Breakdown of Tego nie da się naprawić.
to
this
naprawić
to fix (perfective)
nie da się
it can't be done, it's impossible (da się: it can be done)
Questions & Answers about Tego nie da się naprawić.
Why is tego in the genitive case instead of the accusative to?
This happens because of the genitive of negation. The verb naprawić normally takes a direct object in the accusative case, so you would say naprawić to (to repair this). But because the whole phrase is negative (nie), the object must switch to the genitive case, becoming tego.
What exactly does da się mean in this sentence?
The phrase da się translates literally as "it gives itself", but it is a highly common Polish idiom meaning "it is possible" or "it can be done". By adding nie, the phrase nie da się means "it is impossible" or "it cannot be done".
What is the difference between nie da się and nie można?
While both can translate to "it can't be done", they have different core meanings. Nie da się expresses a physical impossibility or lack of means (it is broken beyond repair). Nie można typically expresses a lack of permission (you are not allowed to repair it), though learners often confuse the two.
Why is się placed in the middle of the sentence instead of after naprawić?
In Polish, the reflexive pronoun się generally avoids being the very last word in a sentence if there is another place for it. It usually tucks in safely right after the verb it belongs to (here, da) or after the first stressed word in the clause.
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