Breakdown of Opamiętajże się i przestań mówić te głupoty!
i
and
ten
this (m)
mówić
to speak
przestać
to stop
opamiętać się
to come to one's senses
głupota
stupidity
Questions & Answers about Opamiętajże się i przestań mówić te głupoty!
Why does the emphatic particle take the form -że here instead of just -ż?
The choice between -że and -ż depends on the last sound of the imperative verb. Because opamiętaj ends in a consonant sound (the letter j), we add -że to make it naturally pronounceable. If the verb ended in a vowel, you would just attach -ż (for example, przestańcież).
Why is the particle attached before się (opamiętajże się) instead of at the end of the phrase?
The emphatic particle -ż or -że must attach directly to the imperative verb itself. Because of this strict rule, it always squeezes between the verb and the reflexive pronoun się. Saying opamiętaj sięże is grammatically incorrect.
Both opamiętaj and przestań are perfective commands. Why is the next verb, mówić, imperfective?
Verbs that express the start, continuation, or end of an action (like przestać to stop, or zacząć to start) must always be followed by an imperfective infinitive. Even though you are commanding them to complete the action of stopping (przestań), the action they are stopping is an ongoing process (mówić).
Why is te głupoty in the plural, when the English translation uses the singular "this nonsense"?
In Polish, the singular głupota generally means the abstract concept of "stupidity." When referring to specific "nonsense" or "stupid things someone is saying," Polish speakers almost always use the plural form głupoty, which is why it pairs with the plural pronoun te.
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