Questions & Answers about Jeśli egzemplarz jest niedostępny, nie mogę go wypożyczyć.
What does egzemplarz mean here? Is it just book?
Not exactly. Egzemplarz means a copy or a specific экземпляр/item instance of something, especially in a library, shop, or archive.
In a library sentence like this, egzemplarz usually means a particular copy of a book rather than the title in general.
So:
- książka = book
- egzemplarz książki = a copy of a book
That is why this sentence sounds natural in a library context.
Why does the sentence start with Jeśli?
Jeśli means if.
It introduces a condition:
- Jeśli egzemplarz jest niedostępny... = If the copy is unavailable...
You may also see jeżeli, which also means if and is slightly more formal or neutral in some contexts. In everyday Polish, jeśli is very common.
Why is there a comma after niedostępny?
Because Polish normally uses a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause.
Here the first part is the condition:
- Jeśli egzemplarz jest niedostępny
and the second part is the main statement:
- nie mogę go wypożyczyć
So the comma is standard Polish punctuation after an if-clause.
Why is it niedostępny and not some other form?