Learn Polish: Zawsze mamy napięty terminarz pod koniec miesiąca. - We always have a tight schedule towards the end of the month.

In Polish, the preposition pod followed by the Accusative case can be used for temporal approximation, meaning 'towards' or 'approaching' a certain time. Here, pod koniec translates to 'towards the end'.

What case is koniec in this sentence?

It is in the Accusative case, which is required by the preposition pod when expressing this kind of time approximation. Because koniec is a masculine inanimate noun, its Accusative form is identical to its Nominative dictionary form.

Why is the word for month written as miesiąca instead of miesiąc?

It is in the Genitive case because it shows possession or relationship, directly translating to 'of the month'. It modifies the noun koniec to mean 'the end of the month'.

The word napięty translates to 'tight' here, but what is its literal meaning?

Literally, napięty means 'tense', 'taut', or 'stretched'. It is a form of the verb napiąć (to stretch or tighten). In Polish, you use it just like in English to describe a 'tight' or very busy schedule (napięty terminarz).

What case is napięty terminarz and why does it look like the basic dictionary form?