Breakdown of Zamiast oglądać telewizję, powinieneś skoncentrować się na priorytetach.
oglądać
to watch
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
telewizja
television
powinien
should, ought to
zamiast
instead of
skoncentrować się
to concentrate
priorytet
priority
Questions & Answers about Zamiast oglądać telewizję, powinieneś skoncentrować się na priorytetach.
Why is the infinitive oglądać used after zamiast instead of a noun or an -ing form like in English?
When you want to say 'instead of doing something' in Polish and the person doing both actions is the same, you simply follow zamiast directly with an infinitive. English requires the -ing gerund form (watching), but Polish uses the base verb, oglądać.
Why do we use the imperfective verb oglądać but the perfective verb skoncentrować?
The imperfective oglądać (to watch) is used because watching TV is an ongoing, open-ended activity. The perfective skoncentrować (to concentrate) is used because shifting your focus to your priorities is framed as a specific, completed result you need to achieve.
How would this sentence change if the person being spoken to were female?
Why is priorytetach in the locative case?
The reflexive verb skoncentrować się always pairs with the preposition na. When na introduces the abstract object of your focus, rather than physical motion toward a place, it requires the locative case. The -ach suffix is the standard locative plural ending.
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