Word
Czy to urządzenie składa się z modułów?
Meaning
Does this device consist of modules?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Czy to urządzenie składa się z modułów?
czy
[question particle]
ten
this (m)
urządzenie
device
składać się z
to consist of
Questions & Answers about Czy to urządzenie składa się z modułów?
Why is z modułów in the Genitive case instead of the Instrumental?
The verb składać się (to consist) must always be followed by the preposition z plus the Genitive case. While z can mean "with" and take the Instrumental, here it indicates composition ("made out of" or "composed from"), which strictly requires the Genitive.
What happens to the meaning if I drop się from składa się?
The meaning changes completely. Without się, the active verb składać means "to fold", "to assemble", or "to submit" (like submitting a document). The reflexive pronoun się is essential here to create the meaning "to consist of".
Why does the word modułów take the -ów ending here?
Moduł is a masculine inanimate noun. Because the preposition z requires the Genitive case for composition, we need the Genitive plural form. For the vast majority of masculine nouns in the plural, the Genitive ending is -ów.
Is składać się imperfective or perfective, and does it matter in this sentence?
It is imperfective, which fits perfectly because the composition of the device is a permanent, ongoing state. Its perfective pair is złożyć się, but you will almost never use that to mean "consist of". The perfective form is instead commonly used as an idiom meaning "to chip in" (like collecting money for a gift).