In previous lessons, you learned how to use impersonal words like trzeba (it is necessary / one must) and można (it is possible / one can). Because these words do not change form, we rely on the verb być (to be) to shift them into the past or the future.
Future Possibility: będzie można
To talk about what will be possible or permitted in the future, pair the future form będzie with można.
| Tomorrow it will be possible to rent a stand at the market. | Jutro będzie można wynająć stoisko na targu. |
| Where will it be possible to sell these old things? | Gdzie będzie można sprzedać te starocie? |
Past Obligation: trzeba było
To express that something had to be done in the past, pair the past tense form było with trzeba.
| After all, it was necessary to pay for the stand at the market. | Przecież trzeba było zapłacić za stoisko na targu. |
| Yesterday it was necessary to bring the old things to the market. | Wczoraj trzeba było przynieść starocie na targ. |
The Antique Market
Here are a few more examples of these past and future impersonal modals in action, using vocabulary for restoring and evaluating antiques.
| Before the sale, it was necessary to restore these antiques. | Przed wyprzedażą trzeba było odrestaurować te antyki. |
| It was necessary to polish this old frame. | Trzeba było wypolerować tę starą ramę. |
| Will it be possible to appraise this painting at your place? | Czy u was będzie można wycenić ten obraz? |
| Very soon it will be possible to show this antique to collectors. | Już niedługo będzie można pokazać ten antyk kolekcjonerom. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io