Breakdown of Ponieważ nie wolno nam biegać, ten dystans jest zbyt długi, żeby przejść go pieszo.
być
to be
nie
no / not
ten
this (m)
my
we
biegać
to run
pieszo
on foot
go
him / it
długi
long
żeby
so that, in order to
przejść
to cross
zbyt
too / excessively
ponieważ
because (formal)
wolno
it is allowed (+ Dative)
dystans
distance (sports, abstract)
Questions & Answers about Ponieważ nie wolno nam biegać, ten dystans jest zbyt długi, żeby przejść go pieszo.
How does the zbyt ... żeby structure work in this sentence?
It translates the English pattern "too [adjective] to [verb]". We use zbyt (too) with the adjective długi, followed by a comma, and then żeby with the infinitive przejść. You can also use za długi instead of zbyt długi for the exact same meaning.
Why do we need the word go in żeby przejść go pieszo? The English translation just says "to walk".
English often drops the object in this structure ("too long to walk"), but Polish requires it. The verb przejść (to cross or traverse) needs a direct object here. That object is go (it), which refers back to the masculine noun dystans. Literally, you are saying "too long to walk it on foot".
What is the difference between saying nie wolno nam biegać and nie możemy biegać?
Nie wolno combined with the dative pronoun nam (to us) specifically means "we are not allowed" or "it is forbidden for us". If you used nie możemy, it would just mean "we cannot run", which might imply a physical inability, lack of time, or bad weather, rather than a strict rule.
Could I start this sentence with bo instead of ponieważ?
Generally, no. The word bo (because) is strongly preferred in the middle of a sentence to connect two clauses. Ponieważ (since/because) is the standard and natural choice when you want to put the cause at the very beginning of the sentence.
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