Breakdown of Wypożyczymy narty, jak tylko otworzą wypożyczalnię.
otworzyć
to open
jak tylko
as soon as
wypożyczyć
to borrow (from a library); to hire (a car)
narty
the skis
wypożyczalnia
the rental shop
Questions & Answers about Wypożyczymy narty, jak tylko otworzą wypożyczalnię.
Why does the second part of the sentence use the future tense (otworzą) when the English translation uses the present ('open')?
In English, we use the present tense after time phrases like 'as soon as' or 'when' to talk about the future. Polish is strictly logical here: since opening the rental shop will happen in the future, you must use the future tense (otworzą). If you used the present tense here, it would mean they are opening the shop right now.
Both wypożyczymy and otworzą are perfective verbs. Could we use imperfective verbs with jak tylko?
Usually, no. The phrase jak tylko (as soon as) emphasizes immediate sequence, which almost always connects two completed actions. You are saying that the very moment the action of opening is completely finished (otworzą), you will execute and complete the action of renting (wypożyczymy).
There is no subject like oni (they) before otworzą. Is it just dropped to save time?
It is dropped, but for a specific grammatical reason. Using the third-person plural without a pronoun is a very common way to express an impersonal action in Polish, much like the English general 'they' or the passive voice. Here, it simply means 'as soon as the shop is opened' without needing to specify who exactly is opening it.
I know the verb pożyczyć means to borrow or lend. How does the prefix wy- change the meaning in wypożyczymy?
Pożyczyć is the general word for borrowing or lending, usually between people and often for free. Adding the prefix wy- to make wypożyczyć narrows the meaning specifically to renting an item for a fee from a commercial business. You can see this exact same business-related root in the word for the rental shop itself: wypożyczalnia.
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