Breakdown of Mamy bilety na targi i jedziemy pociągiem.
i
and
mieć
to have
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
bilet
ticket
Questions & Answers about Mamy bilety na targi i jedziemy pociągiem.
Why do we use na + accusative here (na targi) instead of the genitive case to say 'tickets of the fair'?
In Polish, to express the purpose or target of a noun, you often use na followed by the accusative case. While English might use 'to' or 'for' (tickets to/for the fair), Polish uses na to show what the ticket grants access to. Using the genitive (bilety targów) would sound like the fair owns the tickets, rather than what they are used for.
The English translation says 'the fair' in the singular. Why is targi in the plural?
In the sense of a trade fair, exhibition, or market, targi is a plural-only noun, just like drzwi (door) or spodnie (trousers). Because it follows the preposition na to show purpose, it is in the accusative plural here.
Why is pociągiem used without a preposition to mean 'by train'?
To express the means of transportation, Polish simply uses the bare Instrumental case. Adding a preposition would change the meaning entirely. For example, z pociągiem means 'with the train' (as if you are accompanying it), and w pociągu means 'inside the train' (using the locative case).
Could we use jeździmy instead of jedziemy in this sentence?