Breakdown of Nie wydrukujemy tego, dopóki nie sprawdzisz formatu trzykrotnie.
to
this
nie
no / not
sprawdzić
to check
wydrukować
to print (perfective)
dopóki
as long as / until
format
format
trzykrotnie
three times
Questions & Answers about Nie wydrukujemy tego, dopóki nie sprawdzisz formatu trzykrotnie.
What is the difference between using trzykrotnie here instead of trzy razy?
Trzykrotnie is a multiplicative adverb meaning exactly the same as trzy razy (three times). While you could absolutely say trzy razy here, trzykrotnie sounds a bit more formal and professional, which fits a workplace sentence about checking and printing formats. You form these adverbs by adding the suffix -krotnie to the base number.
Why is there a nie before sprawdzisz? Doesn't that make it mean "until you do NOT check"?
The phrase dopóki nie is a fixed construction that translates to "until." In Polish, it works a bit differently than in English and literally means something closer to "as long as... not." So, dopóki nie sprawdzisz means "until you check," even though the literal translation feels like "as long as you don't check."
Why is the word for format in the genitive case (formatu) instead of the accusative?
The verb sprawdzić (to check) usually takes a direct object in the accusative case. However, because the verb in this clause is negated by the nie in dopóki nie sprawdzisz, the direct object must switch to the genitive case (formatu). This classic "genitive of negation" rule applies even when the nie is just part of a conjunction!
Why are the perfective verbs wydrukujemy and sprawdzisz used here?
Both actions are viewed as completed events in the future. The sentence means we will complete the printing only after you have fully finished checking the format. Using the imperfective sprawdzasz would imply being in the ongoing process of checking, which doesn't fit the requirement of completing the action exactly three times (trzykrotnie).
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