Breakdown of Nie zjem tej krówki, by nie uszkodzić aparatu.
nie
no / not
ta
this (f)
zjeść
to eat (perfective)
uszkodzić
to damage
by
so that / in order to
aparat
braces
krówka
fudge
Questions & Answers about Nie zjem tej krówki, by nie uszkodzić aparatu.
Why is krówka translated as "fudge" here? Doesn't it mean "little cow"?
Yes, literally krówka means "little cow". However, it is also the name of a very popular, traditional Polish semi-soft milk fudge candy. You will often see them sold in wrappers with a picture of a cow on them.
Why are both tej krówki and aparatu in the Genitive case?
This is the Genitive of negation in action. The verbs zjeść (to eat) and uszkodzić (to damage) normally take direct objects in the Accusative case (tę krówkę and aparat). Because both verbs are directly negated by nie, their objects must shift to the Genitive case (tej krówki and aparatu).
Is by just a shorter version of żeby here?
Exactly. By functions just like żeby or aby to mean "in order to." It connects the main clause to the purpose clause containing the infinitive nie uszkodzić. While by can sound slightly more concise or literary than żeby, they are completely interchangeable in this context.
How does aparat mean "braces" in this sentence?
The word aparat is a general term for a device or apparatus, and it is most commonly used to mean a camera. However, it is also the standard everyday shorthand for aparat ortodontyczny, which means orthodontic braces. The context of eating sticky fudge makes it obvious we are talking about teeth!
How could we use the lesson's target phrase tym bardziej, że with this sentence?
You could say: Nie zjem tej krówki, tym bardziej, że nie chcę uszkodzić aparatu (I won't eat this fudge, especially since I don't want to damage my braces). Notice that because tym bardziej, że needs a conjugated verb rather than an infinitive of purpose, we had to introduce nie chcę (I do not want) to make the clause work naturally.
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