Breakdown of Uczestnicy wypowiadali się o kilku kwestionariuszach.
o
about
kilka
a few
uczestnik
the participant
wypowiadać się
to express oneself / to speak out
Questions & Answers about Uczestnicy wypowiadali się o kilku kwestionariuszach.
Why is it kilku instead of kilka, and what case is it in this sentence?
It is in the Locative case, triggered by the preposition o (about). When indefinite numerals like kilka (several) are used in oblique cases (like the Locative, Instrumental, or Dative), they decline rather than staying fixed. The Locative form of kilka is kilku.
Wait, doesn't kilka force the following noun into the Genitive case? Why is it kwestionariuszach (Locative plural)?
That Genitive rule only applies when the numeral is in the Nominative or Accusative case (for example, Widzę kilka kwestionariuszy). In oblique cases like the Locative used here, the numeral and the noun actually agree in case. Since the preposition o requires the Locative, both the numeral (kilku) and the noun (kwestionariuszach) take the Locative plural.
What is the difference between wypowiadali się and simply using mówili?
Mówili just means "they spoke" or "they talked". Wypowiadać się is a slightly more formal and specific verb meaning "to express an opinion", "to comment", or "to speak one's mind". It perfectly fits a context where study participants are giving formal feedback.
Why does wypowiadali end in -li?