Learn Polish: Nie wolno dwukrotnie drukować tej wizytówki. - You must not print this business card twice.

Nie wolno dwukrotnie drukować tej wizytówki.

You must not print this business card twice.

Breakdown of Nie wolno dwukrotnie drukować tej wizytówki.

ten

this (m)

nie wolno

it is not allowed (+ infinitive)

drukować

to print (imperfective)

wizytówka

business card

Questions & Answers about Nie wolno dwukrotnie drukować tej wizytówki.

How does dwukrotnie differ from just saying dwa razy?

Both mean "twice," but dwukrotnie is an adverb derived from the adjective dwukrotny (two-fold/double). It sounds slightly more formal, technical, or official than the everyday phrase dwa razy, making it a great fit for a strict rule or instruction like this.

The verb drukować usually takes the accusative case. Why is tej wizytówki in the genitive?

This is the genitive of negation. Even though the object belongs to the infinitive drukować, the negative word nie in the governing phrase nie wolno forces the direct object of the action into the genitive case.

Why do we use the imperfective verb drukować here instead of the perfective wydrukować?

The phrase nie wolno (meaning "it is forbidden" or "you must not") almost always pairs with imperfective verbs in Polish. This rule applies whether you are stating a general, ongoing rule or forbidding one very specific action.

Can I change the word order and put dwukrotnie at the end of the sentence?

Yes, saying Nie wolno drukować tej wizytówki dwukrotnie is grammatically correct. However, placing dwukrotnie right before the verb puts more emphasis on the word "twice" - it highlights that the repetition itself is the exact behavior being forbidden.