Breakdown of Tamtego ranka czułem dreszcz, kiedy przewracałem strony mrocznego dziennika.
kiedy
when
czuć
to feel (sensation) / to smell
strona
side; page
dziennik
diary
tamten
that (one) over there
ranek
morning (the noun; rano is the adverb)
mroczny
dark (gloomy, sinister)
dreszcz
shiver
przewracać
to turn
Questions & Answers about Tamtego ranka czułem dreszcz, kiedy przewracałem strony mrocznego dziennika.
Why do we use the Genitive case for tamtego ranka without any preposition?
This is the bare Genitive of time. In Polish narratives, the Genitive without a preposition is used to pinpoint an event to a specific, definite time in the past or future. It is mostly used with parts of the day, dates, or specific years, and usually needs a modifier like the demonstrative pronoun tamtego (that) or an adjective.
I usually use rano for the word morning. Why does this sentence use ranka?
The word rano is generally used as an indeclinable adverb meaning 'in the morning'. Because the bare Genitive of time requires a noun that can take a case ending and be modified by an adjective or pronoun, we have to use the masculine noun ranek. Its Genitive form is ranka.
Why are both verbs, czułem and przewracałem, in the imperfective aspect?
The imperfective aspect is used here to set a continuous background scene. You were in the ongoing process of turning the pages (przewracałem) and simultaneously experiencing the shiver (czułem). If the sentence meant you suddenly felt a shiver the exact moment you turned a page, it would use the perfective equivalents poczułem and przewróciłem.
Why is mrocznego dziennika in the Genitive case here? Is it related to the time expression?
No, it is not related to the time expression. Here, the Genitive case is simply used to show possession or relationship, translating directly to 'of' in English. You are turning the pages (strony, which is Accusative as the direct object) of the dark diary (mrocznego dziennika).
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