Używany fotel ma rysę i uszkodzenie.

Because it agrees with fotel, which is a masculine singular noun in the nominative case.

• fotel = masculine singular
• so the adjective takes the matching form: używany

If the noun changed, the adjective would change too. For example:

• używana sofa = a used sofa
• używane krzesło = a used chair

Polish adjectives have to match the noun’s gender, number, and case.

Here, używany means used in the sense of not new / second-hand.

So używany fotel means a chair/armchair that has already been used before.

It comes from the verb używać = to use, but in this sentence it functions as an adjective: used.

In everyday Polish, używany is very common in ads and descriptions of items for sale, for example:

• używany samochód = a used car
• używany telefon = a used phone

Because ma means has, and the sentence is saying that the chair has a scratch and damage.

• ma = has
• jest = is

So:

• Fotel ma rysę = The chair has a scratch.
• Fotel jest uszkodzony = The chair is damaged.

Both are possible sentences in Polish, but they mean slightly different things:

• ma rysę i uszkodzenie focuses on what defects it has
• jest uszkodzony describes its condition more generally

Because rysa is the direct object of ma, so it goes into the accusative case.

The dictionary form is:

• rysa = scratch

But after ma (has), you need the accusative singular:

• ma rysę = has a scratch

This is a very common pattern with feminine nouns ending in -a:

• nominative: rysa
• accusative: rysę

Other similar examples:

• książka → książkę
• lampa → lampę

Because uszkodzenie is a neuter noun, and for many neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative singular forms are identical.

So:

• nominative: uszkodzenie
• accusative: uszkodzenie

That is why you get:

• ma uszkodzenie

while with the feminine noun:

• ma rysę

the ending changes.

Rysa is more specific: it means a scratch.

Uszkodzenie is broader: it means damage or a damaged area/defect.

So in this sentence:

• rysa = a scratch
• uszkodzenie = some other kind of damage

Using both words suggests that the chair has at least one scratch and some additional damage, not just a scratch.

Because Polish has no articles.

English uses:

• a chair
• the chair

Polish usually just says:

• fotel

Whether it means a chair, the chair, or just chair depends on the context.

So Używany fotel ma rysę i uszkodzenie can be understood from context as something like:

• The used chair has a scratch and damage
• A used chair has a scratch and damage

English must choose an article, but Polish does not.

Fotel usually means an armchair or easy chair, not just any chair.

A more general word for chair is krzesło.

So depending on context, fotel may be better translated as:

• armchair
• armchair-style seat
• sometimes just chair, if the translation is kept broad

Learners often notice that Polish furniture words can be more specific than English ones.

Yes. Polish word order is more flexible than English word order, because cases show grammatical roles.

The neutral order here is:

• Używany fotel ma rysę i uszkodzenie.

But other orders are possible, depending on emphasis, for example:

• Fotel używany ma rysę i uszkodzenie.
• Rysę i uszkodzenie ma używany fotel.

These alternatives are grammatically possible, but they sound more marked or stylistically different. For a learner, the original sentence is the safest and most natural neutral order.

It is related to a verb form historically and grammatically, but in this sentence it works like an adjective.

It comes from używać = to use and is a kind of passive participle. In practice, though, learners can often treat it as an adjective meaning used.

That is why it behaves like an adjective and agrees with the noun:

• używany fotel
• używana sofa
• używane krzesło

So the important practical point is: in this sentence, use it like a normal descriptive adjective.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

oo-zhi-VA-nih FO-tel ma RIH-sen ee oo-shko-DZE-nye

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• ż sounds like the s in measure
• y is not the English ee sound; it is a shorter, more central vowel
• ę at the end of rysę is often pronounced approximately like en/em in normal speech
• rz in uszkodzenie sounds like ż
• dz in -dzenie is a single consonant combination, not two separate sounds

If you want to sound natural, stress normally falls on the second-to-last syllable:

• u-ży-WA-ny
• FO-tel
• RY-sę
• uszko-DZE-nie

The sentence is understandable, but in everyday Polish a speaker might choose a slightly more natural phrasing depending on context.

Possible alternatives:

• Używany fotel ma rysę i jest uszkodzony.
  = The used armchair has a scratch and is damaged.
• Na używanym fotelu jest rysa i uszkodzenie.
  = There is a scratch and damage on the used armchair.
• Używany fotel ma zarysowanie i inne uszkodzenie.
  = The used armchair has a scratch and other damage.

Still, the original sentence is grammatically correct and useful for learning:

• adjective agreement
• the verb ma
• accusative after ma
• noun gender differences

Fotel is in the nominative singular.

It is the grammatical subject of the sentence:

• Używany fotel = the used armchair/chair

The sentence structure is:

• Używany fotel — subject, nominative
• ma — verb
• rysę i uszkodzenie — direct objects, accusative

So this is a very useful basic pattern:

[subject in nominative] + [verb] + [object in accusative]