Breakdown of Ochrona nie pozwoliła nieletnim zbliżać się do sceny.
nie
no / not
do
to
pozwolić
to allow (perfective)
scena
stage
ochrona
security / protection
nieletni
minor
zbliżać się
to approach (to get closer)
Questions & Answers about Ochrona nie pozwoliła nieletnim zbliżać się do sceny.
Why is nieletnim in the Dative case here?
The verb pozwolić (to allow) requires the person receiving the permission to be in the Dative case. So, "allow minors" translates to pozwolić nieletnim. This rule also applies to similar verbs like kazać (to order) and zabraniać (to forbid), which are always followed by the Dative case plus an infinitive.
Why do we use the imperfective infinitive zbliżać się instead of the perfective zbliżyć się?
In Polish, when you negate permission (using phrases like nie pozwoliła or zabroniła), you almost always use the imperfective aspect for the following infinitive. This is because the ban applies to the general action or the very process of doing it, not just the completion of it. They weren't allowed to even be in the process of getting close.
Is nieletnim a noun or an adjective?
It is technically an adjective (nieletni meaning "underage"), but here it functions as a noun meaning "minors" or "underage people." Polish frequently turns adjectives into nouns to describe groups of people, and they decline exactly like regular adjectives. Here, it is in the Dative plural form.
Could I rephrase this sentence using żeby instead of an infinitive?
Yes! While using the Dative + infinitive is very natural and concise, you can also use a żeby (so that / that) clause. It would look like this: Ochrona nie pozwoliła, żeby nieletni zbliżali się do sceny. Notice that in the żeby clause, the minors are no longer in the Dative; nieletni becomes the subject (Nominative) and the verb takes a past tense form.
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