Adjective government
In Polish, many adjectives are "picky"—they must be paired with a specific preposition, which in turn forces the following noun into a specific case. This concept is known as adjective government (rekcja przymiotnika). We will practice these essential pairings while discussing industry, natural resources, and regional exports.
Adjectives paired with the Genitive case
Several high-frequency adjectives pair with prepositions that require the Genitive case.
When you want to say someone is "proud of" or a place is "known/famous for" something, use the preposition z followed by the Genitive:
- znany z (known for)
- słynny z (famous for)
- dumny z (proud of)
| This region is known for coal extraction. | Ten region jest znany z wydobycia węgla. |
| This region is famous for the extraction of gold. | Ten region jest słynny z wydobycia złota. |
| We are proud of our new mine. | Jesteśmy dumni z naszej nowej kopalni. |
Similarly, use the Genitive when expressing dependency or readiness. You will need the prepositions od (from/on) and do (to/for):
- zależny od (dependent on)
- gotowy do (ready for)
| Our industry is dependent on export. | Nasz przemysł jest zależny od eksportu. |
| This old mine is not ready for extraction. | Ta stara kopalnia nie jest gotowa do wydobycia. |
Adjectives paired with the Accusative case
Other adjectives require prepositions that trigger the Accusative case.
When describing the durability of materials or machinery, use na + Accusative. When discussing abundance, such as a region full of natural deposits (złoża), use w + Accusative:
- odporny na (resistant to)
- bogaty w (rich in)
| This material is not resistant to water and salt. | Ten materiał nie jest odporny na wodę i sól. |
| This region is rich in silver deposits. | Ten region jest bogaty w złoża srebra. |
| This famous deposit is rich in diamonds. | To słynne złoże jest bogate w diamenty. |