Breakdown of Mój piekarnik i suszarka nie działają od wczoraj.
i
and
nie
no / not
mój
my
wczoraj
yesterday
od
from
działać
to function
suszarka
dryer
piekarnik
oven
Questions & Answers about Mój piekarnik i suszarka nie działają od wczoraj.
How are the words piekarnik and suszarka formed?
They are both tool nouns (nomina instrumenti) created by adding specific suffixes to verbs. Piekarnik (oven) relates to the verb piec (to bake) and uses the suffix -nik. Suszarka (dryer) comes from suszyć (to dry) using the suffix -arka. Both suffixes are extremely common for naming household appliances and machines in Polish.
Are the suffixes -nik and -arka interchangeable when creating nouns for machines?
No, you cannot just pick either one. While both create nouns for tools or machines, specific roots pair with specific suffixes by convention. As a B2 learner, recognizing these suffixes helps you instantly guess a new word's meaning, but you still need to memorize which exact suffix goes with which root.
Why does the sentence use the singular mój if it refers to both the oven and the dryer?
When a modifier like a possessive pronoun applies to a list of nouns connected by i, it is standard in Polish to make it agree with the closest noun. Since piekarnik is masculine singular, it takes mój. If the word order were reversed, the feminine noun would be first, and it would be moja suszarka i piekarnik.
Why is the present tense nie działają used to translate the English present perfect continuous phrase have not been working?
In Polish, if an ongoing state or action started in the past and is still happening right now, you must use the present tense. The phrase od wczoraj (since yesterday) signals that the breakdown continues into the present, so the present tense nie działają is required.
Learn Mój piekarnik i suszarka nie działają od wczoraj 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