Question 1

Why do we use gdzie indziej here instead of a form of the adjective inny?

Accepted Answer

Because we need an adverb to describe where we are looking. Gdzie indziej is a fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'somewhere else'. If you wanted to use the adjective inny (other/different), you would have to attach it to a noun and use a preposition, like w innym miejscu (in a different place).

Question 2

Can I use the word indziej on its own?

Accepted Answer

No, you will almost never see indziej by itself. It is an old adverb meaning 'else' that now only survives in fixed pairs with question words. Besides gdzie indziej, the most useful ones to learn are kto indziej (someone else) and kiedy indziej (some other time).

Question 3

Why is there a nie after dopóki? Doesn't that make the sentence say 'until it does not appear'?

Accepted Answer

In Polish, the combination dopóki nie is exactly how you say 'until'. The word dopóki actually means 'as long as', so a literal translation of dopóki nie pojawi się is 'as long as it does not appear'. English focuses on the endpoint ('until'), while Polish focuses on the ongoing state prior to that endpoint.

Question 4

Why is the first verb perfective (pojawi się) but the second one imperfective (szukać)?

Accepted Answer

This contrast is all about the nature of the actions. A complication 'appearing' is a sudden, one-time event, so we use the perfective verb pojawić się. In contrast, 'looking for' something is an ongoing process, so it requires the imperfective future tense (będziemy szukać). We won't start the ongoing process of searching until the sudden event happens.

Dopóki nie pojawi się komplikacja, nie będziemy szukać gdzie indziej.

Breakdown of Dopóki nie pojawi się komplikacja, nie będziemy szukać gdzie indziej.

Questions & Answers about Dopóki nie pojawi się komplikacja, nie będziemy szukać gdzie indziej.

Learn Dopóki nie pojawi się komplikacja, nie będziemy szukać gdzie indziej and more in Polish