Breakdown of Co do wulkanu, nie spodziewamy się erupcji.
nie
no / not
spodziewać się
to expect
co do
as for / regarding
wulkan
volcano
erupcja
eruption
Questions & Answers about Co do wulkanu, nie spodziewamy się erupcji.
Why is wulkan in the Genitive case (wulkanu) here?
It is because of the compound preposition co do (as for / regarding). The phrase co do is always followed by the Genitive case. It is a very common and natural way to single out a topic at the start of a sentence.
Is erupcji in the Genitive case because the sentence is negative (nie spodziewamy się)?
Actually, it would be in the Genitive case anyway! While it is true that negated direct objects take the Genitive, the verb spodziewać się (to expect) inherently requires its object to be in the Genitive case, even in affirmative sentences.
Could I use something else instead of co do to frame the topic?
Yes, a very common alternative is the phrase jeśli chodzi o (when it comes to / if it is about), which is followed by the Accusative case: Jeśli chodzi o wulkan... However, co do is slightly more concise.
Why does spodziewamy have the reflexive pronoun się attached to it?
Spodziewać się is a verb that simply always requires się, even though the action is not literally reflexive (you are not expecting yourselves). In Polish, 'to expect' is just inherently reflexive, and the verb does not exist without it.
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