Breakdown of Muszę uważać, tym bardziej że mam nowy aparat.
mieć
to have
nowy
new
musieć
to have to
uważać
to watch out
Questions & Answers about Muszę uważać, tym bardziej że mam nowy aparat.
How exactly does tym bardziej że work here, and why is the comma before tym instead of before że?
Tym bardziej że translates to "especially since" or "all the more because". It is used to add a strong, amplifying reason to what was just said. In Polish punctuation, when a multi-word conjunction like this introduces a clause, the comma is generally placed before the entire phrase (before tym), not right before że.
I thought aparat meant "camera". How does it mean "braces" here?
Aparat is a versatile word for various devices or apparatuses. While it often refers to a camera (aparat fotograficzny), in the context of teeth or personal care, it is short for aparat ortodontyczny (orthodontic braces). You will also see it used for hearing aids (aparat słuchowy).
Why use the imperfective uważać instead of a perfective verb here?
When uważać means "to be careful" or "to pay attention", it describes an ongoing state or attitude rather than a single completed action. Because you need to continuously be careful while you have the braces, the imperfective aspect is the natural choice.
Why is nowy aparat in the nominative case if it is the direct object of mam?