Breakdown of Gdy jest mi zimno, muszę dołożyć drewna do ogniska.
być
to be
mi
to me
musieć
to have to
do
to
drewno
wood
zimno
cold (adverb)
ognisko
campfire
gdy
when (conjunction, = kiedy, more written)
dołożyć
to add solid
Questions & Answers about Gdy jest mi zimno, muszę dołożyć drewna do ogniska.
Why is drewna in the genitive case here instead of the accusative?
This is the Partitive Genitive. Verbs that describe adding or accumulating an indefinite amount of something, especially those starting with the prefix do- like dołożyć (to add or put more), take the genitive case instead of the accusative. You are adding 'some wood', not a specific, countable whole object.
How does the prefix do- change the meaning of the verb in dołożyć?
The base root is related to putting or laying things down. Adding the prefix do- creates a verb that specifically means to add more to something that is already there. So dołożyć means to add or pile on more of something, which is exactly why it triggers the partitive genitive for the material being added.
Both drewna and ogniska end in -a. Are they in the same case for the same reason?
They are both in the genitive case, but for different reasons! As we saw, drewna is the partitive genitive triggered by the verb dołożyć. However, ogniska (from the neuter noun ognisko) is in the genitive simply because it follows the preposition do (to or into), which always requires the genitive case.
As a refresher, why do we use the dative pronoun mi in jest mi zimno instead of just saying jestem zimny?
In Polish, physical or emotional states experienced by a person are expressed using the verb być (to be) plus an adverb (like zimno) plus the dative case of the person experiencing it (mi). If you said jestem zimny, it would mean your body is physically cold to the touch or that you have a cold, unfeeling personality.
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