Breakdown of Byli tam wszyscy działacze z wyjątkiem szefa.
być
to be
tam
there
wszyscy
everyone / all (the)
szef
boss (m)
z wyjątkiem
except for
działacz
activist
Questions & Answers about Byli tam wszyscy działacze z wyjątkiem szefa.
Does z wyjątkiem always take the genitive case like the compound prepositions in this lesson?
Yes. z wyjątkiem literally means 'with the exception' and acts as a compound preposition. Just like w celu and na rzecz, the noun that follows it must take the genitive case, which is why we see szefa here.
Could we use oprócz instead of z wyjątkiem here?
Absolutely. oprócz szefa means exactly the same thing and also takes the genitive case. z wyjątkiem is just a slightly more formal or emphatic way to say 'except for' or 'with the exception of'.
What is the base form of działacze, and why does it take an -e ending here?
The singular nominative is działacz (activist). Because it is a masculine personal noun ending in the hardened consonant cz, its nominative plural takes the -e ending rather than the more common -y or -i endings.
Why does the sentence start with Byli tam instead of putting the subject wszyscy działacze first?
Polish uses flexible word order to shift emphasis. Placing Byli tam at the beginning emphasizes the state of them being present. It is a very natural way to set the scene before revealing who was actually there.
Learn Byli tam wszyscy działacze z wyjątkiem szefa and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free