Breakdown of Wiadomo tylko, że mają jakąś nową poszlakę.
mieć
to have
nowy
new
tylko
only
że
that
jakiś
some, a certain
wiadomo
known / it is known (impersonal)
poszlaka
the clue / the circumstantial evidence
Questions & Answers about Wiadomo tylko, że mają jakąś nową poszlakę.
Why don't we use "To jest" before wiadomo to mean "It is known"?
Wiadomo is an impersonal predicate. It acts as a standalone verb-like word meaning "it is known" or "we know." Adding To jest would be a direct translation from English and is grammatically incorrect in this context. You simply use Wiadomo on its own, frequently followed by a że (that) clause.
What is the exact nuance of poszlaka compared to other words for evidence?
Poszlaka specifically means "circumstantial evidence" or a "clue." It points investigators in a certain direction but doesn't prove anything definitively. If they had hard, undeniable evidence or proof, they would use the word dowód.
Why is the word jakąś used here instead of jaką?
Jakąś is the accusative feminine form of the indefinite pronoun jakiś, meaning "some" or "an unspecified." If you used jaką (from jaki, meaning "what kind of"), the sentence would change meaning entirely to "It is only known what kind of new clue they have." The -ś suffix turns the question word into the concept of "some."
Do we always need a comma before że?
Yes. While English rarely puts a comma before "that" in a statement like this, Polish has a strict rule: you must always use a comma before the conjunction że when it introduces a subordinate clause.
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