Questions & Answers about Nasza drużyna gra świetnie.
Why is it nasza and not nasz?
What case is drużyna in here?
It is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence — the thing doing the action.
So:
- nasza drużyna = the subject
- gra = the verb
- świetnie = describes how the action is done
Because drużyna is nominative singular, nasza is also nominative singular feminine.
What form is gra?
Gra is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb grać, meaning to play.
It agrees with drużyna, which is singular:
- ja gram = I play
- ty grasz = you play
- on/ona gra = he/she plays
- nasza drużyna gra = our team plays / is playing
Does gra mean plays or is playing?
It can mean either one, depending on context.
Polish present tense often covers both:
- habitual meaning: Our team plays very well
- right now: Our team is playing very well
Polish does not usually make the same strict distinction that English makes between plays and is playing.
Why is there no separate word for is in is playing?
Because Polish does not form the present continuous the way English does.
In English, you need:
- is playing
In Polish, the present-tense verb alone is enough:
- gra
So gra can already mean plays or is playing, depending on context.
Why is it świetnie and not świetna?
Because świetnie is an adverb, and it describes the verb gra — in other words, it tells us how the team plays.
So:
- Nasza drużyna gra świetnie. = Our team plays excellently.
- Nasza drużyna jest świetna. = Our team is great.
The first describes the performance. The second describes the team itself.
How is świetnie formed?
Is świetnie stronger than dobrze?
Yes, usually.
- dobrze = well
- świetnie = excellently / brilliantly / really well
So świetnie sounds more enthusiastic and stronger than dobrze.
Is the word order fixed in Nasza drużyna gra świetnie?
No, Polish word order is fairly flexible because grammatical relationships are shown by endings more than by position.
This sentence has a very natural, neutral order:
- Nasza drużyna gra świetnie.
But you could also say:
- Nasza drużyna świetnie gra.
- Świetnie gra nasza drużyna.
These alternatives change the focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.
Why is drużyna singular if a team has many people?
Because drużyna is a singular noun meaning team as one unit.
So Polish treats it grammatically as singular:
- drużyna gra = the team plays
Even though a team contains many players, the noun itself is singular, so the verb is singular too.
Can I say Nasza drużyna jest świetna instead? What is the difference?
Yes, you can, but the meaning shifts slightly.
- Nasza drużyna gra świetnie. = Our team is playing very well / plays very well.
- Nasza drużyna jest świetna. = Our team is great.
The first sentence is about how the team performs. The second is a more general judgment about the team itself.
How do you pronounce drużyna and świetnie?
A rough English-friendly guide is:
- drużyna ≈ droo-ZHI-na
- świetnie ≈ SHFYET-nye
A few important sounds:
- ż sounds like the s in measure
- ś is a softer sh
- ń is like the ny in canyon
- in świetnie, the w is pronounced like v, but before the voiceless t it is heard more like f, which is why SHFYET-nye is a useful approximation
These are only approximations, but they are good starting points.
Why is there no article like the or a?
Because Polish does not have articles like English.
So Polish does not normally use separate words for:
- a
- an
- the
In this sentence, nasza already makes the phrase specific:
- nasza drużyna = our team
That is enough without an article.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PolishMaster Polish — from Nasza drużyna gra świetnie to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions