Breakdown of Nie mamy taśmy, chociaż mamy dobry klej.
mieć
to have
nie
no / not
dobry
good
chociaż
although
taśma
tape
klej
glue
Questions & Answers about Nie mamy taśmy, chociaż mamy dobry klej.
Why does the first clause use the genitive case (taśmy) but the second clause uses the accusative (dobry klej)?
This sentence is a perfect refresher on the 'genitive of negation.' The verb mieć (to have) normally takes a direct object in the accusative case, which we see in the affirmative second half of the sentence (mamy dobry klej). However, whenever a verb that normally takes the accusative is negated, its object automatically switches to the genitive case, giving us nie mamy taśmy.
Since mamy takes the accusative case, shouldn't dobry klej have a different ending rather than looking exactly like its dictionary form?
It actually is in the accusative case! Klej is a masculine inanimate noun. In Polish, masculine inanimate nouns (and the adjectives describing them) have an accusative form that is exactly identical to their nominative (dictionary) form. So dobry klej is grammatically accusative here, even though the spelling hasn't changed.
Could I use choć or mimo że instead of chociaż here?
Yes, absolutely. Chociaż, choć, and mimo że all mean 'although' or 'even though' and are largely interchangeable in this context. Choć is just a shortened version of chociaż and is extremely common in casual, spoken Polish.
Is it required to repeat the verb mamy in both clauses, or could I drop the second one to sound less repetitive?
You should definitely keep it. While Polish often omits subjects (like the implied my here), dropping the verb in this specific structure would sound awkward. Repeating mamy anchors the second clause and makes the sentence flow naturally, especially since you are switching from a genitive object back to an accusative one.
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