Question 1

Why is korupcją in the Instrumental case here instead of the Accusative?

Accepted Answer

The verb brzydzić się (to be disgusted by) requires its object to be in the Instrumental case. In Polish, several verbs expressing a strong emotional attitude, like disgust, contempt, or admiration, take the Instrumental instead of the typical Accusative. Since korupcja is a feminine noun ending in -a, its Instrumental form is korupcją.

Question 2

Why is it opinia publiczna instead of publiczna opinia?

Accepted Answer

In Polish, descriptive adjectives usually come before the noun. However, classifying adjectives that define a specific, official category or established concept go after the noun. Since public opinion is a fixed concept rather than just a random opinion that happens to be public, the adjective comes second.

Question 3

What happens if I drop się from brzydzi się?

Accepted Answer

Without się, the verb brzydzić means to disgust someone else and takes the Accusative case for the person feeling the disgust. For example, to mnie brzydzi means this disgusts me. By keeping się, the subject is the one experiencing the feeling, which then triggers the Instrumental case for the thing causing the disgust.

Question 4

Why does tym kraju end in -u if this lesson is about the Instrumental case?

Accepted Answer

The phrase w tym kraju uses the Locative case because it follows the preposition w (in) to describe a static location. The noun kraj takes the -u ending in the Locative, and the pronoun ten changes to tym. In this sentence, only the object of the emotional verb brzydzić się takes the Instrumental case, which is korupcją.

Opinia publiczna brzydzi się korupcją w tym kraju.

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