Breakdown of Zrobiłem supeł, ale mimo wszystko dziergam dalej.
ale
but
zrobić
to do / to make (someone something)
wszystko
everything
dalej
further; go on (as in "keep talking", "and so on")
mimo
despite
dziergać
to knit
supeł
knot
Questions & Answers about Zrobiłem supeł, ale mimo wszystko dziergam dalej.
Wait, doesn't mimo usually take the genitive? Why is it wszystko here?
You are exactly right that mimo (and pomimo) generally require the genitive case, like in mimo deszczu (despite the rain). However, there is a fixed exception: when followed by the pronouns to or wszystko, they take the accusative case instead. That is why we say mimo wszystko (despite everything) and mimo to (despite that).
How does dalej translate to "keep" in dziergam dalej?
Dalej literally means "further". In Polish, adding dalej after an imperfective verb is the most natural way to say "to continue doing something" or "to keep doing something". So, dziergam dalej literally translates to "I knit further", meaning "I keep knitting".
Why do we mix the perfective zrobiłem with the imperfective dziergam here?
The aspects perfectly map out the timeline of events. Zrobiłem is perfective past because making the knot was a completed, one-time event (likely an accident that already happened). Dziergam is imperfective present because the knitting is an ongoing, continuous action happening right now, continuing in spite of the mistake.
Could I use węzeł instead of supeł for "knot" in this context?
Not naturally, as they have different nuances. A supeł refers to a simple knot in a string, thread, or yarn, often made accidentally (like a tangle) or just to tie two loose ends. A węzeł is a more deliberate, structural knot, like a sailor's knot, a necktie knot, or a metaphorical bond. For a snag in your knitting, supeł is the right choice.
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