Oświetlenie jest sprawne.

Questions & Answers about Oświetlenie jest sprawne.

What does each word do in Oświetlenie jest sprawne?
  • oświetlenie = a noun, lighting / illumination
  • jest = the 3rd person singular of być, to be
  • sprawne = an adjective meaning working, functional, in good condition

So the structure is basically:

[noun] + [is] + [adjective]


Why does sprawne end in -e?

Because it has to agree with oświetlenie.

Oświetlenie is:

So the adjective also has to be:

  • singular
  • neuter
  • nominative

That gives sprawne.

Compare:

  • samochód jest sprawny = the car is working/functional
  • instalacja jest sprawna = the installation is working
  • oświetlenie jest sprawne = the lighting is working
  • urządzenia są sprawne = the devices are working

What gender is oświetlenie, and how can I tell?

It is neuter.

A very common clue is the ending -e or -ie in the dictionary form of a noun. Many Polish neuter nouns end this way, especially nouns like:

  • jedzenie
  • pytanie
  • oświetlenie

So when you see oświetlenie, you should expect neuter agreement:

  • to oświetlenie
  • dobre oświetlenie
  • oświetlenie jest sprawne

Is oświetlenie singular or plural? It looks a bit unusual.

It is singular.

Even though in English we might think of lights as plural, Polish oświetlenie is usually a singular mass/collective noun meaning lighting as a system or overall illumination.

So:

  • Oświetlenie jest sprawne = the lighting is functional

If you wanted actual individual lights, you might say:

  • Światła są sprawne = the lights are working

Why is there no word for the?

Because Polish does not have articles like a or the.

So oświetlenie can mean:

  • lighting
  • the lighting

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is completely normal in Polish.


How do you pronounce oświetlenie?

A practical approximation is:

oh-shvye-tle-NYE-nye

The stress is on the second-to-last syllable:

o-świe-tle-nie → tle

A few pronunciation notes:

  • ś is a soft sh-like sound
  • ł sounds like English w
  • nie at the end sounds roughly like nye

You do not need a perfect English spelling approximation to be understood, but the main thing is to keep the stress on -le-.


Is sprawne the same as efficient?

Not exactly.

In this sentence, sprawne means something like:

  • working
  • functional
  • in working order
  • operational

For equipment, machines, systems, brakes, lighting, etc., this is a very common meaning.

Depending on context, sprawny / sprawna / sprawne can also mean:

  • efficient
  • capable
  • physically fit/agile

But here, with oświetlenie, the meaning is clearly functional / working properly.


Can I leave out jest and say Oświetlenie sprawne?

In a full normal sentence, Oświetlenie jest sprawne is the standard form.

You may see Oświetlenie sprawne in:

  • checklists
  • inspection reports
  • labels
  • shorthand notes
  • technical forms

There it works like an abbreviated style, similar to writing Lighting: OK.

So:

  • normal sentence: Oświetlenie jest sprawne
  • technical shorthand: Oświetlenie sprawne

What is the difference between oświetlenie and światło / światła?

This is a very useful distinction.

  • oświetlenie = lighting, the illumination system or general lighting
  • światło = light
  • światła = lights

Examples:

  • Oświetlenie jest sprawne = the lighting system is functional
  • Światło się świeci = the light is on
  • Światła w samochodzie są sprawne = the car lights are working

So oświetlenie sounds a bit more technical or general, while światło/światła often refers to specific lights.


What case is sprawne here? Why isn’t it instrumental?

Here sprawne is in the nominative, because it is a predicate adjective after jest.

With być:

  • predicate adjectives are normally in the nominative
  • predicate nouns are often in the instrumental

Compare:

  • On jest miły. = He is nice. → adjective, nominative
  • On jest lekarzem. = He is a doctor. → noun, instrumental

So:

  • Oświetlenie jest sprawne. → adjective, nominative

Does this sentence sound natural in everyday Polish?

Yes, but it sounds a bit formal / technical / inspection-like.

You would often hear it in contexts like:

  • a vehicle inspection
  • a maintenance report
  • a building checklist
  • a technical assessment

In more everyday speech, people might also say:

  • Oświetlenie działa. = The lighting works.
  • Światło działa. = The light works.
  • Światła działają. = The lights work.

So Oświetlenie jest sprawne is natural, but slightly more formal and technical.


How would I make this negative?

The most direct negative is:

Oświetlenie nie jest sprawne.
= The lighting is not functional.

You may also see:

Oświetlenie jest niesprawne.
= The lighting is faulty / not in working order.

Both are correct, but there is a slight difference:

  • nie jest sprawne = simply negates is functional
  • jest niesprawne = sounds a bit more fixed/technical: is faulty

How would this look in the past or future?

You just change jest:

  • Oświetlenie było sprawne. = The lighting was functional.
  • Oświetlenie będzie sprawne. = The lighting will be functional.

Notice that sprawne stays the same, because oświetlenie is still neuter singular.


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