Breakdown of Jeśli brakuje ci energii, musisz dosypać cukru do kawy.
kawa
coffee
cukier
sugar
ci
to you (sg)
musieć
to have to
do
to
jeśli
if
brakować
to lack / to be missing
energia
energy
dosypać
to add powder
Questions & Answers about Jeśli brakuje ci energii, musisz dosypać cukru do kawy.
Why is it cukru (Genitive) instead of cukier (Accusative) after dosypać?
This sentence uses the Partitive Genitive, which is exactly what your current lesson covers. When you use verbs that start with do- to mean adding an uncounted quantity of a substance, you use the Genitive case to express adding some of it. If you used the Accusative, it would sound like you are adding the entire concept of sugar, rather than a physical portion of it.
Could I just use the standard verb for add (dodać) here?
You could, and dodać cukru is perfectly understood, but dosypać is much more natural and precise. Polish uses specific verbs based on the physical state of the thing being added. You use dosypać for dry, granular substances like sugar, flour, or sand. If you were adding a liquid like milk or water, you would use dolać.
Why does the first half of the sentence use ci and energii?
The verb brakować (to lack or be missing) has a unique grammatical setup that you might remember from earlier levels. The person who lacks something takes the Dative case (ci means to you), and the thing that is lacking takes the Genitive case (energii). The structure literally translates closer to if energy is lacking to you.
Why is the pronoun ci placed right after the verb instead of before it?
Ci is a short-form pronoun. A major rule in Polish is that short-form pronouns are weak and should not carry emphasis, which means they cannot be the very first word in a sentence or a clause (such as right after the conjunction jeśli). Tucking it safely after the verb brakuje is the most natural word order here.
Learn Jeśli brakuje ci energii, musisz dosypać cukru do kawy and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free