Breakdown of Przede wszystkim dziękuję za pomoc.
dziękować
to thank
za
for (thanks for)
pomoc
help
przede wszystkim
above all, first of all
Questions & Answers about Przede wszystkim dziękuję za pomoc.
Why is the word for 'before' spelled przede here instead of przed?
The preposition przed adds an -e to become przede when it is followed by a word starting with certain tricky consonant clusters, like the wsz- in wszystkim. This is done simply to make the phrase easier to pronounce.
What case is wszystkim in, and why?
It is in the instrumental case. The preposition przed (and its variation przede) takes the instrumental case when describing a static state or position, which applies to this fixed phrase meaning 'before everything' or 'above all'.
Why doesn't the feminine noun pomoc change its ending for the accusative case after za?
When you thank someone for something (dziękować za), the thing you are thanking them for takes the accusative case. However, pomoc belongs to a special group of feminine nouns that end in a consonant rather than -a. For these nouns, the accusative form is exactly the same as the nominative form.
Could I use najpierw instead of przede wszystkim to mean 'first'?
They are not completely interchangeable. Najpierw means 'first' in a sequence of time (e.g., 'First I will thank you, then we can start'). Przede wszystkim translates closer to 'first of all' or 'above all', showing that your gratitude is the most important point you want to make.