Questions & Answers about W środku było ciemno.
Why use the adverb ciemno instead of an adjective like ciemne?
Why is the verb było in the neuter form here?
Because this is an impersonal sentence. There is no specific noun acting as the subject. Just like English uses a dummy "it" in "it was dark", Polish uses the third-person singular neuter form było for general environmental descriptions.
I thought środek meant "middle". Why is it translated as "inside" here?
You are right that środek literally means "middle". However, putting it in the locative case as w środku (literally "in the middle") is actually the most common, everyday way to say "inside" a room, building, or object in Polish.
Could I use the word wewnątrz instead of w środku?
Yes, wewnątrz also means "inside". However, wewnątrz sounds a bit more formal or written. In daily conversation, native speakers almost always prefer w środku.
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