Breakdown of Czy ten lek jest na receptę?
być
to be
czy
[question particle]
ten
this (m)
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
recepta
prescription (na receptę: prescription-only)
lek
medicine, drug (short form of lekarstwo)
Questions & Answers about Czy ten lek jest na receptę?
Why does Polish use the phrase na receptę instead of a single adjective for "prescription-only"?
In Polish, it is very common to use prepositional phrases where English might use a compound adjective. Na receptę literally means "on prescription." It acts as a fixed phrase that describes the noun, so "a prescription medicine" is simply lek na receptę.
What case is receptę in here, and why?
It is in the Accusative case. The dictionary form is the feminine noun recepta. The preposition na takes the Accusative case here because it expresses the condition or requirement for getting the medicine.
How would I change this sentence to ask if the medicine is "over-the-counter"?
You would use the phrase bez recepty (without a prescription). Keep in mind that the preposition bez always requires the Genitive case, so the ending changes to -y. The full question would be: Czy ten lek jest bez recepty?
Why do we use ten before lek?
Lek (medicine or drug) is a masculine noun. Therefore, it requires the masculine singular form of the word "this", which is ten.
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