Breakdown of W odróżnieniu od ojca zaczął szanować tylko materialny dobrobyt.
ojciec
father
tylko
only
szanować
to respect
zacząć
to start
w odróżnieniu od
unlike
materialny
material (adjective)
dobrobyt
prosperity
Questions & Answers about W odróżnieniu od ojca zaczął szanować tylko materialny dobrobyt.
Why do we use od after w odróżnieniu here, and what case does it trigger?
W odróżnieniu od translates to "unlike" or "in contrast to" and always pairs with the preposition od. Because it uses od, the following noun must be in the Genitive case, which is why we see ojca (from ojciec). Notice that this differs from the other phrase in this lesson, w porównaniu z (in comparison with), which requires the Instrumental case.
Why is szanować imperfective when the main verb zaczął is perfective?
In Polish, verbs that indicate the start, continuation, or end of an action (so-called "phase verbs" like zacząć, skończyć, przestać) must always be followed by an imperfective infinitive. He started (the perfective zaczął marks that specific point in time) the ongoing process of respecting (the imperfective szanować).
What case is materialny dobrobyt and why?
It is in the Accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb szanować (to respect). Since dobrobyt (prosperity/wealth) is an inanimate masculine noun, its Accusative form looks exactly the same as its Nominative form.
Could I use w przeciwieństwie do instead of w odróżnieniu od here?
Yes, they are essentially interchangeable. Both mean "unlike" or "in contrast to". W przeciwieństwie do (which also takes the Genitive) is slightly stronger, emphasizing an exact opposite, while w odróżnieniu od simply points out a distinguishing difference.
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