Breakdown of Potrzebuję zaświadczenia z pracy.
praca
work
z
from (+ Genitive)
potrzebować
to need
zaświadczenie
certificate, official statement (from an office)
Questions & Answers about Potrzebuję zaświadczenia z pracy.
Why does the word for certificate end in -a (zaświadczenia) instead of its dictionary form zaświadczenie?
The verb potrzebować (to need) requires its object to be in the genitive case, rather than the accusative case used by most verbs. Because zaświadczenie is a neuter noun, its genitive singular form ends in -a. This is a common rule to remember: whenever you need something, put that thing in the genitive.
Why do we use the preposition z for "from" here?
In Polish, z (meaning "out of" or "from") is used when taking something from an institution, a container, or an abstract activity like work or school. It takes the genitive case, which changes the feminine noun praca into pracy.
Doesn't the preposition z usually mean "with"?
It means "with" when followed by the instrumental case (which would be z pracą). Because it is followed by the genitive case here (z pracy), it translates to "from" or "out of". Paying attention to the noun's ending is a handy way to tell the two meanings apart!
What specific type of document is a zaświadczenie?
A zaświadczenie is an official attestation, written statement, or proof of something, like an employer's letter of employment or a doctor's note. If you were talking about a school graduation certificate or a report card, you would use the word świadectwo instead.
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