Breakdown of Co do lawy, nie możemy nic zrobić.
nie
no / not
móc
to be able to
zrobić
to do / to make (someone something)
nic
nothing
co do
as for / regarding
lawa
lava
Questions & Answers about Co do lawy, nie możemy nic zrobić.
Why does lawa change to lawy after co do?
The phrase co do is a compound preposition meaning "as for" or "regarding." It always requires the noun or pronoun that follows it to take the Genitive case. Since lawa (lava) is a regular feminine noun ending in -a, its Genitive form is lawy.
Can co do be used to introduce people as well as inanimate objects like lawa?
Yes, co do is very versatile. You can use it to frame a topic around an object, an abstract concept, or a person. For example, you could say co do Marka (as for Marek) or co do niego (as for him). Just remember to always put the person or object in the Genitive case.
This sentence uses both nie and nic. Why don't they cancel each other out?
Polish requires double negation, which is always good to review when it pops up. Whenever you use a negative pronoun like nic (nothing) or nikt (nobody), the main verb must also be negated with nie. While it literally translates to "we cannot do nothing," in Polish, this is the standard and only correct way to say "we cannot do anything."
Why use the perfective verb zrobić here instead of the imperfective robić?
We use the perfective zrobić because the sentence focuses on the inability to achieve a specific result (solving the problem with the lava). If you used the imperfective robić, it would sound more like "we cannot be doing anything," putting the focus on the ongoing process of an action rather than successfully completing it.
Learn Co do lawy, nie możemy nic zrobić and more in Polish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free