Question 1

Why use aplikuje się here instead of the standard passive jest aplikowany?

Accepted Answer

In Polish, using się with an inanimate subject creates the middle voice. We use it to describe how a thing naturally undergoes an action or its inherent qualities when used. While jest aplikowany (is applied) is a grammatically correct passive, aplikuje się is much more natural for describing a product's traits, matching the English phrasing "it applies quickly" instead of "it is applied quickly."

Question 2

Is ten krem the subject or the object of this sentence?

Accepted Answer

It can actually be both, depending on how you look at it! Because krem is an inanimate masculine noun, its nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) forms are identical. If you read this as the middle voice ("This cream applies itself"), ten krem is the nominative subject.

Question 3

Could this sentence also translate to "One applies this cream very quickly"?

Accepted Answer

Exactly. Because of the identical nominative and accusative forms of ten krem, this sentence perfectly doubles as an impersonal construction. If you interpret it as "One applies this cream very quickly," then ten krem acts as the accusative direct object of the verb. The phrasing looks exactly the same either way, though here we are focusing on the cream's properties.

Question 4

Aplikuje sounds like an English loanword. What is a more common, everyday Polish verb for putting on cream?

Accepted Answer

Aplikować is indeed a loanword, often used in formal contexts like cosmetics, medicine, or software. If you want a more everyday, native Polish word for putting on a cream or lotion, you would use nakładać (to put on). The sentence would then be: Ten krem nakłada się bardzo szybko.

Ten krem aplikuje się bardzo szybko.

Breakdown of Ten krem aplikuje się bardzo szybko.

Questions & Answers about Ten krem aplikuje się bardzo szybko.

Learn Ten krem aplikuje się bardzo szybko and more in Polish