Breakdown of Brakuje mi szczerości w tej relacji.
ten
this (m)
w
in / on (a day)
mi
to me
brakować
to lack / to be missing
Questions & Answers about Brakuje mi szczerości w tej relacji.
How is the word szczerości formed, and why does it end in -i here?
It comes from the adjective szczery (honest or sincere). By adding the suffix -ość, we get the abstract feminine noun szczerość (honesty). It ends in -i here because the verb brakować (to lack) always requires the genitive case. Feminine nouns ending in -ść take -i in the genitive, so szczerość becomes szczerości.
Why do we say "brakuje mi" instead of "ja brakuję"?
The verb brakować (to lack or to miss) uses an impersonal structure in Polish. Instead of saying "I lack something", you literally say "something is lacking to me". The person who is missing something takes the dative case (mi), the verb stays in the third-person singular (brakuje), and the missing thing takes the genitive case (szczerości).
Why is it "w tej relacji" instead of "w tą relację"?
The preposition w requires the locative case when talking about a static state or location, such as being "in" a relationship. Both ta (this) and relacja (relationship) are feminine. In the locative case, ta becomes tej, and feminine nouns ending in -cja take the ending -cji, resulting in w tej relacji.
Can "relacja" refer to any kind of relationship, or is it strictly romantic?