Breakdown of Nadal nie wiadomo, jaka jest tożsamość tego przestępcy.
być
to be
nie
no / not
ten
this (m)
jaki
what kind of, what ... like (asks for an adjective)
nadal
still (continuing)
wiadomo
known / it is known (impersonal)
tożsamość
the identity
przestępca
the criminal
Questions & Answers about Nadal nie wiadomo, jaka jest tożsamość tego przestępcy.
The English translation says "what... identity is", but the Polish uses jaka instead of co. Why?
When asking "what is [noun]?" to find out specific details or characteristics rather than a dictionary definition, Polish uses the adjective-like question word jaki, jaka, or jakie. Because tożsamość (identity) is a feminine noun, it takes jaka. Using co here would sound like you are asking what the concept of "identity" means.
How does the impersonal predicate nie wiadomo work with the second half of the sentence?
Nie wiadomo (it is unknown) introduces an indirect question here. Instead of a factual statement starting with że (that), the second clause acts as a built-in question starting with jaka. Remember that in Polish grammar, you must always place a comma before the question word that connects these two clauses.
The word for criminal is przestępca which ends in "-a". Why does it use the masculine pronoun tego?
Przestępca is a masculine personal noun despite its "-a" ending. Words in this category decline like feminine nouns in the singular, which is why it takes the feminine-style genitive ending "-y" to become przestępcy (meaning "of the criminal"). However, any adjectives or pronouns attached to it must match its true masculine gender, which is why we use tego.
How would I change this sentence to the past tense to say "It was still unknown"?
Learn Nadal nie wiadomo, jaka jest tożsamość tego przestępcy 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