Breakdown of Zależało mu na obu projektach, ale bez mojej aprobaty nic nie znaczyłyby.
on
he / it (m)
nie
no / not
ale
but
mój
my
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
projekt
project
nic
nothing
bez
without
znaczyć
to mean
oba
both (m/n)
zależeć
to matter (to someone), to depend
aprobata
approval
Questions & Answers about Zależało mu na obu projektach, ale bez mojej aprobaty nic nie znaczyłyby.
How does bez mojej aprobaty function as a conditional clause in this sentence?
Even though it lacks a conditional word like gdyby (if), the phrase bez + Genitive creates an implicit condition. It stands in for a full clause like gdyby nie moja aprobata (if it weren't for my approval). The conditional verb znaczyłyby (would mean) later in the sentence signals to the listener that this bez phrase is setting up a hypothetical scenario.
Why is the first clause written as zależało mu instead of him being the direct subject?
To express "he cared about" or "it mattered to him", Polish uses zależeć as an impersonal verb. The person who cares is put in the Dative case (mu), and the verb stays in the neuter singular form (zależało). The thing they care about is then expressed with na + Locative case (na obu projektach).
Is there a difference between using obu and obydwu here?
No, obu and obydwu are completely synonymous and interchangeable forms of "both" in the Locative case. Obu is simply the shorter and often more popular choice in spoken Polish.
Why does the conditional verb znaczyłyby end in -yby instead of -iliby?
The hidden subject of this verb is projekty (projects), which is a masculine inanimate noun. Because it is not a group containing men, the verb takes the non-masculine-personal plural form znaczyły before adding the conditional particle by. If the subject were a group involving men, it would be znaczyliby.
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