:

On the table, there is a lack of one utensil.

Because of that, the verb stays in the fixed 3rd person singular form brakuje. It does not behave like a normal verb with a clear nominative subject.

This is why Polish often says:

• Brakuje cukru. = There is no sugar / Sugar is missing.
• Brakuje jednego krzesła. = One chair is missing.

Why is jednego sztućca in the genitive case?

Because the verb brakować / brakuje commonly takes the thing missing in the genitive.

So:

• jeden sztuciec = nominative
• jednego sztućca = genitive

That is why the sentence is not brakuje jeden sztuciec, but brakuje jednego sztućca.

This is a very important pattern to remember:

• Brakuje mleka.
• Brakuje czasu.
• Brakuje jednej osoby.

All of the missing things are in the genitive.

What case is na stole, and why?