Breakdown of Przegapiliśmy autobus o wpół do drugiej przez jej lenistwo.
do
to
o
at (time)
drugi
second / the other (in 'one another')
jej
her (possessive)
autobus
bus
wpół
half
przez
because of
lenistwo
laziness
przegapić
to miss (an event, an opportunity)
Questions & Answers about Przegapiliśmy autobus o wpół do drugiej przez jej lenistwo.
Why do we use przez here to mean "because of" instead of z powodu?
While z powodu (because of / due to) is grammatically correct, przez followed by the Accusative is specifically used to express a negative cause or to place blame. Since missing the bus is a bad thing caused by her laziness, przez heavily emphasizes that it is her fault.
What case does przez take here, and why hasn't the ending of lenistwo changed?
The preposition przez requires the Accusative case. However, lenistwo (laziness) is a neuter noun, and for neuter nouns, the Accusative form looks exactly the same as the Nominative (dictionary) form.
How does o wpół do drugiej translate to "at half past one"?
Polish tells time on the half-hour by looking ahead to the upcoming hour. The phrase wpół do literally means "halfway to" and is followed by an ordinal number in the Genitive case. So, "halfway to the second hour" (druga becomes drugiej) means 1:30.
Could we use a form of tęsknić instead of przegapiliśmy for missing the bus?
No, because Polish uses different verbs for different meanings of the English word "miss." You use tęsknić when you emotionally miss a person or place. When you fail to catch transport, attend an event, or notice something, you must use the verb przegapić.
Learn Przegapiliśmy autobus o wpół do drugiej przez jej lenistwo 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