Questions & Answers about To jest zły pomysł.
Why is it to jest and not just jest?
To jest is a very common way to say this is or that is in Polish.
- to = this/that/it
- jest = is
So To jest zły pomysł literally means This/That is a bad idea.
In everyday Polish, to is often used in identifying or pointing-out sentences. You can sometimes omit to in other kinds of sentences, but here to jest sounds natural and standard.
For example:
- To jest problem. = This is a problem.
- To jest dobre. = This is good.
What exactly does to mean here?
In this sentence, to works like this, that, or sometimes it, depending on context.
Polish to is very flexible. It does not always map neatly onto just one English word. In To jest zły pomysł, it usually means:
- This is a bad idea
- That is a bad idea
The exact English choice depends on the situation, not on a different Polish word here.
Why is zły spelled with ł? How do I pronounce it?